The Carthian Movement - The Danse Macabre
Joining The Carthian Movement is not as simple As One would assume. No less fearful of infiltration and destabilization than any of the other covenants, Carthian Kindred must reconcile the advantages of increasing their population with the disastrous potential of bringing troublesome or unfaithful vampires into the fold. While some argue that selective criteria for Embrace and recruitment is a violation of the inclusive structure of the ideal Carthian society, others know that indiscriminate acceptance of every potential member is a recipe for disaster.
Although the barriers for entry seem low, the Movement is usually an aggressive recruiter. As always, exceptions exist. When the Movement is supreme in a domain, the Carthians may take on a more elitist tone. It all boils down to self-interest, as so many elements of the Requiem do. Kindred who are fascinated by the powers of dark sorcery are going to gravitate toward the Acolytes or the Dragons — the sorcerous covenants don’t need to court them. Vampires with a hunger for spiritual fulfillment and a higher purpose get more proselytizing from the Circle, as well as pressure from the Sanctified, but those groups are still claiming to be the sole source for the soul’s fortification.
The Carthians play to a different and altogether earthier set of drives. They help you get fed, get a Haven and get set up. They are eminently practical (or, at least, that’s what they project to outsiders). This is a tough sell in some ways because all the Carthians have are qualities and benefits that any Kindred can, in theory, acquire for himself with a little hard work.
But between theory and practice lies an oft-overlooked gap that is, on closer inspection, a plummeting chasm. Getting fed and staying safe and keeping a bank account when you’re dead and can’t talk to your loan officer by daylight is not easy at all, and when you’re starving and broke and scuttling into the foil-lined trunk of your car every day, unveiling the deeper secrets of undeath is a terribly low priority. Sure, there are dark miracles and transforming secrets that can make the Requiem far easier, but they’re only available after months or years of dedicated service. The Movement can do the same thing, tonight, without having to sacrifice your brain on the evil Altar of some dead Saint, undead madman or tyrannical nature goddess.
This is the selling point for the Movement. The Carthians offer results easy, and offer them fast.
The more experienced an unaligned vampire is, the more likely he is to stay independent. That said, there are some times when undecided ancillae or even elders come into the fold. Usually, they’re driven by vulnerability. Being independent is fine in a very stable domain, but if any covenant stages a successful coup and seizes power, The Unaligned are often the first against the wall simply by virtue of having no unified contingency plan. If someone other than the Movement takes control, the unbound may join the Carthians as a likely looking group of rebels. If the Movement is the prevailing power — hey, nothing wrong with playing on the winning team. Especially if the alternative is sharp wood and a sunlit field.
There are many other ways to become vulnerable, of course. If the rest of your coterie gets massacred, the philosophical reservations against being a joiner may suddenly seem very quaint. Similarly, an unaligned elder who emerges from a long Torpor, weak and confused by cell phones and televisions, may run to the Carthians after the first promise of modernism.
On the other hand, some defectors aren’t disappointed, just greedy. Once a Kindred of any age distinction feels she’s gotten all the advantage she can from one group, why not drop it and find a newone? It’s not like she’s going to keep sucking on a mortal once the blood’s all gone. Why wouldn’t she scale up her behavior to the social level?
In fact, Final Death is often the unspoken issue hovering over many Invictus defections. Say what you want about the First Estate, The Invictus play hard, and sometimes the winner isn’t content to high-five the loser and say, “You showed good hustle, kid.” Bungling a high-stakes Invictus defection can make the entire covenant too hot to tolerate. Even if Final Death isn’t imminent, a Vinculum could be, or simply a drastic reallocation of property and privilege. If the loser stays in The Invictus, there’s not much he can do about it, but if he jumps ship, suddenly his assets aren’t his for the winner to take away. They’re Carthian property.
Of course, this raises the question of why someone fleeing one secular, political covenant would go to the other secular, political covenant. The answer is that the Carthians might truly be more attractive, since they’re focused on many of the same issues as The Invictus, even if they approach them from the opposite direction.
Furthermore, there’s a matter of fear. Neither the Carthians nor The Invictus often admit it — publicly, one of the few things they agree on is that blood sorcery is over-rated Vitae-powered wanking — but privately, that stuff is freaky. It doesn’t matter how many Fortune 500 executives you’ve got begging to suckle Vitae from your undead breast, seeing some pasty Acolyte cut his arm and conjure out a bunch of skittering red spiders is scary. Some may see unholy powers and immediately want to sign up, but generally those with a thirst for the arcane join voluntarily, not under duress. When fleeing a political machine, the place that looks safe is inside another one.
When elders and ancillae leave The Invictus for the Movement, it’s often a case of rats leaving a sinking ship. The one thing The Invictus must be, without exception, is effective. That’s not always possible, especially if the First Estate is paralyzed by infighting, or is led by an out-of-touch elder (or a Ventrue succumbing to the clan curse or a Daeva who has receded so far from functional morality that she needs to murder her vessels in order to feel anything at all) and the Carthians have an unusually sharp Prefect. The more a vampire has invested in The Invictus, the harder it is to admit the First Estate’s power is broken and concede to the Movement, particularly if that vampire has made enemies or thinks the Carthians will humiliate him if he comes slinking into the fold. On the other hand, a warm welcome and willingness to let bygones be bygones is a staple of Carthian tactics — if the defector has a lot of power to offer, and the Prefect is unusually sharp.
As with The Unaligned, most converts to the Movement from the Sanctified make their move as neonates. A few months or a year of Lancea Sanctum services is enough for some Kindred to decide they made a bad mistake pledging. This phenomenon is particularly acute among American Kindred, who are used to the idea that you can give up a religion, or find a new one in the phone book. While the Sanctified maintain that enlightenment takes time and dedication, cynical and impatient modern vampires are likely to suspect that it’s just a ruse, designed to suck them deep enough into the church structure that they can’t extricate themselves after finding out there’s really nothing behind the Altar.
Yet, for every Carthian who makes a hard break from The Lancea Sanctum, there’s another who either joined the Movement without a vehement repudiation, or who actually started attending services after being inducted into his cadre. This dual membership is manageable, but comes at the cost of being looked at askance by both groups. With the ordinary Kindred it’s hard to know what his loyalties truly are, but with a Sanctified Carthian, it’s difficult to even know what he’s claiming.
Ancillae and elders rarely leave The Lancea Sanctum. When they do, they most often join The Invictus, if the First Estate will have them. That’s a big if. Since those covenants are often strange bedfellows, experienced Sanctified often have good relations with Invictus vampires. On the other hand, if The Invictus has a good relationship with the local Sanctified, The Invictus is unlikely to jeopardize that for just one defector.
The Carthians offer experienced Sanctified a political machine without spiritual demands. Frankly, the appeal is, in many cases, no hassles. The breaking point is Theban Sorcery, of course. An elder who departs is an embarrassment, but one who starts putting sacred secrets into the hands of secular democrats is often labeled heresy. An Inquisition typically responds with what can only be rightly described as wrath.
Ancillae just might squeak out with their skins intact if they submit to extensive conditioning or Vinculums to prevent them from sharing their Theban mysteries. On the other hand, by the time a vampire learns enough to merit that kind of security, she’s usually high enough that she’d be more comfortable, even as an outsider in The Lancea Sanctum, than subjected to that kind of abuse.
To really defect, then, the experienced Sanctified sometimes has to completely burn her bridges and flee to a new domain where she isn’t known. If she does that, she’s not going to join the Carthians (as opposed to the local Temple or Invictus group) unless she really, really hates her old covenant. That kind of revulsion from within the ranks is rare. But when it does happen, it’s a choice victory for the Movement.
Structurally, then, moving from one covenant to the other is a comfortable experience. The difficulty lies in making the shift from a spiritual existence to a relentlessly secular one. This is particularly true since the Circle’s spirituality emphasizes the naturalness, indeed superiority, of the Kindred. The Movement’s secular power base is the living, and many Acolytes are estranged from the living.
Yet that very estrangement is what can lead experienced Acolytes to join the Movement. Advancement in Crúac dehumanizes, and a dehumanized vampire has a harder and harder time relating to and coping with mortals. The Carthians, on the other hand, are structured around those very tasks. Therefore, an aged Acolyte who is suffering because she’s out of touch (either having trouble feeding or dealing with modern times) could find the support structure of the Carthians — lots of nearly warm neonates who dealwell with mortals and seem to like helping each other find food and shelter — very appealing indeed.
Even Acolytes who Haven’t had time to deny their Humanity through Crúac sometimes run to the Carthians after the first taste of its terrors. Learning even early secrets of The Crone’s dogma can send a sensitive soul fleeing, but neonates who were drawn to the Circle’s promises of sky-clad freedom and individuality aren’t going to be a good fit for a lockstep hierarchy. They’re more likely to settle for the Carthians as the next best thing — or, indeed, a better thing since their path to power doesn’t require an Adept to mortify portions of her own spirit.
For most, the covenant entangles them with personal, political and business ties, making it easier to stay than go. Some, however, do just what they planned: learn rudimentary Coils, then leave. Specifically, these clear-sighted Dragons regard The Carthian Movement as a sort of retirement. After their long decades of toil learning how to acclimate themselves to the Requiem, they’re ready to relax and have other people do the tedious scutwork for them, while they pay back with tasks that are (to them) negligible and (to typical vampires) terribly challenging.
The Order emphasizes self-reliance to the point of selfishness, but within a strangling hierarchy. Joining The Carthian Movement allows the fullest expression of selfishness, at least from the Victorian perspective of the Order, but in an egalitarian political milieu. For Dragons who consider themselves superior in all things (and who are, to be fair, objectively superior in some things), a level playing field sounds like an ideal place to bully their lessers.
It doesn’t always work out that way, since the Carthians have typically been amassing practical power and influence at least as quickly as the ex– Dragon gathered occult advantage. Furthermore, the Carthians often have less interest in what the Dragon has to offer than the Dragon expects. Sure, decreased susceptibility from daylight is impressive, and so is mastery of the Beast. On the other hand, Carthians have access to lots of aid from people with no Beast and no fear of day. They’re called mortals.
A very bold Dragon might offer tutelage in the Coils after defecting, but that’s a perilous path. First off, without possession of a Wyrm’s Nest, it’s slow going. Secondly, few Carthians want to put in the months of intellectual endeavor that Coil mastery requires: if they did, they’d have joined the Order. (Spending a lot of time surrounded by Ordo Dracul students anxious to master these techniques can give Dragons an inflated view of their value.) Most importantly, the Order takes a dim view of sharing proprietary knowledge. Unless the local Movement is extremely strong and the local Order exceptionally weak, having one or two Carthians learn one or two Coils isn’t worth the difficulties to be faced at Elysium and God only knows where else.
A few junior Dragons leave to join the Movement — get fed up with menial tasks and anachronistic apprenticeships or just can’t grasp the concepts — but quitters from that point are so inexperienced with The Ordo Dracul they might as well be independent. When they know no Coils, the Order lets them go without hard feelings. Often, the Dragons are glad to cut their losses.
Laws detailing the requirements for Embrace may be as complex or simple as the Carthians of a domain determine, and the laws may concentrate on the attributes of the candidate or on the hopes and desires of the citizens of the Movement. These laws may be very specific.
Physical attributes: Limits on age, appearance and physical fitness. Exclusion of weak or sickly mortals from consideration is common in domains with a more militarist bent, while some domains will not accept candidates with limited experience or features considered unfavorable.
Minimum level of competence: Mental capacity and training or a demonstrated facility with valued skills. The Carthian Movement is largely a philosophic organization, and some members are loath to admit uneducated or unintelligent new members to the policy-making ranks.
Adherence to principle: A demonstrated political or philosophical bent, with or without affiliation in approved organizations. Many Carthians, when seeking candidates for Embrace, select mortals the Carthians know will mesh well with the local Movement’s policy choices. A communal dictatorship is not likely to approve the Embrace of a staunch libertarian, for instance.
Clan or bloodline association: Some Carthian domains support Embrace by specified clans or bloodlines, while other domains take pains to discourage unfavorable ones. For instance, Morbus may be forbidden membership in The Carthian Movement, whether or not they’ve manifested the attributes of their line.
Systemic approval: Most laws of Embrace specify a structure of approvals that any candidate must meet. Votes of endorsement are common, as are open discussions of the candidate’s background and similar familiarization techniques.
Demonstration of loyalty: Proper behavior under the circumstances of a supervised test. A willing sacrifice is often required, or the unabashed, spontaneous and sincere support of the political views favored by the covenant.
In less forgiving domains, a mortal able to meet the detailed demands of the Movement without assistance is rare. Vampires who take interest in a potential childe often find themselves encouraging (or manipulating) the development of the individual in question, working to make sure that the individual will qualify before the scrutiny of the Carthians is brought to bear. Although some argue that a policy of interference is exactly what The Carthian Movement should asince the influence of Kindred discourages natural mortal creativity), others disagree, for several reasons. First, they take pains to mention the difference between a mortal whose ideas will benefit the covenant and one who is likely to make a good vampire. The former is likely to be as stubborn as he is progressive, while the latter ought to be more openminded. Second, they point out that the close observation (and occasional prodding) of a potential childe gives a vampire the chance to overcome any initial infatuation and take a serious look at whether or not the individual would make a good addition to the covenant.
Most domains are more lax in their pre–Embrace requirements, though. It’s not the mortal life that concerns the Carthians, after all, as much as it is the vampire who will join their ranks. The evaluation of the mortal who is presented to them as a series of difficult tests — a crucible of will and perseverance that the mortal will feel extremely proud for passing, if he does. Most often, these tests are operated under the guise of a mortal institution: a company, revolutionary cell or intellectual organization.
While the pre– Embrace evaluation of a mortal’s features may or may not guarantee a stellar career within the Movement, it has been observed that more difficult tests tend to inspire a greater level of pride and loyalty within new members. Those who pass the most difficult of tests seem to appreciate their new Status as Carthians more intensely, and the fiercely ingrained dedication to the Movement that results helps to solidify membership in the absence of the dogmatic religious and mystical assurances of competing covenants.
A Carthian domain in Egypt presents its evaluation process as a qualifying test for executive membership in an elite political think-tank. Candidates are taken to a remote, isolated compound and subjected to a series of interviews, covering everything from their knowledge of socio-political theory to their familiarity with pop culture fashion. Upon completion of the oral test, the candidate is quietly abandoned, and the compound’s power supply is shut off. He finds that any communication devices he’s brought have either been removed from him or no longer function. A quick estimate of the distance traveled on the way to the compound over barren desert terrain will make it clear that returning to a populated area on foot is an extremely risky proposition. The Carthian Kindred evaluating the candidate observe stealthily while he reacts to his situation. They observe him for three nights (leaving mortal Allies to monitor his progress during the days). If he demonstrates ingenuity and adaptability, making clear his will to survive and his intelligent capacity under pressure, the third night ends with his Embrace. If not, he is left to find his own way back to civilization (or die trying).
The Carthians of a domain on the American West Coast subject potential candidates to a series of increasingly senseless arguments, populating the test with a number of individuals who are instructed to disagree vehemently with whatever the candidate says, no matter how rational or attractive her statements. While she struggles to make her points, the Carthians hidden among her opponents watch her carefully, looking for signs of weakness in the face of popular insanity. If she successfully holds her ground, a signal is passed and her opponents suddenly fall silent. Slowly, they applaud, and the vampire who initially chose the candidate steps forward to explain the nature of the test, and her accomplishment. Membership in The Carthian Movement is described as the ongoing battle against the condition she just witnessed: the ever-present madness of irrational power structures. She is then given the choice to join. If she accepts, she is Embraced. If not . . . .
One Carthian faction in France styles itself as a subversive terrorist cell, subjecting potential new members to rigorous training in techniques of combat, espionage and sabotage. As the training continues, the Carthians and their mortal Allies take great pains to obscure their own philosophies, stating only that they wish to destroy the current system of corrupt government. Any candidate who successfully completes the training without making an effort to discover the actual motive behind the organization is allowed to join as a mortal ally. Those who bother to seek out an understanding of the truereasons behind the cell’s existence and rationally judge whether or not they actually want to take partin it (no matter what reason is presented) are separated from the crowd and chosen for Embrace.
Not all members of The Carthian Movement are Embraced into the covenant, of course. A significant proportion of the membership is made up of vampires who have joined the progressive Carthian cause, leaving behind (or choosing to operate within) the covenant that first accepted them in their neonatal nights.
Welcoming a “defector” is a dilemma for the Carthians. On the one hand, the Movement always benefits from additional support within a domain, and the more members the Movement attracts, the more power it can exert. On the other, bringing in Kindred who were Embraced and raised by individuals outside the Movement means integrating someone who may or may not be equipped to accept the tenets of the covenant, may or may not be willing to abandon obstructive viewpoints inherited from her original membership and may or may not be operating under instructions to spy on or otherwise undermine the Carthians.
Tests of loyalty and fitness are one thing when dealing with mortals, but for vampires it’s a different situation entirely. Kindred who are subjected to a difficult trial are likely to abandon it entirely, returning to the welcoming safety of their home covenant. They already know they’re good enough for one group, so forcing them to demonstrate their quality for the Carthians is simply going to discourage all but the most hopeless or desperate Kindred. But accepting a new member without subjecting her to the tests of the Movement can fail to inspire the devotion normally found in new recruits, and can invite the disdain of those who have gone through the full process. In each case, the decision to accept an untested vampire must be made based on the value he presents to the covenant weighed against the potential for damage he represents.
Some Carthian groups reserve a special initiation ceremony for Kindred wishing to join in order to create the sensation of a passed evaluation, even if there is no real danger of failure. Although the vampire who undergoes the ritual acceptance of his peers is more likely to feel a sense of kinship, he is not going to inspire any more respect or loyalty from established Carthians. The only real test of a defector is her continued service to the covenant and its goals.
It’s a different matter with The Ordo Dracul and The Invictus, both of which demand strict oaths of primary obedience. Openly serving both masters is simply not possible.
On the other hand, Kindred are renowned for doing things that can’t be done openly. Officially, the Dragons and the First Estate and the Carthians require primary fealty from their members. In nightby- night fact, this is difficult to enforce without draconian Paranoia. Furthermore, it’s not even desirable. The covenants all demand loyalty without fully expecting it. In many instances, the oaths are symbolic, present to give the authorities an excuse to punish those who screw up. “Screwing up,” in this context, doesn’t mean trying to play two covenants against one another. It means being so clumsy at it that you get caught and make the covenant look bad or otherwise set back its efforts.
Rarely are Kindred known to court both covenants recruited as espionage assets. They’re just too obvious, too suspect. More commonly, the Carthians make an irresistible offer to a Dragon whose master has made one tyrannical demand too many, or to someone within The Lancea Sanctum whose constant belittlement for his religious peculiarities has made him mad enough (or desperate enough, if the covenant won’t help him feed) to gain revenge the Coward’s way.
A turncoat from outside the covenant isn’t trusted. The Carthians know that if a Kindred over there is going to fuck over the Circle for you, he’ll fuck you over for the next guy with leverage or a better offer. Nevertheless, a dot in Carthian Status (and the attendant aid with havens, feeding and social climbing) is a good way to represent the payoff the Movement offers to its ears on the inside of other covenants.
The other way to gather intelligence is to place someone the Movement does trust on the inside, undercover. This isn’t easy, particularly when dealing with creatures who can compel truth or read minds. Carthian infiltrators may undergo heavy Conditioning to suppress their real motivations until a triggerword is spoken (or, more commonly, a situation such as “being absolutely alone with my Carthian contact” occurs). This sort of compartmentalization gives a penalty of –2 to –4 on attempts to unearth the character’s true loyalty through Telepathy, Revelation or Aura Sight, though the Movement has learned the hard way that it won’t fool the Theban Sorcery rite Liar’s Plague. The successes amassed by the Conditioner work as penalties to attempts to dig out the truth through Dominate, as described on p. 127 of Vampire: The Requiem.
If the character is willing to accept a derangement, and has assistance from a Conscionaut, this sort of voluntary, compartmentalized Amnesia can completely insulate him against prying from Auspex, Majesty and Dominate. However, the mental damage is considerable, which is painfully obvious to any of those Disciplines, as well as to anyone who gains a success on a Wits or Intelligence + Empathy roll. Effectively, the noise of the madness cloaks the signal of the spy’s true fealty.
Despite the wild creativity attributed to the Movement, the truth is that the vast majority of Carthian domains are ruled in one of five styles of government: pure democracy, republican parliament, socialist dictatorship, communal democracy or constitutional tyranny. A social system that doesn’t fall into one of these categories may be applied — Carthians do take inspiration from just about every systemic human enterprise — but to do so is unusual. The natural tendencies of vampires just seem to draw them to one or another of these five systems of rule, even if the Kindred begin with a different vision to begin with.
The distinguishing feature of most purely democratic domains lies in the definition of a “citizen.” For some, every vampire in the city is included (though this extreme application opens up a significant weakness in the government, as a large enough gathering of Kindred who pledge loyalty to another covenant can quickly undermine the system), and, for others, every acknowledged Carthian. Some domainsrequire the donation of a specified resource or time in service to earn votes. Votes that alter the definition of citizenry can be carried as well, resulting in exclusive laws of startling prejudice. Since thereis no guiding principle outside the rule of majority in a pure democracy, there are no checks and balances to prevent the creation of restricted privileges.
The Elysium gatherings of a pure democracy are lively, chaotic affairs. Debates carry on throughout the night in all corners, and votes are often underscored by shouted comments, open expressions of criticism and laughter. The only rule of respect goes to the “Speaker,” the individual empowered to call an end to deliberation and count votes. Otherwise, speech is free and frequent, covering any topics the citizens feel like discussing.
Kindred with social talents tend to thrive in pure democracies because of their capacity to sway the voting crowd. All too often, fear and fashion, the stickand- carrot of populist politics, become the driving forces of fully democratic domains. Some democracies remain honest, their officials battling constantly to eliminate unfair influence on the votes — but those territories are home to a difficult, never-ending struggle.
Because a republican parliament doesn’t involve the full participation of the citizenry, a republican parliament isn’t vulnerable to the same “bogging down” effect common in pure democracies. The Prince is empowered to make policy decisions as quickly as she likes, but she must make sure to make decisions that her parliament approves of, or she will be removed from power and find her declarations reversed. However, domains with a long-running parliament that remain satisfied with their Prince forextended periods often begin to resemble the feudal government of the other covenants, and can earn the ire of the Carthian citizenry quite easily. They frequently “prove themselves” by removing perfectly capable Princes as demonstration of their loyalty to the ideal system over a steady, effective government.
Elysium gatherings in a republican parliament tend to be more structured than those of a pure democracy, with the official members of the parliamentabiding by a common etiquette, usually allowing each member to speak in turn on every subject of import. The rest of the citizens may or may not be free to witness the deliberations of the council. In many cases, the majority of the citizenry loses interest in the granular workings of government, choosing only to hear the end result of votes (and expressing their displeasure if their representative fails them).
Kindred with intellectual talents often rise to the top in parliamentary systems of government due to their acumen with reasoned debate and their strategic political skill. Those with incisive intelligence or quick-witted tactical ability can out-think their opponents in parliament, swaying votes and forcing policy. Powerfully attractive Kindred may be able to sway some votes with their social skill, but the reasoned analysis of the intellect often takes a deeper hold in council’s deliberations, especially those that take an extended recess before registering a vote.
Socialist dictatorships under The Carthian Movement tend to include Kindred who are not acknowledged members of the covenant, whether they like it or not. A council of Carthian elites oversees the application of the law to all vampires of the domain,drawing up rationing formulae and issuing declarations, requests and warnings to all. These elites are generally either served by physically powerful idealists or are quite powerful themselves, backing up their policy with an unavoidable iron fist — often a necessity, considering how alien the concept of sharing territory, hunting grounds and even vessels is to most vampires. As government officials, their purpose is to oversee and enforce the division of wealth and labor, taking nomore than an equal share for themselves.
The Elysium in a socialist democracy tends to be a raucous affair, encouraging the citizens to partake in a regular celebration of their empowerment under Carthian rule. Gifts and entertainments are freely distributed to every attending Kindred, and the practice of the Chain occurs at every gathering. The cheers of the elevated lower class are often more than enough to demonstrate the popularity of the Movement to any wealthy (or formerly wealthy) Kindred with doubts. Open criticism of the system is almost never tolerated, though, and those who question the regime often find themselves surrounded by Kindred angrily demanding to know why they don’t favor equal treatment for all.
Kindred with physical clout can go very far in a system of socialist dictatorship, providing the backbone of enforcement necessary to keep the distribution of Resources on level ground. They can, of course, take advantage of the system, requisitioning additional Resources for themselves based on the physical work and risk they have to engage in on a regular basis. Therein lies the greatest vulnerability of this style of Kindred government: the tendency to slip from the enforcement of equal standards to a simple, thug-ruled kleptocracy. Still, strength in the right place can keep everyone honest, whether he likes it or not.
Communal democracy is another system that tends to include non-Carthian Kindred in its notional citizenry, dividing the sub-populations so that no significant weight is given to their vote is simple. Because convincing smaller groups of vampires to share equally among themselves is easier, this system doesn’t tend to require the heavy-handed enforcement style of a socialist dictatorship. Every sub-group is allowed to determine how the group chooses its votes its own way, so the potential for dissatisfaction is lower than under some other structures. On the other hand, the subdivision of territories must be carefully engineered to prevent any single group’s superiority over the rest, lest the domain slide back into a feudal tyranny.
The Elysium gatherings of communal democratic Carthian domains are, at best, celebrations of the diverse interests and features of the populace. At worst, these events are fractious gatherings of factions, ringing with voices of dispute between subgroups. Expressions of displeasure are encouraged, as is the settling of differences by debate or structured challenge. These gatherings are usually hosted on a rotating basis, with each sub-group taking the opportunity to direct the flavor of the assembly.
Kindred of all walks can thrive in a communal democratic domain, so long as they find themselves dwelling with a group of like-minded Allies.
The body of Kindred created expressly for the purpose polices the law, and it cannot be superceded. There is no recourse for Kindred residents of the domain to alter the law; no officials are allowed to reinterpret or rewrite it. As the law is written, so it remains. The corrupting influence of power is eliminated by the strict interpretation of a document created before the successful assumption of office.
Constitutional tyrannies stand or fall on the quality of their law. No matter how powerful the enforcers are, wildly unfair or contradictory rules lead to dissatisfaction, which leads, in turn, to widespread defiance. Since literally any law can be written into a constitution, this system is incredibly flexible in its founding, and, because the law must be followedto the letter afterward, the system is very rigid in its function. If well organized, the system uses the bestof both features to the advantage of the citizenry. If not, the worst features of both rapidly become apparent, leading to eventual collapse.
Elysium gatherings of constitutional tyrannies are divided into two types. First, celebrations of independence are raucous affairs that pay tribute to the ascendancy of the law and the citizens’ release from the willful, irrational whim of the previous leadership. Second, criminal trials are held in public view to demonstrate the superiority of law and the futility of defiance.
Kindred of intellect are best suited to the founding of a constitutional tyranny, but those with physical prowess tend to function best as the enforcers of the law. As a two-stage system of revolt, the most difficult moment in the founding of a constitutional tyranny lies in the identification of the right time to transform the Movement from an ideal formulation of law to its directed imposition in the aftermath of physical revolt.
There are those within the Movement who prefer (whether consciously or not) to avoid such a clear test of their principles, claiming that the Carthian system works best As One of opposition, not one of rule. The logic is as follows: The systems of the other covenants are corrupt and incomplete, but not so utterly without merit as to be abandoned in favor of modern ruling styles (which most older Kindred will fight desperately to resist). The purpose of The Carthian Movement under the rule of these covenants is to force theimprovement of the system through reasoned debate, political pressure and careful subversion of tradition. Some may claim that this logic simply justifies collusion with established rule, but the point is still valid. The Carthian Movement does function very well in opposition to a superior force. Under circumstances of oppression, the Kindred of the covenant invariably band together, forgiving differences and pooling Resources to undermine the enemy. Even in relatively “soft” societies, wherein the Movement is not persecuted or otherwise suppressed, both the idealistic and the pragmatic Carthian vampires tend to have a clear, common goal, and will work together (or at least avoid destabilizing one another) in order to accomplish it. Without this unifying force, Carthian Kindred are often given to squabbling factionalism, occasionally becoming so caught up in their disagreements about ruling style and the ideal system of government that they fail to prevent one of the competing covenants from seizing power.
One of the greatest activities of the Carthian Kindred under outsider rule is that of protest: the activity of making the dissatisfaction of the Movement heard in public forum (most often Elysium) by word or deed. Demonstration may be vocal, or it may be a more passive defiance — a simple refusal to participate in domain celebrations or an organized halt to policing territorial boundaries can produce startling results, especially under oppressive rule. Anything works, so long as it draws the attention of the local Kindred to an injustice.
On a more intellectual level, many Carthians prefer to engage in an ongoing critique of the ruling system, making statements at Elysium, writing manifestoes and commentaries and calling for open debate. Their efforts meet with varying success, from apathetic brushoffs to enthusiastic responses, but their aim is usually to make and prove a point, not engage in friendly repartee. Carthian critics are often unpopular, and their antagonist behavior forms the basis for some of the negative stereotypes Kindred form about the Movement.
In truly oppressive domains, ones that forbid protest and refuse to recognize the Carthians as a legitimate covenant, the Movement resorts to more underhanded tactics. Terrorism, sabotage and conspiracy all become useful tools. Violence is not as uncommon as most Carthians would prefer to believe (or admit), and organized revolt becomes the clarion call of the covenant. Even those who don’t turn to illicit activity in order to keep their hopes alive end up retreating from public unlife, attending secret meetings and exchanging coded messages in order to maintain operation. Because the nature of the Carthian Movement attracts dissatisfied Kindred in any domain,the Carthians often find that iron-fisted regimes actually increase their support among the fringes of the ruling covenant. At best, the Carthians invoke the sympathy of more forgiving vampires, and, at worst, the Carthians become a potential ally (or tool) to those planning a coup d’état.
More often than not, Carthians in opposition become “spoilers” in political play. If they are numerous enough, they can often make an impact by simply refusing to participate in the prevailing customs of a domain. Doing so forces the ruling covenant into a difficult situation: enforce their way of unlife, risking the alienation of every vampire who doesn’t enjoy the prospect of being muscled into conforming to the power elite’s system, or allow the defiance to continue unabated, demonstrating that public insubordination is pardonable. Either way, the risk of losing followers to the Carthian cause is very real, and it’s difficult to pin the cause on the Carthians themselves. Even a relatively small number of vampires can make a significant difference, provided they’re willing to make an example of themselves. As with anything, safety comes in numbers for Kindred, and conscientious objection can easily turn into certain destruction if they don’t have enough friends to back them up.
The World of Darkness is a dangerous place. Vampires, of course, are part of what makes it dangerous, but the things in the dark don’t always (or even often) look kindly on the undead. The legends of the cities serve as cautionary tales for the Kindred, letting them know what areas and activities to avoid. Some Carthians, however, are not repulsed but enticed by the notion of coming face-to-face with a ghost. As with so many other things, The Carthian Movement’s attitude toward the other beings in the World of Darkness depends on which Carthians in particular one is discussing.
Of course, a discussion in which the participants are undead bloodsuckers is already a step beyond rational, but with enough derision, this little point can be overlooked ,and the Carthians can move on to topics in which they feel more at home.
Carthians who have only recently been Embraced or who spend most of their time primarily in the company of other Carthian Kindred are most likely to fall into this mindset. They wear blinders to the supernatural, perhaps because the process of becoming Kindred has already overloaded their minds on the subject. These kinds of Carthians are likely to respond with anger and fear should the existence or presence of non-vampiric supernatural beings ever be brought to their attention.
The Carthian Movement isn’t always egalitarian or even meritocratic, but the notion that people (vampires, anyway) should make their own choices tends to be fairly central to the covenant. That in mind, the Carthians don’t care so much if werewolves and mages exist in their cities, given a few provisos. Some Carthians might want to know what parts of a city a werewolf pack claims, so that the Kindred can avoid those areas (and, likewise, so the Kindred have a convenient place to send or lure enemies). Some Carthians might wish to know if a mage employs any mortals in the city, so that the Kindred can avoid feeding on them. The intent here is twofold. First, the Kindred don’t want to make enemies, especially enemies that the Kindred don’t understand. Second, they want to learn as much about the practical realities of the “intruders” (for the Kindred tend to think of the cities as their domains, as ridiculously egocentric as that is) as possible, in case the intruders do become enemies.
The average coterie of Carthians in such a city doesn’t usually consider the possibility of ever going toe-to-toe with a pack of werewolves, though. All the Carthians know is that certain parts of the city are off-limits and marked as dangerous. What they choose to do with that information (ignore it, follow it, learn more) is up to them.
Carthians who acknowledge other supernatural beings but don’t seek them out tend to represent those with some experience under their belts and a solid connection to their home turf and their bases of influence.
Carthians who go looking for trouble from other supernatural creatures tend to be neonates who were curious about such things pre–Embrace or who latched on to the supernatural aspect of vampirism soon after (which begs the question of why The Carthian Movement appealed more than, say, The Ordo Dracul, but such Kindred definitely do exist). The Movement does sponsor Kindred to investigate such things occasionally, though (see below).
The problem is, though, that the most dangerous manifestations of the supernatural don’t tend to be the most overt. In fact, the really obvious instances are more likely to be hoaxes. It’s the things that happen when no one is looking, the occurrences that people see out of the corners of their eyes when walking to their cars at night, that really worry the Kindred. Consider: A ghoul casually mentions to her regnant that she saw a rat fall out of a man the other night near the docks. The regnant asks for clarification — did the rat fall out of the man’s coat? No, the ghoul replies, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the rat peeled itself away from his skin and fell off. She didn’t mention it before because she was drunk at the time and still isn’t sure what she saw.
The vampire now has a dilemma on his hands. This whole incident could have been a hallucination, or a misinterpretation. But suppose it wasn’t. If a rat really did fall out of the man’s skin, what the hell does that mean? Could the man have been a vampire using some heretofore unseen manifestation of the Protean Discipline? Maybe the rat wasn’t a rat at all, but some unholy creature attempting to slither into his skin. Maybe the vampire has even heard legends of wizards and their familiars, and is now free to agonize over whether such things exist and what implication this might have for the city. In any case, without a common religious or mystical frame of reference, the Carthians can often feel lost or overwhelmed when dealing with the supernatural.
Some Carthians would argue that this isn’t a bad thing, though. After all, fear of showing weakness is itself weakness, and so admitting that one is overwhelmed by events that would cause most sane mortals to reach for prescription medicines isn’t so much weakness as Common Sense. Indeed, the fact that the above Carthian can’t haughtily say “obviously a demon” as a Sanctified Kindred might actually gives the Carthian a decided advantage — he might not know as much about demons, but he won’t be completely caught off guard if the rat-man isn’t a demon after all.
Also included are rumors and anecdotes that Carthian vampires have related to others. You might assume that your character has heard one of these stories through word of mouth — or has actually seen one of these odds events and claims it happened to a friend so that he doesn’t have to admit to it.
Reports from rural areas indicate the werewolves run in packs, while tales passed along at urban gatherings seem in indicate that werewolves are solitary hunters. One thing that no one disputes is that these beasts are hunters, but the question then arises: what are they hunting?
This question concerns the Carthians. If werewolves hunt prey, what do they eat? Legends say that they eat human flesh, but legends also say that vampires can’t cross running water and must stop to count grains of spilled rice, neither of which are true (at least, not in most Carthians’ experience). If werewolves are hunting mortals, why don’t mortal authorities notice the disappearances? Most Kindred know, though, that it’s not impossible to dispose of bodies surreptitiously.
Some Carthians scoff at the notion of werewolves in the city. After all, a wolf looks nothing like a dog, and surely someone would notice if packs of wolves were rampaging around urban areas? More cautious members of the covenant remind the skeptics that admission of ignorance is good thing — what if werewolves can change at will, rather than only under the full moon, as some sources suggest? What if an effect similar to the Lost Visage (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 75) prevents mortals from seeing werewolves as what they truly are? The most intelligent move the Carthians can make when dealing with werewolves is to be cautious.
Rumors:
Imagine the surprise of these vampires, then, when fire leaps from a mage’s fingertips to incinerate one of the Kindred’s coterie.
Magic is quite real, but the Kindred of The Carthian Movement don’t tend to have any context for magic’s practitioners. While Carthians might not understand werewolves, at least folklore has a fairly consistent portrayal of them. Not so for mages — a spellcaster might be a pious Theurgist calling down holy fire, a Necromancer interested in all manners of animating the dead (including the Kindred), a Shaman communing with the spirits surrounding her or an eldritch scholar always followed by a chill wind. When the Carthians encounter mages, the first meeting tends to set a precedent for future interactions. Thus, if the first time a Carthian coterie meets a spellcaster is a conflagration that sees three vampires scorched to ash, the standing policy for future run-ins with such beings is probably “shoot first.” Such policies might well be in place 100 years later, even though no active vampire in the domain has ever personally met a mage.
Rumors:
This is a disturbing thought to the Carthians. Without a unified school of thought on such matters as the disposition of the soul after death and the true nature of ephemeral entities, a Carthian confronted by the ghost of someone whom he or a coterie-mate murdered isn’t much better equipped to handle the experience than a mortal. In fact, the Carthian might be even more terrified. A mortal, after all, doesn’t need to fear burning to death in the sun because a ghost unlocked a door and let someone into the Haven. But possibly more disquieting is the implication that a vampire might also linger after death, and might therefore confront the souls of those he killed. Again, the covenant offers no comfort, and so the Carthian must draw his own conclusions.
Some Carthians have noted that ghosts often seem bound to locations, typically the spot on which they died. Dissenting reports claim, however, that ghosts are able to follow their murderers and Hound them, while similar stories talk about unquiet spirits protecting their still-living loved ones. More practical Carthians insist that these ghosts must be rare in the extreme, as very few Kindred have ever reported spectral interference while feeding or undertaking other actions that might arouse the ire of a ghost. Fearful Carthians wonder if this is indicative of the rarity of ghosts or of survivors of such incidents.
Not every spirit is a ghost, though. Most Carthians don’t realize this, and unless they subscribe to a belief that encompasses a somewhat animistic view of the world, the idea that objects, places and even ideas can have spiritual representations is strange and foreign. Even if a vampire is willing to accept this notion, a typical, skeptical Carthian question is, “So where are these spirits?” No easy answer is forthcoming, and vampires seem to lack the apparatus to sense these beings. And yet, every now and then, a Carthian tells a story about an encounter with an alien-looking being that materializes from nowhere and carries with it an unmistakable air of something, be it anger, loss or even something as specific as asphalt or Rain. In general, though, the Carthians file these stories with all of the other unverifiable and out-of-context yarns that nights in the World of Darkness seems to produce.
Rumors:
The process of rebellion itself is often the subject of impassioned debate in Carthian circles. Because rebellion entails sudden, volatile change, many argue that rebellion is an unsuitable means to attaining “proper government” in almost any style. Vampires react badly to sudden paradigm shifts, the argument goes, and will react violently to a cause that they might otherwise find acceptable if it surprises them. While, undeniably, change in some domains is impossible without violent uprising, the immediate shock attending that change will pave the way to months (if not years) of bloody conflict and forever paint the resulting Carthian government As One built on the vicious destruction of its predecessor.
Still, Carthian Kindred are usually passionate adherents to their philosophies, and many are willing to take the risk in order to see their dreams to fruition. Furthermore, taking up arms against the ruling covenant in a city can unify and galvanize the Carthians, lending their organization structure and purpose with the opportunity to achieve direct, measurable results.
Almost universally considered superior to sudden rebellion, subversion of a domain is many, many times more difficult to achieve. Despite appearances, subversive strategy is not entirely peaceful. It can involve sabotage, assassination, even terrorism, so long as the actual operation of conversion appears to be happening from within the competing covenants or via diplomatic interaction with the Carthians. Deception and intrigue are the hallmarks of a subversive campaign as well, and can lead (if improperly concealed) to just as much violence as open rebellion. owever, the proper planning and execution of a subversive campaign can result in the entirely peaceful rollover of government in a domain and mpose an “untainted” Carthian system in its wake.
Not all Carthians are up for the rigorous secrecy nd manipulative politicking of an aggressive campaign of subversion, though, and realize that failure and exposure could forever damage whatever trust they share with the Kindred of the domain. These vampires prefer to take an open approach, hoping o win the Damned over with simple argument andenthusiastic offer of a new deal.
The greatest problem facing Carthians who successfully seize control of a domain reveals itself immediately upon acknowledgment of their ascension to power. They must, thereafter, impose law upon the other covenants, deciding whether to afford them the rights and freedoms entailed in the Carthians’ ideal system or to exclude and oppress the covenants in hopes of eliminating potentially dangerous competing philosophies. Faced with the decision of forming an unstable ut honorable government or sinking to the level of the Carthian enemies and crushing dissent in the name of security, many newly empowered Carthians struggle to satisfy their own ideals in the realpolitik world of Kindred government.
In general, the first signs of failure in a Carthian system will be obvious to the members of the Movement long before the signs become apparent to the rest of the vampires in a city. In these cases, some Carthians see the opportunity to evolve the local Movement, eliminating the current experimental government and replacing it with another applied ideal. If the originators of the failed regime refuse to step aside for the replacement, a schism within the covenant forms, leading to an internal struggle for control. Dispute gives rise to animosity, and animosity leads to bloody conflict.
There are all sorts of ways to settle a disagreement over the right to rule. In some domains, a simple vote can lead to a wholesale replacement of policymakers, while in others a more physical approach is required. The more open the conflict,though, the more obvious the rift in the Movement will become, and the more likely that competing covenants will try to take advantage of the situation. For this reason, secret conspiracies and backroom dealings become the hallmarks of a Carthian government on its last legs, as members of the Movement plan their last-ditch efforts to maintain control. If the situation isn’t resolved quickly, politicking can give way to kidnapping, blackmail and extortion — more often than not spelling the end of the Movement’s reign.
Worse yet, a meltdown between Carthians can have wider and more lasting effects. In an idealist’s covenant, failure to maintain government can crush the spirits of both the covenant’s members and the outsiders who are beginning to believe in the promise of escape from feudal rule. Those who might yet be relied upon as subversive Allies draw back, reassuming their former loyalties with redoubled intensity and regarding The Carthian Movement with Suspicion forever after.
The potential for schism is an extremely difficult problem for most Carthians to deal with. On the one hand, dispute and debate are engines that drive innovation, allowing the Movement to accept and integrate new ideas and refine its approach. On the other, competing ideas frequently draw hot-tempered vampires into dangerous conflict. How does a domain allow for one without accepting the other? Is forbidding the former without restricting the latter possible?
One European republican domain allows complete freedom of expression at Elysium while imposing a strict penalty on any vampire who interrupts a parliamentary session. Furthermore, the members of Parliament themselves are forbidden to stand or come into contact with one another during a session. Anyone who violates these rules is immediately escorted from the gathering by the Sheriff and his Hounds and prevented from participation during the rest of the session in question. This simple but harsh punishment guarantees that those who misbehave will have no effect on policy, giving all Kindred a strong motivation to remain within the bounds of acceptable conduct.
The constitution of a tyrannous Canadian domain simply forbids vocal disagreement with respect to interpretations of law, requiring that all disputes be conducted in writing with no less than a 15-minute pause between statements. The result is a slow and aggravating process, so most Kindred avoid it altogether. The punishment for violating this law is severe: the restriction of territory and the surrender of material goods for redistribution among the Kindred of the domain. All who abide by the constitutional restriction are heard, though, and their arguments are demonstrably capable of initiating radical reinterpretations of law.
When these measures fail, the inevitable result is revolution. More than a few domains have collapsed into civil war, only to see the reins of power seized by opportunist members of The Invictus or The Lancea Sanctum. Collapse of Carthian power rarely leads to the ascension of one of the other covenants, as the downfall of idealistic philosophy is generally considered a vindication of traditional rule.
As a matter of fact, Carthian Kindred with no formally recognized Status can simply up and leave without hassle. In a passive-aggressive sense, they might cease any duties they may have been observing in the first place, which with such low Status could not have been much. Except for extremists such as the Burning Horizon (see p. 74), the Carthian policy on slackers is usually, “You don’t work, you don’t eat.” So no retribution is visited besides losing the benefits of Carthian membership. Some Contacts might stop talking to the vampire, and access to shared vessels would be lost. Most Carthian cells have better things to worry about than flaky neonates. Carthians who are involved, but not influential,
might experience more difficulty trying to leave. Low levels of Status (• to ••) usually carry enough responsibilities that the Kindred in such positions are considered useful, though usually not enough that they are considered dangerous if they leave. The details depend on the experiment in progress in any given domain. If the Carthians of a city are organized as a terrorist conspiracy out to bring down the establishment, any Status with them at all makes a character into a potential risk if let go. If they are a public lobbying group or a democratic city government, even a highly placed official with Status ••• or •••• might be free to leave without incident. Status ••••• with the Movement indicates a leader of such stature that her departure would probably cause the local movement to crumble; her closest followers and colleagues are likely to discourage this strongly, possibly violently.
Officers and policy-makers at the highest levels sometimes have difficulty making a clean break. Carthians in high places might have sworn oaths to their fellow officers and to the Movement. In especially radical or totalitarian domains, Carthian luminaries might have signed contracts in their own blood, or agreed to contracts penned in the Vitae of their fellow officers. All this blood is a practical symbol, and perhaps a bit of practical magic, binding Carthian high officials to their sacred duty with the only thing that is always sacred to a vampire. If an officer even tries to betray the Movement, such duplicity will usually be detected long before it bears fruit. As professional revolutionaries, powerful Carthians are very well practiced at the business of Paranoia. This Paranoia is a constant no matter what brand of politics is the norm in a particular domain, or the position and mission of a particular officer. Even if a group of younger Kindred gets charge of a domain, they probably have a shorter leash than they think. The Burning Horizon for example: their sire was still in the city, and, for a powerful vampire, Torpor is only a small impediment to keeping tabs on somebody. He might have had Ghouls continuing surveillance on them, or simply hired mortal investigators who didn’t know the purposes of their observations. He might have created other childer the Horizon didn’t know about, or had other associates doing the job
Even if a Carthian official manages to escape with sensitive information, it’s only a matter of time before she’s found and reported. The diversity of the Movement’s members leads naturally to the acquisition of Contacts and informants anywhere a traitor might run to (as represented by the discount on acquiring the Contacts Merit for Covenant members). Once the escapee has been located, Carthian mercenaries are mobilized. Due to the demands of the Masquerade, these Kindred troops are already trained in special ops-style, covert, low-impact urban warfare.Traitors escaping from the covenant are quickly and quietly put into Torpor, to be brought before a Carthiantribunal. These tribunals rarely deliver anything but a unanimous guilty verdict, with rarely any punishment other than a full day’s exposure to sunlight.
Theoretically, a highly placed Carthian officer could leave the Movement peacefully, despite the strong tendency toward violence that is bred by Kindred Paranoia about secrets. The practicality of this approach varies wildly from one domain to the next, though. Do you have to sign a blood contract to be an officer in this city? How strict are the terms? How flexible and forgiving are the other officers? Depending on the answers to questions such as these, leaving can be a simple matter of turning in a written resignation, or downright impossible to do without slaughtering the rest of the conspiracy.Such slaughter is the unfortunate eventual result of many Carthian experiments. The only sure-fire way an officer can get out of the Movement for good is to kill everyone who knew her.
Regardless of former Status, all new Acolytes start at the ground level. Elders and neonates advance at the same rate, depending on their progress in knowledge of mysteries and acts of virtue. Any advantages that elders enjoy by virtue of their greater skill and Resilience are balanced by their greater indifference and stagnation, making the works of creation necessary to become great in the Circle more difficult. This equality is less artificial than that enforced by Carthians, which often seems appealing, given how often the Carthian variety simply doesn’t pan out.
Existence as an Acolyte also fails to pan out for many former Carthians, though. The trials and scarring of the psyche necessary to learn Crúac are more difficult than anything The Carthian Movement ever asks of its members. Though the structure of the Circle is equal in theory, the gap of power and respect between new initiates and experienced Acolytes soon seems insurmountable to a mind practiced in Carthian egalitarianism. Enlightenment isa long way off, and much more nebulous than the concrete social goals a Carthian would be used to.
Spontaneous conversions from Carthian to Invictus are also accepted, somewhat smugly, especially since these are usually fallout from failed Carthian experiments. Of course, this always draws a few snide comments from the First Estate about the inevitability of such failure, yet Carthians who get out early enough can play this reaction to their favor. Recognizing inevitability before it strikes shows that the vampire, probably a neonate, is capable of the same insight The Invictus has always enjoyed; this is worthy of some respect.
Elder Carthians who leave the Movement join The Invictus less frequently than one might think, though, despite the obvious perks offered to elders by the First Estate. The elders among The Carthian Movement usually fall into two categories: founding members, and influential latecomers. In the first case, the philosophies that drove these Kindred to found their cell of the Movement in the first place are more important than anything. In the latter case, the canny elder would likely rather manipulate naïve neonates than contend with other powerful Kindred in the upper ranks of The Invictus. If a vampire 200 years old or older wants to leave, she’s not looking for political power. Very rarely is the move from Carthian Movement to First Estate actually advantageous for established elders.
The problem faced by the Carthian Kindred who do join the First Estate is that The Invictus system actually fails almost as often as Carthian experiments. Princes are assassinated and replaced all the time. Power is brokered, gained and lost. The system may not change as it changes hands, but the unrest caused is no less turbulent and lasts just as long. Former Carthians soon find themselves wondering why they bothered to switch; they are not enjoying more power or luxury, or even more stability. Experienced at seeing through the bullshit and propaganda, these Kindred cannot help but discover that The Invictus does not live up to its mythic image. For rats who fled a sinking ship, this is often a revelation that they fled to another ship, also sinking, that has been sinking for longer.
The miracles of Theban Sorcery are, of course, also a draw. Besides the usual reason of deserting a failing experiment, the powers of the Sanctified make a statement that often convinces even the staunchest politicians that their ways might be wrong, or at least that they are in the wrong covenant. The desire for power draws as many Kindred away from The Carthian Movement as it draws to them, since the taste of mystic might versus that of temporal authority is a difficult choice. Unlike The Circle of the Crone, however, The Lancea Sanctum does not accept seekers who are in it solely for the magic. Theban Sorcery is only for the truly committed among the Sanctified, and there are many tests of faith administered before any secrets are revealed.
Carthians come to The Ordo Dracul for the same reason everybody else does. They are perplexed by what they are, and seek to transcend. The foibles of Kindred nature prey on Carthian experiments, especially irrational fears and frenzies. The Coils of Banes and the Beast can cure these problems from inside each vampire who learns them. When social structures fail to control the problems from outside, former Carthians often seek to join the one covenant with a proven method of control. Certain sects of Carthians even appreciate the strict meritocratic hierarchy of the Order. A Dragon’s role in the Order and knowledge of the Coils are the only determinations of rank and privilege. There is no uncertainty, and there are certainly no failed experiments.
Unfortunately, most former Carthians seeking to join the Dragons are rejected, just as almost all applicants to The Ordo Dracul period. The Coils are not meant for teaching to just any Kindred; the Order is exclusive. The Carthian ideal of equality and universality is nowhere to be found in this secret society. Only the most elite are welcome to join the Dragons. Refugees escaping from a failed Carthian experiment, which they may have caused to fail or simply failed to stop, hardly qualify as elite. A former Carthian may have to spend decades or centuries proving his worth, an eternity of frustrating nights as new Kindred are embraced directly into The Ordo Dracul, or other, more promising candidates are accepted without all the fuss.
Other than those who lack ambition or commitment, there are two major kinds of former Carthians among the unbound: rabble-rousers and fakers.Rabble-rousers are activists so extreme in their views they can no longer even work with The Carthian Movement. This usually means crazies: perhaps those who favor explosives as a solution to most problems or proponents of definitive violations of Kindred Traditions. Groups of rabble-rousers are usually threats to the Masquerade as well as the unlives of other Kindred in the city. Fakers, on the other hand, are actually not former Carthians at all. Fakers are, in fact, secretly still members of the Movement, pretending to leave with the rest of the refugees from a failing domain. These secret Carthians act as sleeper agents, maintaining a relationship of trust with the actual former members, ensuring that the Movement does not lose any of its network of Contacts.
Many former Carthians eventually drift back to the Movement, and although this is partly due to the subtle influence of the fakers, mostly it is because the ideals of The Carthian Movement really cannot be found anywhere else. Unbound Kindred who once had access to Carthian Resources miss that luxury, and unlike those who join another covenant, the unbound have nothing to replace those Resources with except personal freedom. The difference between freedom inside or outside The Carthian Movement is not easy to see, though. Carthians enjoy a great deal of freedom, and not all of it is an illusion. Even the part that is an illusion holds power over the minds of the former Carthians. Sure, there are more rules back in the Movement, but what effect does that really have? A little bit of intangible freedom is often seen as a small price to pay for what can certainly feel like a lot more security.
Having adopted the Internet in both medium and message, Carthians have found that the Internet is a big place. Their organization already had precedent for this, though, in the Carthians’ acceptance of telegraphy and, later, telephones. Prefects, committees and even ruckand- run Carthian Kindred keep in touch with each other across the globe, and they’ve been doing so for almost 100 years. The ousting of a totalitarian Invictus Prince in Prague raises a cheer in Chicago. A request for information from Tokyo will be heard and responded to from both Hong Kong and San Francisco. Many Carthian operations all over the world are funded by byzantine connections to front organizations such as drug cartels, import/export firms, mercenary companies, art thieves, smuggling rings and even securities traders, all supported by or connected somehow to Carthians.
Despite the many advantages of modern technology and globalization, even The Carthian Movement has failed to create a truly effective multi-domain government, however. The one piece of technology crucial to such government is denied to them by the absolute necessity of the Masquerade: mass media. The printing press, and the attendant rise of literacy through the years following its popularization, allowed mortal governments to escape the hand-to-hand chains of feudalism, a style of government that was mostly local. When an American invented the steam-powered printing press, newspapers captured public attention in cities all across the Western world, contributing greatly to the rise of nationalism. Nationalist feelings continued to rise with the popularization of radio, and were polarized in the extreme with the coincidence of television and the cold war. Mortal politicians can appear on the air free and clear, influencing whatever masses put themselves in range of a set. Kindred have no such option, and this is what some Carthian scholars see as a key component of the failure of multi-domain government.
Just because a coordinated government across multiple domains didn’t work out wasn’t reason enough for most Carthians to abandon the idea of cross-domain interaction entirely. After all, the ideals of the Movement had already spread to the four corners of the world, so Carthians in different domains could surely benefit from aid that wouldn’t be available locally. This willingness to interact over long distances and through modern media is one reason Carthian characters get a discount on the Contacts Merit. That’s only the beginning of the benefits Carthians might enjoy in your chronicle, though. Quite a few schemes of cross-domain politics have succeeded where the New Camarilla failed, by pursuing a more limited agenda that wouldn’t require popular support.
Between San Francisco and Tokyo, for instance, many different yakuza families operate scams to draw American women with aspirations of being actresses, models or the like into serving as geisha at nightclubs in Shinjuku. Once there, the yakuza bosses seize the women’s passports, and ensure that they become so deeply in debt they become virtual slaves to their employers. The slavery is made literal as the women are forced to sell their bodies to try to make enough money to escape their bonds in a perpetual cycle of degradation. A pair of enterprising young Carthians, Tomio Ojo of Tokyo and John Akamatsu of San Francisco, decided this would be a perfect profit-skimming racket. They send easy vessels over to Tomio’s cell in Tokyo, and the money flows back into Akamatsu’s trust fund to support the Movement in San Francisco.
Truckloads of migrant workers in North America are another choice target. Carthian nomadic cadres shepherd loads across the border, smoothing out INS border inspections with the application of bribes or vampiric power. Local chapters in cities near the border, from Texas to California, often call up Mexican cells to place orders for these trucks, sometimes called “meat lockers.” Ironically, life often improves for the workers, when they aren’t bled dry. The Carthian agents are more interested in setting their new Herd up with stable jobs in places they can easily be fed on than in fleecing the poor bastards. Even a minimum wage job is better than what many of these families leave behind in Mexico, and the Carthians often ensure better employment than that. Compared to feeding your family and American comforts, what’s a little light-headedness anyway?
Some Carthians are squeamish about this sort of trade. They make very reasonable arguments that this sort of oppression is exactly what The Carthian Movement seeks to end among Kindred, so to perpetuate it among mortals is counterproductive. The Carthians involved in the slave trade simply point out that a vampire has to drink blood somehow, and, besides, it’s not really slavery, because the mortals do get paid and have better living conditions than the homeless poor. These dregs of mortal society will never be the great thinkers that Carthians everywhere should emulate, the slavers argue, so the most humane thing to do is provide them with stability and safety, but treat them as the vessels they are.
Aside from the prestige naturally arising from a position at the helm of a successful Carthian experiment, playing host to the permanent residence of one or more experts who are sought after by Prefects in other domains is a source of undeniable power. A shrewd Prefect loans out his experts when he can, so his fellow Prefects will owe him a debt of gratitude when he needs something one of them can provide. Sometimes, the Prefect goes so far as to impose a draft on Carthian citizens to raise auxiliaries in response to a request for aid from a nearby domain. Troops aren’t as valuable as expert advisors, such as a Sheriff who led Carthian troops in securing a city, but troops are far from worthless.
An established Prefect can always call in at least one or two markers from neighboring domains in a pinch, and often will have favors to call on from distant domains if the need arises. This, despite the lack of a coordinated governing structure, makes The Carthian Movement much stronger in areas where several Carthian domains are geographically close to each other.
Joining the Movement
Becoming a Carthian seems simple, on the surface. It’s not a covenant that demands your soul, or your Humanity or your unquestioning obedience through a humiliating period of abject servitude. What the Movement demands is that you do your part, that you help others do their part and that you mean it. Or if you don’t mean it, at least put up a good façade.Although the barriers for entry seem low, the Movement is usually an aggressive recruiter. As always, exceptions exist. When the Movement is supreme in a domain, the Carthians may take on a more elitist tone. It all boils down to self-interest, as so many elements of the Requiem do. Kindred who are fascinated by the powers of dark sorcery are going to gravitate toward the Acolytes or the Dragons — the sorcerous covenants don’t need to court them. Vampires with a hunger for spiritual fulfillment and a higher purpose get more proselytizing from the Circle, as well as pressure from the Sanctified, but those groups are still claiming to be the sole source for the soul’s fortification.
The Carthians play to a different and altogether earthier set of drives. They help you get fed, get a Haven and get set up. They are eminently practical (or, at least, that’s what they project to outsiders). This is a tough sell in some ways because all the Carthians have are qualities and benefits that any Kindred can, in theory, acquire for himself with a little hard work.
But between theory and practice lies an oft-overlooked gap that is, on closer inspection, a plummeting chasm. Getting fed and staying safe and keeping a bank account when you’re dead and can’t talk to your loan officer by daylight is not easy at all, and when you’re starving and broke and scuttling into the foil-lined trunk of your car every day, unveiling the deeper secrets of undeath is a terribly low priority. Sure, there are dark miracles and transforming secrets that can make the Requiem far easier, but they’re only available after months or years of dedicated service. The Movement can do the same thing, tonight, without having to sacrifice your brain on the evil Altar of some dead Saint, undead madman or tyrannical nature goddess.
This is the selling point for the Movement. The Carthians offer results easy, and offer them fast.
Joining From the Unbound
The Movement gets a lot of its members as converts from the unbound. In fact, unbound neonates make up the demographic most likely to go Carthian. The typical recruitment narrative is, a newly Embraced vampire splits from her sire (or is abandoned) and tries to go it alone As One of The Unaligned. Maybe she runs into trouble right away. Maybe she makes a go of it before succumbing to loneliness or the pressures of endless nights of strict self-reliance, with only the slenderest margin for error. However long she spends independent, it’s enough to sour her on total freedom and persuade her that she needs a bigger gang at her back. The Movement is a compromise choice. The covenant puts obligations on her, sometimes very serious ones. But its respect for her agenda and desires is also a key philosophical element, one given true attention in many domains. If she winds up in an area where the covenant is hypocritical and only giving lip service to the freedom of its members, well, by the time she moves into her Haven it’s probably too late. At least she gets a decent blood supply as a consolation prize.The more experienced an unaligned vampire is, the more likely he is to stay independent. That said, there are some times when undecided ancillae or even elders come into the fold. Usually, they’re driven by vulnerability. Being independent is fine in a very stable domain, but if any covenant stages a successful coup and seizes power, The Unaligned are often the first against the wall simply by virtue of having no unified contingency plan. If someone other than the Movement takes control, the unbound may join the Carthians as a likely looking group of rebels. If the Movement is the prevailing power — hey, nothing wrong with playing on the winning team. Especially if the alternative is sharp wood and a sunlit field.
There are many other ways to become vulnerable, of course. If the rest of your coterie gets massacred, the philosophical reservations against being a joiner may suddenly seem very quaint. Similarly, an unaligned elder who emerges from a long Torpor, weak and confused by cell phones and televisions, may run to the Carthians after the first promise of modernism.
Joining From a Covenant
In most domains’ covenants, some members are members because their sires were members. There are certainly second (and third and fourth) generation Carthians, but they’re a smaller proportion. Many Carthians were something else before they joined the Movement, often members of another covenant that made extravagant promises but couldn’t deliver. Forthem, the Movement looks like the realist faction: the group making smaller plans that can be realized, instead of grand ones doomed to stay dreams.On the other hand, some defectors aren’t disappointed, just greedy. Once a Kindred of any age distinction feels she’s gotten all the advantage she can from one group, why not drop it and find a newone? It’s not like she’s going to keep sucking on a mortal once the blood’s all gone. Why wouldn’t she scale up her behavior to the social level?
Invictus
The Carthians poach a few Kindred from The Invictus, but not very damn many. There’s too much pride on the line. “Rescuing a mind from the hidebound, reactionary, regressive policies of The Invictus” provokes more rejoicing at the next rally than successfully recruiting someone from The Ordo Dracul would. Often The Invictus would rather kill one of their own than let a bunch of smelly proletariat hippies with patchouli residue under their fingernails gloat about recruiting her.In fact, Final Death is often the unspoken issue hovering over many Invictus defections. Say what you want about the First Estate, The Invictus play hard, and sometimes the winner isn’t content to high-five the loser and say, “You showed good hustle, kid.” Bungling a high-stakes Invictus defection can make the entire covenant too hot to tolerate. Even if Final Death isn’t imminent, a Vinculum could be, or simply a drastic reallocation of property and privilege. If the loser stays in The Invictus, there’s not much he can do about it, but if he jumps ship, suddenly his assets aren’t his for the winner to take away. They’re Carthian property.
Of course, this raises the question of why someone fleeing one secular, political covenant would go to the other secular, political covenant. The answer is that the Carthians might truly be more attractive, since they’re focused on many of the same issues as The Invictus, even if they approach them from the opposite direction.
Furthermore, there’s a matter of fear. Neither the Carthians nor The Invictus often admit it — publicly, one of the few things they agree on is that blood sorcery is over-rated Vitae-powered wanking — but privately, that stuff is freaky. It doesn’t matter how many Fortune 500 executives you’ve got begging to suckle Vitae from your undead breast, seeing some pasty Acolyte cut his arm and conjure out a bunch of skittering red spiders is scary. Some may see unholy powers and immediately want to sign up, but generally those with a thirst for the arcane join voluntarily, not under duress. When fleeing a political machine, the place that looks safe is inside another one.
When elders and ancillae leave The Invictus for the Movement, it’s often a case of rats leaving a sinking ship. The one thing The Invictus must be, without exception, is effective. That’s not always possible, especially if the First Estate is paralyzed by infighting, or is led by an out-of-touch elder (or a Ventrue succumbing to the clan curse or a Daeva who has receded so far from functional morality that she needs to murder her vessels in order to feel anything at all) and the Carthians have an unusually sharp Prefect. The more a vampire has invested in The Invictus, the harder it is to admit the First Estate’s power is broken and concede to the Movement, particularly if that vampire has made enemies or thinks the Carthians will humiliate him if he comes slinking into the fold. On the other hand, a warm welcome and willingness to let bygones be bygones is a staple of Carthian tactics — if the defector has a lot of power to offer, and the Prefect is unusually sharp.
Lancea Sanctum
If The Invictus has to always be effective, The Lancea Sanctum has to provide spiritual comfort. That’s a tall order for undead monsters, ministering to undead monsters, and telling them that the path to inner peace lies in being a more perfect undead monster.As with The Unaligned, most converts to the Movement from the Sanctified make their move as neonates. A few months or a year of Lancea Sanctum services is enough for some Kindred to decide they made a bad mistake pledging. This phenomenon is particularly acute among American Kindred, who are used to the idea that you can give up a religion, or find a new one in the phone book. While the Sanctified maintain that enlightenment takes time and dedication, cynical and impatient modern vampires are likely to suspect that it’s just a ruse, designed to suck them deep enough into the church structure that they can’t extricate themselves after finding out there’s really nothing behind the Altar.
Yet, for every Carthian who makes a hard break from The Lancea Sanctum, there’s another who either joined the Movement without a vehement repudiation, or who actually started attending services after being inducted into his cadre. This dual membership is manageable, but comes at the cost of being looked at askance by both groups. With the ordinary Kindred it’s hard to know what his loyalties truly are, but with a Sanctified Carthian, it’s difficult to even know what he’s claiming.
Ancillae and elders rarely leave The Lancea Sanctum. When they do, they most often join The Invictus, if the First Estate will have them. That’s a big if. Since those covenants are often strange bedfellows, experienced Sanctified often have good relations with Invictus vampires. On the other hand, if The Invictus has a good relationship with the local Sanctified, The Invictus is unlikely to jeopardize that for just one defector.
The Carthians offer experienced Sanctified a political machine without spiritual demands. Frankly, the appeal is, in many cases, no hassles. The breaking point is Theban Sorcery, of course. An elder who departs is an embarrassment, but one who starts putting sacred secrets into the hands of secular democrats is often labeled heresy. An Inquisition typically responds with what can only be rightly described as wrath.
Ancillae just might squeak out with their skins intact if they submit to extensive conditioning or Vinculums to prevent them from sharing their Theban mysteries. On the other hand, by the time a vampire learns enough to merit that kind of security, she’s usually high enough that she’d be more comfortable, even as an outsider in The Lancea Sanctum, than subjected to that kind of abuse.
To really defect, then, the experienced Sanctified sometimes has to completely burn her bridges and flee to a new domain where she isn’t known. If she does that, she’s not going to join the Carthians (as opposed to the local Temple or Invictus group) unless she really, really hates her old covenant. That kind of revulsion from within the ranks is rare. But when it does happen, it’s a choice victory for the Movement.
Circle of The Crone
Structurally, the Movement and the Circle are very similar, even though they’re radically different in purpose and history. Both are loose confederations of smaller groups pursuing specific philosophies within a framework of general agreement. The Movement doesn’t care which modern organizing principle you follow, as long as it fits the rubric of collective individualism. Similarly, the Circle doesn’t care which pagan gods you revere, as long as you acknowledge the primacy of the crone-figure.Structurally, then, moving from one covenant to the other is a comfortable experience. The difficulty lies in making the shift from a spiritual existence to a relentlessly secular one. This is particularly true since the Circle’s spirituality emphasizes the naturalness, indeed superiority, of the Kindred. The Movement’s secular power base is the living, and many Acolytes are estranged from the living.
Yet that very estrangement is what can lead experienced Acolytes to join the Movement. Advancement in Crúac dehumanizes, and a dehumanized vampire has a harder and harder time relating to and coping with mortals. The Carthians, on the other hand, are structured around those very tasks. Therefore, an aged Acolyte who is suffering because she’s out of touch (either having trouble feeding or dealing with modern times) could find the support structure of the Carthians — lots of nearly warm neonates who dealwell with mortals and seem to like helping each other find food and shelter — very appealing indeed.
Even Acolytes who Haven’t had time to deny their Humanity through Crúac sometimes run to the Carthians after the first taste of its terrors. Learning even early secrets of The Crone’s dogma can send a sensitive soul fleeing, but neonates who were drawn to the Circle’s promises of sky-clad freedom and individuality aren’t going to be a good fit for a lockstep hierarchy. They’re more likely to settle for the Carthians as the next best thing — or, indeed, a better thing since their path to power doesn’t require an Adept to mortify portions of her own spirit.
Ordo Dracul
Unlike other covenants, defections from The Ordo Dracul are more likely to occur at higher levels than of neonates. Newcomers to the Order are generally very keen to learn The Coils of the Dragon, and if they have to endure the tyranny of their betters, so be it. They usually figure that when they get what they came for, they’ll quit for greener pastures.For most, the covenant entangles them with personal, political and business ties, making it easier to stay than go. Some, however, do just what they planned: learn rudimentary Coils, then leave. Specifically, these clear-sighted Dragons regard The Carthian Movement as a sort of retirement. After their long decades of toil learning how to acclimate themselves to the Requiem, they’re ready to relax and have other people do the tedious scutwork for them, while they pay back with tasks that are (to them) negligible and (to typical vampires) terribly challenging.
The Order emphasizes self-reliance to the point of selfishness, but within a strangling hierarchy. Joining The Carthian Movement allows the fullest expression of selfishness, at least from the Victorian perspective of the Order, but in an egalitarian political milieu. For Dragons who consider themselves superior in all things (and who are, to be fair, objectively superior in some things), a level playing field sounds like an ideal place to bully their lessers.
It doesn’t always work out that way, since the Carthians have typically been amassing practical power and influence at least as quickly as the ex– Dragon gathered occult advantage. Furthermore, the Carthians often have less interest in what the Dragon has to offer than the Dragon expects. Sure, decreased susceptibility from daylight is impressive, and so is mastery of the Beast. On the other hand, Carthians have access to lots of aid from people with no Beast and no fear of day. They’re called mortals.
A very bold Dragon might offer tutelage in the Coils after defecting, but that’s a perilous path. First off, without possession of a Wyrm’s Nest, it’s slow going. Secondly, few Carthians want to put in the months of intellectual endeavor that Coil mastery requires: if they did, they’d have joined the Order. (Spending a lot of time surrounded by Ordo Dracul students anxious to master these techniques can give Dragons an inflated view of their value.) Most importantly, the Order takes a dim view of sharing proprietary knowledge. Unless the local Movement is extremely strong and the local Order exceptionally weak, having one or two Carthians learn one or two Coils isn’t worth the difficulties to be faced at Elysium and God only knows where else.
A few junior Dragons leave to join the Movement — get fed up with menial tasks and anachronistic apprenticeships or just can’t grasp the concepts — but quitters from that point are so inexperienced with The Ordo Dracul they might as well be independent. When they know no Coils, the Order lets them go without hard feelings. Often, the Dragons are glad to cut their losses.
Evaluating a Candidate for Embrace
Most Carthian chapters work to include the criteria for Embrace into their system of law, ensuring that every member of the Movement has a clear notion of their restrictions and requirements. These laws are detailed, presented and passed in the method chosen by the citizens of the domain. A pure democracy would vote them in, for instance, whereas a constitutional tyranny would include, in detail, a description of the law of Embrace in the body of the edicts of rule.Laws detailing the requirements for Embrace may be as complex or simple as the Carthians of a domain determine, and the laws may concentrate on the attributes of the candidate or on the hopes and desires of the citizens of the Movement. These laws may be very specific.
Physical attributes: Limits on age, appearance and physical fitness. Exclusion of weak or sickly mortals from consideration is common in domains with a more militarist bent, while some domains will not accept candidates with limited experience or features considered unfavorable.
Minimum level of competence: Mental capacity and training or a demonstrated facility with valued skills. The Carthian Movement is largely a philosophic organization, and some members are loath to admit uneducated or unintelligent new members to the policy-making ranks.
Adherence to principle: A demonstrated political or philosophical bent, with or without affiliation in approved organizations. Many Carthians, when seeking candidates for Embrace, select mortals the Carthians know will mesh well with the local Movement’s policy choices. A communal dictatorship is not likely to approve the Embrace of a staunch libertarian, for instance.
Clan or bloodline association: Some Carthian domains support Embrace by specified clans or bloodlines, while other domains take pains to discourage unfavorable ones. For instance, Morbus may be forbidden membership in The Carthian Movement, whether or not they’ve manifested the attributes of their line.
Systemic approval: Most laws of Embrace specify a structure of approvals that any candidate must meet. Votes of endorsement are common, as are open discussions of the candidate’s background and similar familiarization techniques.
Demonstration of loyalty: Proper behavior under the circumstances of a supervised test. A willing sacrifice is often required, or the unabashed, spontaneous and sincere support of the political views favored by the covenant.
In less forgiving domains, a mortal able to meet the detailed demands of the Movement without assistance is rare. Vampires who take interest in a potential childe often find themselves encouraging (or manipulating) the development of the individual in question, working to make sure that the individual will qualify before the scrutiny of the Carthians is brought to bear. Although some argue that a policy of interference is exactly what The Carthian Movement should asince the influence of Kindred discourages natural mortal creativity), others disagree, for several reasons. First, they take pains to mention the difference between a mortal whose ideas will benefit the covenant and one who is likely to make a good vampire. The former is likely to be as stubborn as he is progressive, while the latter ought to be more openminded. Second, they point out that the close observation (and occasional prodding) of a potential childe gives a vampire the chance to overcome any initial infatuation and take a serious look at whether or not the individual would make a good addition to the covenant.
Most domains are more lax in their pre–Embrace requirements, though. It’s not the mortal life that concerns the Carthians, after all, as much as it is the vampire who will join their ranks. The evaluation of the mortal who is presented to them as a series of difficult tests — a crucible of will and perseverance that the mortal will feel extremely proud for passing, if he does. Most often, these tests are operated under the guise of a mortal institution: a company, revolutionary cell or intellectual organization.
While the pre– Embrace evaluation of a mortal’s features may or may not guarantee a stellar career within the Movement, it has been observed that more difficult tests tend to inspire a greater level of pride and loyalty within new members. Those who pass the most difficult of tests seem to appreciate their new Status as Carthians more intensely, and the fiercely ingrained dedication to the Movement that results helps to solidify membership in the absence of the dogmatic religious and mystical assurances of competing covenants.
A Carthian domain in Egypt presents its evaluation process as a qualifying test for executive membership in an elite political think-tank. Candidates are taken to a remote, isolated compound and subjected to a series of interviews, covering everything from their knowledge of socio-political theory to their familiarity with pop culture fashion. Upon completion of the oral test, the candidate is quietly abandoned, and the compound’s power supply is shut off. He finds that any communication devices he’s brought have either been removed from him or no longer function. A quick estimate of the distance traveled on the way to the compound over barren desert terrain will make it clear that returning to a populated area on foot is an extremely risky proposition. The Carthian Kindred evaluating the candidate observe stealthily while he reacts to his situation. They observe him for three nights (leaving mortal Allies to monitor his progress during the days). If he demonstrates ingenuity and adaptability, making clear his will to survive and his intelligent capacity under pressure, the third night ends with his Embrace. If not, he is left to find his own way back to civilization (or die trying).
The Carthians of a domain on the American West Coast subject potential candidates to a series of increasingly senseless arguments, populating the test with a number of individuals who are instructed to disagree vehemently with whatever the candidate says, no matter how rational or attractive her statements. While she struggles to make her points, the Carthians hidden among her opponents watch her carefully, looking for signs of weakness in the face of popular insanity. If she successfully holds her ground, a signal is passed and her opponents suddenly fall silent. Slowly, they applaud, and the vampire who initially chose the candidate steps forward to explain the nature of the test, and her accomplishment. Membership in The Carthian Movement is described as the ongoing battle against the condition she just witnessed: the ever-present madness of irrational power structures. She is then given the choice to join. If she accepts, she is Embraced. If not . . . .
One Carthian faction in France styles itself as a subversive terrorist cell, subjecting potential new members to rigorous training in techniques of combat, espionage and sabotage. As the training continues, the Carthians and their mortal Allies take great pains to obscure their own philosophies, stating only that they wish to destroy the current system of corrupt government. Any candidate who successfully completes the training without making an effort to discover the actual motive behind the organization is allowed to join as a mortal ally. Those who bother to seek out an understanding of the truereasons behind the cell’s existence and rationally judge whether or not they actually want to take partin it (no matter what reason is presented) are separated from the crowd and chosen for Embrace.
Not all members of The Carthian Movement are Embraced into the covenant, of course. A significant proportion of the membership is made up of vampires who have joined the progressive Carthian cause, leaving behind (or choosing to operate within) the covenant that first accepted them in their neonatal nights.
Welcoming a “defector” is a dilemma for the Carthians. On the one hand, the Movement always benefits from additional support within a domain, and the more members the Movement attracts, the more power it can exert. On the other, bringing in Kindred who were Embraced and raised by individuals outside the Movement means integrating someone who may or may not be equipped to accept the tenets of the covenant, may or may not be willing to abandon obstructive viewpoints inherited from her original membership and may or may not be operating under instructions to spy on or otherwise undermine the Carthians.
Tests of loyalty and fitness are one thing when dealing with mortals, but for vampires it’s a different situation entirely. Kindred who are subjected to a difficult trial are likely to abandon it entirely, returning to the welcoming safety of their home covenant. They already know they’re good enough for one group, so forcing them to demonstrate their quality for the Carthians is simply going to discourage all but the most hopeless or desperate Kindred. But accepting a new member without subjecting her to the tests of the Movement can fail to inspire the devotion normally found in new recruits, and can invite the disdain of those who have gone through the full process. In each case, the decision to accept an untested vampire must be made based on the value he presents to the covenant weighed against the potential for damage he represents.
Some Carthian groups reserve a special initiation ceremony for Kindred wishing to join in order to create the sensation of a passed evaluation, even if there is no real danger of failure. Although the vampire who undergoes the ritual acceptance of his peers is more likely to feel a sense of kinship, he is not going to inspire any more respect or loyalty from established Carthians. The only real test of a defector is her continued service to the covenant and its goals.
Mixed Membership
The Movement as a whole claims no spiritual ambitions. Every Circle of The Crone and The Lancea Sanctum collective at least says their interest in politics is secondary to their religious faith. Often, it’s even true. Therefore, there is technically no conflict between being a Carthian and belonging to either of those covenants. A character can have the Status Merit in both the Movement and either of those two religions (but, unless something very bizarre is happening, not both faiths). However, the total dots in those Statuses cannot exceed three. To garner enough influence in any covenant to merit a third Status dot requires a commitment severe and public enough to chill the regard of the covenant that lies second in affection.It’s a different matter with The Ordo Dracul and The Invictus, both of which demand strict oaths of primary obedience. Openly serving both masters is simply not possible.
On the other hand, Kindred are renowned for doing things that can’t be done openly. Officially, the Dragons and the First Estate and the Carthians require primary fealty from their members. In nightby- night fact, this is difficult to enforce without draconian Paranoia. Furthermore, it’s not even desirable. The covenants all demand loyalty without fully expecting it. In many instances, the oaths are symbolic, present to give the authorities an excuse to punish those who screw up. “Screwing up,” in this context, doesn’t mean trying to play two covenants against one another. It means being so clumsy at it that you get caught and make the covenant look bad or otherwise set back its efforts.
True Loyalty and True Treachery
The realm of the fringe go-between with a degree of Carthian Status and a similar amount of Invictus Status is relatively stable, if not a zone of high esteem. Pushing beyond those restrictions are actual spies and traitors.Rarely are Kindred known to court both covenants recruited as espionage assets. They’re just too obvious, too suspect. More commonly, the Carthians make an irresistible offer to a Dragon whose master has made one tyrannical demand too many, or to someone within The Lancea Sanctum whose constant belittlement for his religious peculiarities has made him mad enough (or desperate enough, if the covenant won’t help him feed) to gain revenge the Coward’s way.
A turncoat from outside the covenant isn’t trusted. The Carthians know that if a Kindred over there is going to fuck over the Circle for you, he’ll fuck you over for the next guy with leverage or a better offer. Nevertheless, a dot in Carthian Status (and the attendant aid with havens, feeding and social climbing) is a good way to represent the payoff the Movement offers to its ears on the inside of other covenants.
The other way to gather intelligence is to place someone the Movement does trust on the inside, undercover. This isn’t easy, particularly when dealing with creatures who can compel truth or read minds. Carthian infiltrators may undergo heavy Conditioning to suppress their real motivations until a triggerword is spoken (or, more commonly, a situation such as “being absolutely alone with my Carthian contact” occurs). This sort of compartmentalization gives a penalty of –2 to –4 on attempts to unearth the character’s true loyalty through Telepathy, Revelation or Aura Sight, though the Movement has learned the hard way that it won’t fool the Theban Sorcery rite Liar’s Plague. The successes amassed by the Conditioner work as penalties to attempts to dig out the truth through Dominate, as described on p. 127 of Vampire: The Requiem.
If the character is willing to accept a derangement, and has assistance from a Conscionaut, this sort of voluntary, compartmentalized Amnesia can completely insulate him against prying from Auspex, Majesty and Dominate. However, the mental damage is considerable, which is painfully obvious to any of those Disciplines, as well as to anyone who gains a success on a Wits or Intelligence + Empathy roll. Effectively, the noise of the madness cloaks the signal of the spy’s true fealty.
Carthian Styles of Government
The strengths and weaknesses of The Carthian Movement are brought to the fore and powerfully multiplied in the domains the Carthians rule. Their adaptability and innovative practice translate well in chaotic territories where complex, multifaceted political interplay is the norm. The Carthians’ general tendency toward humane behavior tends to discourage violent conduct, and their displayed respect for human modernism has a demonstrably beneficial effect on the Kindred who abide by the rules that enforce it. On the other hand, many of the governing styles of the Movement are aimed at spreading power among all Kindred members of the domain, and are therefore vulnerable to a stultifying process of debate that threatens to bog down important decisions. Many a Carthian vampire has faced the frustrating reality of convincing a council of 15 or more vampires that Resources need to be diverted to a project that sacrifices personal short-term gain for a universal long-term one. Filibustering and procedures of protest can completely paralyze some Carthian domains, and almost always do so at the worst possible times. Many Carthian governments, by their own populist principles, regularly fail to inspire the same fear and loyalty that some of the competing covenants find themselves capable of. It’s not unusual for the Kindred residents of Carthian domains to defy the law — in fact, they do so much more frequently than in many other territories.Despite the wild creativity attributed to the Movement, the truth is that the vast majority of Carthian domains are ruled in one of five styles of government: pure democracy, republican parliament, socialist dictatorship, communal democracy or constitutional tyranny. A social system that doesn’t fall into one of these categories may be applied — Carthians do take inspiration from just about every systemic human enterprise — but to do so is unusual. The natural tendencies of vampires just seem to draw them to one or another of these five systems of rule, even if the Kindred begin with a different vision to begin with.
Pure Democracy
Under the rule of the Carthians, every citizen acknowledged by the covenant is allowed (in many cases, required) to register a vote on each and every policy decision rendered by the government. The Kindred of the city are the government, plain and simple. The officers of the covenant and the city (including the Prince, Sheriff and Primogen) are representative servants of the collective will, enforcing the law and responding to the requirements as created and modified by the full assembly. Regular gatherings are held under the protective umbrella of Elysium, and any voting citizen is allowed to propose a new policy or amendment to existing policy. While some domains maintain a relatively simple system of proposal, acknowledgement and vote, others develop Byzantine requirements, including a formalized proposal, a period of discussion and contemplation, an acknowledging vote to determine whether the proposal should move into a policy vote, a period of revision and rebuttal, a series of statements of assembly and, finally, the policy vote itself. The great advantage of this system is that every citizen’s voice is given equal weight, allowing all to affect the domain as much or as little as they choose. Critics argue that such is also the weakness — the savvy, tenured Prince’s vote has just as much weight as the truculent neonate who describes every elder as a “fuckhead.”The distinguishing feature of most purely democratic domains lies in the definition of a “citizen.” For some, every vampire in the city is included (though this extreme application opens up a significant weakness in the government, as a large enough gathering of Kindred who pledge loyalty to another covenant can quickly undermine the system), and, for others, every acknowledged Carthian. Some domainsrequire the donation of a specified resource or time in service to earn votes. Votes that alter the definition of citizenry can be carried as well, resulting in exclusive laws of startling prejudice. Since thereis no guiding principle outside the rule of majority in a pure democracy, there are no checks and balances to prevent the creation of restricted privileges.
The Elysium gatherings of a pure democracy are lively, chaotic affairs. Debates carry on throughout the night in all corners, and votes are often underscored by shouted comments, open expressions of criticism and laughter. The only rule of respect goes to the “Speaker,” the individual empowered to call an end to deliberation and count votes. Otherwise, speech is free and frequent, covering any topics the citizens feel like discussing.
Kindred with social talents tend to thrive in pure democracies because of their capacity to sway the voting crowd. All too often, fear and fashion, the stickand- carrot of populist politics, become the driving forces of fully democratic domains. Some democracies remain honest, their officials battling constantly to eliminate unfair influence on the votes — but those territories are home to a difficult, never-ending struggle.
Republican Parliament
A Carthian parliamentary republic generally operates by subdividing its domain into smaller territories and allowing the residents of each territory to elect a parliamentary representative for scheduled terms. The parliament of representatives is then empowered to choose a Prince by majority vote and may remove her from power by a successful vote of non-confidence at any time. Likewise, dissatisfied Kindred of each territory may initiate a vote of nonconfidence in their representative on the council. Because the Prince’s continued dominion is dependent on the satisfaction of the majority of parliamentary representatives, Carthian domains under this style of rule demand that the Prince’s attention is divided among territories equally. The Prince may be called upon to respond to the concerns of parliament, addressing the representatives’ needs and justifying his decisions as often as the council requires. The “board room” system of corporate emulation is actually a parliamentary republic, as defined in Carthian society. The rule of the most capable seems to apply frequently in domains that abide by this system of government; members of parliament are chosen based on popular support (most especially, faith in one’s ability to secure favorable policy), while Princes hold power only if they can please the council. Corruption is possible, but a corrupt parliament is vulnerable to dissolution by the popular vote.Because a republican parliament doesn’t involve the full participation of the citizenry, a republican parliament isn’t vulnerable to the same “bogging down” effect common in pure democracies. The Prince is empowered to make policy decisions as quickly as she likes, but she must make sure to make decisions that her parliament approves of, or she will be removed from power and find her declarations reversed. However, domains with a long-running parliament that remain satisfied with their Prince forextended periods often begin to resemble the feudal government of the other covenants, and can earn the ire of the Carthian citizenry quite easily. They frequently “prove themselves” by removing perfectly capable Princes as demonstration of their loyalty to the ideal system over a steady, effective government.
Elysium gatherings in a republican parliament tend to be more structured than those of a pure democracy, with the official members of the parliamentabiding by a common etiquette, usually allowing each member to speak in turn on every subject of import. The rest of the citizens may or may not be free to witness the deliberations of the council. In many cases, the majority of the citizenry loses interest in the granular workings of government, choosing only to hear the end result of votes (and expressing their displeasure if their representative fails them).
Kindred with intellectual talents often rise to the top in parliamentary systems of government due to their acumen with reasoned debate and their strategic political skill. Those with incisive intelligence or quick-witted tactical ability can out-think their opponents in parliament, swaying votes and forcing policy. Powerfully attractive Kindred may be able to sway some votes with their social skill, but the reasoned analysis of the intellect often takes a deeper hold in council’s deliberations, especially those that take an extended recess before registering a vote.
Socialist Dictatorship
A Carthian domain running under the model of a socialist dictatorship seeks to eliminate class distinction and the inconsistent distribution of wealth and territory by strict, often brutal rule. All territory is the territory of the full citizenry, and all possessions are the possessions of the full citizenry, to be divided as the ruling Carthian covenant members see fit. No one vampire may lay claim to a greater share of Resources or Vitae than any other. All must be handed over to the government for allocation. Few of the long-lasting socialist experiments in Carthian society begin as a dictatorship, but the vehemently territorial nature of vampires ensures that very few survive if they don’t become one sooner or later.Socialist dictatorships under The Carthian Movement tend to include Kindred who are not acknowledged members of the covenant, whether they like it or not. A council of Carthian elites oversees the application of the law to all vampires of the domain,drawing up rationing formulae and issuing declarations, requests and warnings to all. These elites are generally either served by physically powerful idealists or are quite powerful themselves, backing up their policy with an unavoidable iron fist — often a necessity, considering how alien the concept of sharing territory, hunting grounds and even vessels is to most vampires. As government officials, their purpose is to oversee and enforce the division of wealth and labor, taking nomore than an equal share for themselves.
The Elysium in a socialist democracy tends to be a raucous affair, encouraging the citizens to partake in a regular celebration of their empowerment under Carthian rule. Gifts and entertainments are freely distributed to every attending Kindred, and the practice of the Chain occurs at every gathering. The cheers of the elevated lower class are often more than enough to demonstrate the popularity of the Movement to any wealthy (or formerly wealthy) Kindred with doubts. Open criticism of the system is almost never tolerated, though, and those who question the regime often find themselves surrounded by Kindred angrily demanding to know why they don’t favor equal treatment for all.
Kindred with physical clout can go very far in a system of socialist dictatorship, providing the backbone of enforcement necessary to keep the distribution of Resources on level ground. They can, of course, take advantage of the system, requisitioning additional Resources for themselves based on the physical work and risk they have to engage in on a regular basis. Therein lies the greatest vulnerability of this style of Kindred government: the tendency to slip from the enforcement of equal standards to a simple, thug-ruled kleptocracy. Still, strength in the right place can keep everyone honest, whether he likes it or not.
Communal Democracy
Communal democracies operate on a system of weighted votes, divided among small, territorial subpopulations within a domain. Each sub-population gains a number of votes based upon set criteria: territorial size and Kindred population, proportion of Resources donated to the government of the domain, possession of certain artifacts, fulfillment of specified duties, quality of hunting grounds or almost anything the citizens agree to upon formation of the government. Each sub-population operates on a communal or near-communal system of shared territory and Resources. The system of setting laws and dividing domain-wide benefits depends on the accumulated votes of these sub-populations, thereby creating a hybrid socialist/democratic style of government. Many communal democracies actually do away with the position of Prince, leaving the enforcement of law and to a Sheriff/Myrmidon figure.Communal democracy is another system that tends to include non-Carthian Kindred in its notional citizenry, dividing the sub-populations so that no significant weight is given to their vote is simple. Because convincing smaller groups of vampires to share equally among themselves is easier, this system doesn’t tend to require the heavy-handed enforcement style of a socialist dictatorship. Every sub-group is allowed to determine how the group chooses its votes its own way, so the potential for dissatisfaction is lower than under some other structures. On the other hand, the subdivision of territories must be carefully engineered to prevent any single group’s superiority over the rest, lest the domain slide back into a feudal tyranny.
The Elysium gatherings of communal democratic Carthian domains are, at best, celebrations of the diverse interests and features of the populace. At worst, these events are fractious gatherings of factions, ringing with voices of dispute between subgroups. Expressions of displeasure are encouraged, as is the settling of differences by debate or structured challenge. These gatherings are usually hosted on a rotating basis, with each sub-group taking the opportunity to direct the flavor of the assembly.
Kindred of all walks can thrive in a communal democratic domain, so long as they find themselves dwelling with a group of like-minded Allies.
Constitutional Tyranny
Almost always imposed by a Carthian revolutionary dictatorship, this style of rule involves the creation of a constitutional set of laws that must thenceforth be followed by all citizens, including those who originally wrote them. Under ideal circumstances (and these circumstances occur more often than one might assume — revolutionary principles are more vulnerable to corruption after a movement’s success, not during the struggle), the written law is fair and equitable. Any government that results is more a judicial body than a legislative one, simply enforcing the law and ensuring that disputes over its interpretationare settled with authority and logic.The body of Kindred created expressly for the purpose polices the law, and it cannot be superceded. There is no recourse for Kindred residents of the domain to alter the law; no officials are allowed to reinterpret or rewrite it. As the law is written, so it remains. The corrupting influence of power is eliminated by the strict interpretation of a document created before the successful assumption of office.
Constitutional tyrannies stand or fall on the quality of their law. No matter how powerful the enforcers are, wildly unfair or contradictory rules lead to dissatisfaction, which leads, in turn, to widespread defiance. Since literally any law can be written into a constitution, this system is incredibly flexible in its founding, and, because the law must be followedto the letter afterward, the system is very rigid in its function. If well organized, the system uses the bestof both features to the advantage of the citizenry. If not, the worst features of both rapidly become apparent, leading to eventual collapse.
Elysium gatherings of constitutional tyrannies are divided into two types. First, celebrations of independence are raucous affairs that pay tribute to the ascendancy of the law and the citizens’ release from the willful, irrational whim of the previous leadership. Second, criminal trials are held in public view to demonstrate the superiority of law and the futility of defiance.
Kindred of intellect are best suited to the founding of a constitutional tyranny, but those with physical prowess tend to function best as the enforcers of the law. As a two-stage system of revolt, the most difficult moment in the founding of a constitutional tyranny lies in the identification of the right time to transform the Movement from an ideal formulation of law to its directed imposition in the aftermath of physical revolt.
Carthians in Opposition
With the reins of command over a domain in its possession, the Carthians are just as likely to succeed or fail as any other covenant. The power and promise of the Movement is brought into the light, and the actual function of rule becomes an issue of applied ideals, which may or may not lead to the corruption or dissolution of those ideals.There are those within the Movement who prefer (whether consciously or not) to avoid such a clear test of their principles, claiming that the Carthian system works best As One of opposition, not one of rule. The logic is as follows: The systems of the other covenants are corrupt and incomplete, but not so utterly without merit as to be abandoned in favor of modern ruling styles (which most older Kindred will fight desperately to resist). The purpose of The Carthian Movement under the rule of these covenants is to force theimprovement of the system through reasoned debate, political pressure and careful subversion of tradition. Some may claim that this logic simply justifies collusion with established rule, but the point is still valid. The Carthian Movement does function very well in opposition to a superior force. Under circumstances of oppression, the Kindred of the covenant invariably band together, forgiving differences and pooling Resources to undermine the enemy. Even in relatively “soft” societies, wherein the Movement is not persecuted or otherwise suppressed, both the idealistic and the pragmatic Carthian vampires tend to have a clear, common goal, and will work together (or at least avoid destabilizing one another) in order to accomplish it. Without this unifying force, Carthian Kindred are often given to squabbling factionalism, occasionally becoming so caught up in their disagreements about ruling style and the ideal system of government that they fail to prevent one of the competing covenants from seizing power.
One of the greatest activities of the Carthian Kindred under outsider rule is that of protest: the activity of making the dissatisfaction of the Movement heard in public forum (most often Elysium) by word or deed. Demonstration may be vocal, or it may be a more passive defiance — a simple refusal to participate in domain celebrations or an organized halt to policing territorial boundaries can produce startling results, especially under oppressive rule. Anything works, so long as it draws the attention of the local Kindred to an injustice.
On a more intellectual level, many Carthians prefer to engage in an ongoing critique of the ruling system, making statements at Elysium, writing manifestoes and commentaries and calling for open debate. Their efforts meet with varying success, from apathetic brushoffs to enthusiastic responses, but their aim is usually to make and prove a point, not engage in friendly repartee. Carthian critics are often unpopular, and their antagonist behavior forms the basis for some of the negative stereotypes Kindred form about the Movement.
In truly oppressive domains, ones that forbid protest and refuse to recognize the Carthians as a legitimate covenant, the Movement resorts to more underhanded tactics. Terrorism, sabotage and conspiracy all become useful tools. Violence is not as uncommon as most Carthians would prefer to believe (or admit), and organized revolt becomes the clarion call of the covenant. Even those who don’t turn to illicit activity in order to keep their hopes alive end up retreating from public unlife, attending secret meetings and exchanging coded messages in order to maintain operation. Because the nature of the Carthian Movement attracts dissatisfied Kindred in any domain,the Carthians often find that iron-fisted regimes actually increase their support among the fringes of the ruling covenant. At best, the Carthians invoke the sympathy of more forgiving vampires, and, at worst, the Carthians become a potential ally (or tool) to those planning a coup d’état.
More often than not, Carthians in opposition become “spoilers” in political play. If they are numerous enough, they can often make an impact by simply refusing to participate in the prevailing customs of a domain. Doing so forces the ruling covenant into a difficult situation: enforce their way of unlife, risking the alienation of every vampire who doesn’t enjoy the prospect of being muscled into conforming to the power elite’s system, or allow the defiance to continue unabated, demonstrating that public insubordination is pardonable. Either way, the risk of losing followers to the Carthian cause is very real, and it’s difficult to pin the cause on the Carthians themselves. Even a relatively small number of vampires can make a significant difference, provided they’re willing to make an example of themselves. As with anything, safety comes in numbers for Kindred, and conscientious objection can easily turn into certain destruction if they don’t have enough friends to back them up.
Carthians and the World of Darkness
The Carthian Movement doesn’t have the same mystical focus as The Lancea Sanctum or The Circle of the Crone, but the Movement’s members are still vampires, and thus still part of the greater supernatural world. Even if the covenant doesn’t teach a particular philosophy with regard to the strange beings that lurk out of sight of Humanity, Carthians in various cities learn to recognize the signs. When the moon is full, Carthians avoid a particular stretch of gang turf known locally as “Wolf’s Run.” On a particular night in December, they steer clear of the homeless shelters, because everyone knows Cold Man gets first pick of victims that night. On the anniversary of the 8th Street triple murder, the Prefect decreed that the Kindred in the city need to take alternate routes. She claims this is out of respect, but she seems nervous when she says it.The World of Darkness is a dangerous place. Vampires, of course, are part of what makes it dangerous, but the things in the dark don’t always (or even often) look kindly on the undead. The legends of the cities serve as cautionary tales for the Kindred, letting them know what areas and activities to avoid. Some Carthians, however, are not repulsed but enticed by the notion of coming face-to-face with a ghost. As with so many other things, The Carthian Movement’s attitude toward the other beings in the World of Darkness depends on which Carthians in particular one is discussing.
Ignorance Is Bliss
Some Carthians don’t really want to know whether or not these creatures exist in Carthians domains, because if the Carthians knew, they might be bound by honor (or, worse, by the established laws of the domain) to do something about it. In the meeting halls of these Carthians, the question of whether or not a bizarre string of murders might be anything other than a mortal serial killer or possibly a vampire on a binge doesn’t often come up, and, if it does, it tends to be laughed off. After all, the notion that a person could come clawing back from the grave is a bit absurd, and so in rational discussion it shouldn’t even be considered.Of course, a discussion in which the participants are undead bloodsuckers is already a step beyond rational, but with enough derision, this little point can be overlooked ,and the Carthians can move on to topics in which they feel more at home.
Carthians who have only recently been Embraced or who spend most of their time primarily in the company of other Carthian Kindred are most likely to fall into this mindset. They wear blinders to the supernatural, perhaps because the process of becoming Kindred has already overloaded their minds on the subject. These kinds of Carthians are likely to respond with anger and fear should the existence or presence of non-vampiric supernatural beings ever be brought to their attention.
"Live" and Let Live
Most Carthians — indeed, most vampires — are willing to accept the notion of supernatural creatures existing. Sometimes, Carthians might decry a particular legend as impossible, using whatever faulty logic they like. For instance, a vampire might claim that a human being performing magic is impossible, because magic comes from the power of Vitae, as evidenced by “that creepy shit those Crone-people do.” Another Kindred might disagree, saying that mortals could conceivably use a different form of magic, but a human turning into a wolf is impossible because doing so violates the laws of physics. A third vampire might point out that some vampires can change into wolves regardless of said laws, but that a dead body can’t reanimate without Vitae, and so on. But all of these arguments are predicated on the same notion: a willingness to accept the supernatural, and ignorance of how it truly works. Once such Kindred see for themselves a small fraction of the truth of the World of Darkness, they tend to become more open to possibility — and tend to want nothing to do with it.The Carthian Movement isn’t always egalitarian or even meritocratic, but the notion that people (vampires, anyway) should make their own choices tends to be fairly central to the covenant. That in mind, the Carthians don’t care so much if werewolves and mages exist in their cities, given a few provisos. Some Carthians might want to know what parts of a city a werewolf pack claims, so that the Kindred can avoid those areas (and, likewise, so the Kindred have a convenient place to send or lure enemies). Some Carthians might wish to know if a mage employs any mortals in the city, so that the Kindred can avoid feeding on them. The intent here is twofold. First, the Kindred don’t want to make enemies, especially enemies that the Kindred don’t understand. Second, they want to learn as much about the practical realities of the “intruders” (for the Kindred tend to think of the cities as their domains, as ridiculously egocentric as that is) as possible, in case the intruders do become enemies.
The average coterie of Carthians in such a city doesn’t usually consider the possibility of ever going toe-to-toe with a pack of werewolves, though. All the Carthians know is that certain parts of the city are off-limits and marked as dangerous. What they choose to do with that information (ignore it, follow it, learn more) is up to them.
Carthians who acknowledge other supernatural beings but don’t seek them out tend to represent those with some experience under their belts and a solid connection to their home turf and their bases of influence.
Curiosity and Cats
Of course, some vampires feel the need to search out other supernatural beings. Motives vary; some feel that since these creatures were once human, they might have some interesting perspective on adjusting to a decidedly inhuman mindset. They might perceive the other inhabitants of the supernatural world as a threat. While the vampires might be right, the threat usually doesn’t come about for the reasons they think it should. For instance, a vampire might believe that a man becomes a werewolf by suffering an attack by another werewolf. To stem a possible “werewolf plague,” the vampire goes looking for werewolves to “cure” them. The actual werewolves, of course, take issue with the notion that their condition is a disease (and quite correctly point out that they aren’t the ambulatory corpses in this scenario), and might either go to ground and wait for the vampires to leave them be, or go on the warpath.Carthians who go looking for trouble from other supernatural creatures tend to be neonates who were curious about such things pre–Embrace or who latched on to the supernatural aspect of vampirism soon after (which begs the question of why The Carthian Movement appealed more than, say, The Ordo Dracul, but such Kindred definitely do exist). The Movement does sponsor Kindred to investigate such things occasionally, though (see below).
Mysticism in a Non-Mystical Covenant
The Carthian Movement is inherently secular. As such, discussions about the “true nature” of beings such as werewolves, ghosts, mages and even vampires tend toward either the practical implications of such beings or pure, blind speculation. In areas where influence from other beings is strong, however, the Movement doesn’t just fold up and cede the area to another covenant. After all, a given Carthian vampire, or even coterie, might have a position dedicated to understanding the truth of the supernatural world. Any Carthian city usually boasts either a few vampires of other covenants, or a few Carthians with esoteric pursuits. Thus, when the house in the rich suburb that the local kids pass with their fingers crossed suddenly erupts in blue flame for a full minute, and then returns to normal before anyone can even dial 911, any Kindred in the city known to be interested in magic, ghosts, demons or anything even peripherally connected to such phenomena might be getting a call.The problem is, though, that the most dangerous manifestations of the supernatural don’t tend to be the most overt. In fact, the really obvious instances are more likely to be hoaxes. It’s the things that happen when no one is looking, the occurrences that people see out of the corners of their eyes when walking to their cars at night, that really worry the Kindred. Consider: A ghoul casually mentions to her regnant that she saw a rat fall out of a man the other night near the docks. The regnant asks for clarification — did the rat fall out of the man’s coat? No, the ghoul replies, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and the rat peeled itself away from his skin and fell off. She didn’t mention it before because she was drunk at the time and still isn’t sure what she saw.
The vampire now has a dilemma on his hands. This whole incident could have been a hallucination, or a misinterpretation. But suppose it wasn’t. If a rat really did fall out of the man’s skin, what the hell does that mean? Could the man have been a vampire using some heretofore unseen manifestation of the Protean Discipline? Maybe the rat wasn’t a rat at all, but some unholy creature attempting to slither into his skin. Maybe the vampire has even heard legends of wizards and their familiars, and is now free to agonize over whether such things exist and what implication this might have for the city. In any case, without a common religious or mystical frame of reference, the Carthians can often feel lost or overwhelmed when dealing with the supernatural.
Some Carthians would argue that this isn’t a bad thing, though. After all, fear of showing weakness is itself weakness, and so admitting that one is overwhelmed by events that would cause most sane mortals to reach for prescription medicines isn’t so much weakness as Common Sense. Indeed, the fact that the above Carthian can’t haughtily say “obviously a demon” as a Sanctified Kindred might actually gives the Carthian a decided advantage — he might not know as much about demons, but he won’t be completely caught off guard if the rat-man isn’t a demon after all.
Glimpses
The following sections present The Carthian Movement’s views on werewolves, mages, ghosts and spirits, after a fashion. That is, they present what the Carthians are most likely to see when dealing with these creatures and what the covenant, all else being equal, is likely to do about it. Don’t take any of this as a pat “this is how the Carthians feel about werewolves” answer, however. As the rest of this book makes clear, Carthians are diverse and unpredictable, and those watchwords should guide their dealings with everything, other supernatural beings included.Also included are rumors and anecdotes that Carthian vampires have related to others. You might assume that your character has heard one of these stories through word of mouth — or has actually seen one of these odds events and claims it happened to a friend so that he doesn’t have to admit to it.
Werewolves
The average mortal isn’t likely to know much about werewolves beyond what he’s seen in films. The average Carthian isn’t likely to know much more. Carthians dwelling in areas of high werewolf activity note that these creatures are violent, territorial and nearly impossible to kill. The jury is out on whether Silver actually works or not — Silver bullets are expensive and difficult to make, Silver knives even more so and either method requires actually fighting a werewolf.Reports from rural areas indicate the werewolves run in packs, while tales passed along at urban gatherings seem in indicate that werewolves are solitary hunters. One thing that no one disputes is that these beasts are hunters, but the question then arises: what are they hunting?
This question concerns the Carthians. If werewolves hunt prey, what do they eat? Legends say that they eat human flesh, but legends also say that vampires can’t cross running water and must stop to count grains of spilled rice, neither of which are true (at least, not in most Carthians’ experience). If werewolves are hunting mortals, why don’t mortal authorities notice the disappearances? Most Kindred know, though, that it’s not impossible to dispose of bodies surreptitiously.
Some Carthians scoff at the notion of werewolves in the city. After all, a wolf looks nothing like a dog, and surely someone would notice if packs of wolves were rampaging around urban areas? More cautious members of the covenant remind the skeptics that admission of ignorance is good thing — what if werewolves can change at will, rather than only under the full moon, as some sources suggest? What if an effect similar to the Lost Visage (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 75) prevents mortals from seeing werewolves as what they truly are? The most intelligent move the Carthians can make when dealing with werewolves is to be cautious.
Rumors:
- “I had a bad month about a year back. I probably killed 20 people in as many nights. No, I’m not proud of it. Shut up and listen. After I came to my senses, I went back to the places I’d stashed the bodies — I said it was a bad month! — to make sure they’d be found and given proper burials. Every single body had its heart, kidneys and liver chewed or clawed out of it, and there were paw prints all around them.”
- “I saw a werewolf once. I mean, I saw a guy turn into a wolf, and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t one of us. He was standing by a car — I don’t know whose, I never checked. He dropped to the ground, reached under it and then rolled over, turned into a wolf and ran away. I looked under that car. The axle was bent to shit. I don’t know how he did that one-handed.”
- “Werewolves don’t spread through a bite. I mean, they do, but it’s just like with us: they have to want to do it, so it’s not like a disease. I knew a guy when I was first Embraced who was all up in arms because they came for his sister. They bit her, and then she became one of them. He watched the whole thing, but he couldn’t stop them. It was just before sundown, and he was trapped in his house, watching from a little window. He swore he’d hunt them down — but I never heard from him after that.”
Mages
A vampire might be aware, or even just suspect, that occult secret societies exist among mortals and that these societies might profess to wield mystical power. “Mystical power,” however, is maddeningly vague, as are such terms as “mage” and “sorcerer.” Such people might exist, but what can they really do? Vampires, especially Carthians, who don’t have much contact with ritual magic as a rule, are often inclined to scoff at notions that mortals can perform “magic.” Vampires suspect that this mystical might actually boils down to garden-variety fortune-telling or cold reading, or, worse, some New Age notion of magic-as-empowerment, affecting nothing in a concrete sense.Imagine the surprise of these vampires, then, when fire leaps from a mage’s fingertips to incinerate one of the Kindred’s coterie.
Magic is quite real, but the Kindred of The Carthian Movement don’t tend to have any context for magic’s practitioners. While Carthians might not understand werewolves, at least folklore has a fairly consistent portrayal of them. Not so for mages — a spellcaster might be a pious Theurgist calling down holy fire, a Necromancer interested in all manners of animating the dead (including the Kindred), a Shaman communing with the spirits surrounding her or an eldritch scholar always followed by a chill wind. When the Carthians encounter mages, the first meeting tends to set a precedent for future interactions. Thus, if the first time a Carthian coterie meets a spellcaster is a conflagration that sees three vampires scorched to ash, the standing policy for future run-ins with such beings is probably “shoot first.” Such policies might well be in place 100 years later, even though no active vampire in the domain has ever personally met a mage.
Rumors:
- “Witches are real. They keep cats as familiars. One scratch from a witch-cat’s claws, and your mind starts to go. I’m serious. A week later, and if you Haven’t burned off that scratch-mark, you can’t even remember your name.”
- “I talked to a guy on the subway once. Thought he was normal, actually kind of cute. I figured I’d chat him up, take him outside and have a little snack. Nobody gets hurt. But then suddenly he stops talking, stares me right in the eye and says, ‘Don’t even think about it, dead girl.’ And for the next week, I swear to God, my reflection was crystal-clear, except my eyes were blood red. I don’t ride the subways much anymore.”
- “I knew a Shadow once who said that you can tell if a breather knows magic because he’ll always offer you his left hand to shake first. It’s like a compulsion. They can’t help it, and they’ll correct it almost immediately, but if you know what to watch for you can catch them. That’s what the guy said, anyway.”
Ghosts and Spirits
Belief in ghosts, to many Kindred, is fairly intuitive. Vampires exist, after all, so the idea that the human soul can linger after death doesn’t seem to be much of a stretch. That, of course, gives rise to a niggling concern — since vampires kill a decent number of mortals, how many of them are still around?This is a disturbing thought to the Carthians. Without a unified school of thought on such matters as the disposition of the soul after death and the true nature of ephemeral entities, a Carthian confronted by the ghost of someone whom he or a coterie-mate murdered isn’t much better equipped to handle the experience than a mortal. In fact, the Carthian might be even more terrified. A mortal, after all, doesn’t need to fear burning to death in the sun because a ghost unlocked a door and let someone into the Haven. But possibly more disquieting is the implication that a vampire might also linger after death, and might therefore confront the souls of those he killed. Again, the covenant offers no comfort, and so the Carthian must draw his own conclusions.
Some Carthians have noted that ghosts often seem bound to locations, typically the spot on which they died. Dissenting reports claim, however, that ghosts are able to follow their murderers and Hound them, while similar stories talk about unquiet spirits protecting their still-living loved ones. More practical Carthians insist that these ghosts must be rare in the extreme, as very few Kindred have ever reported spectral interference while feeding or undertaking other actions that might arouse the ire of a ghost. Fearful Carthians wonder if this is indicative of the rarity of ghosts or of survivors of such incidents.
Not every spirit is a ghost, though. Most Carthians don’t realize this, and unless they subscribe to a belief that encompasses a somewhat animistic view of the world, the idea that objects, places and even ideas can have spiritual representations is strange and foreign. Even if a vampire is willing to accept this notion, a typical, skeptical Carthian question is, “So where are these spirits?” No easy answer is forthcoming, and vampires seem to lack the apparatus to sense these beings. And yet, every now and then, a Carthian tells a story about an encounter with an alien-looking being that materializes from nowhere and carries with it an unmistakable air of something, be it anger, loss or even something as specific as asphalt or Rain. In general, though, the Carthians file these stories with all of the other unverifiable and out-of-context yarns that nights in the World of Darkness seems to produce.
Rumors:
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“Children who die always become ghosts. The thing is that they only linger as spirits for as many years as they were alive. After that, they fade away forever. But see, since we’re dead, we can adopt ghost kids and they can hang around for as long as we do. I don’t know how you’d go about that, though.”
- “A friend of mine — still mortal, for what it’s worth — saw a ghost on the river the other night. She said it was just about sunset, and this guy in a fisherman’s coat was walking across the river toward her. She panicked and ran, but she said she heard him calling out to her. Only thing was, he was calling my name.”
- “There’s a gal who volunteers at the humane society that’s into bloodletting. I met her a few months ago, and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship, right? So I went to visit her at the society, and as I’m walking through the place, suddenly every dog in the room stops barking, stands up, faces me and stares. Just stares. This big Doberman at the end, he was the leader. As soon as he stopped looking, they all did.”
Conquering a Domain
The capture of any domain by The Carthian Movement can take one of two routes: rebellion or subversion. Whether through brutal imposition or diplomatic avenues, sudden explosion or steady build, the process of seizing control is a risky one — and can determine the success or failure of a Carthian experiment even before it gets a chance to get off the ground.Rebellion
Usually precipitated by the strict rule of a competing covenant and the attendant perceived injustices of that rule, Carthian rebellion is often a violent affair. Conquest by attrition is far from the preferred method of ascendancy for the Movement, though, since rebellion threatens the imposition of a cyclic vengeance-and-oppression model of rule — something that very few Carthian Kindred want.The process of rebellion itself is often the subject of impassioned debate in Carthian circles. Because rebellion entails sudden, volatile change, many argue that rebellion is an unsuitable means to attaining “proper government” in almost any style. Vampires react badly to sudden paradigm shifts, the argument goes, and will react violently to a cause that they might otherwise find acceptable if it surprises them. While, undeniably, change in some domains is impossible without violent uprising, the immediate shock attending that change will pave the way to months (if not years) of bloody conflict and forever paint the resulting Carthian government As One built on the vicious destruction of its predecessor.
Still, Carthian Kindred are usually passionate adherents to their philosophies, and many are willing to take the risk in order to see their dreams to fruition. Furthermore, taking up arms against the ruling covenant in a city can unify and galvanize the Carthians, lending their organization structure and purpose with the opportunity to achieve direct, measurable results.
Subversion
Slower to achieve and more difficult to plan, the ubversion of a domain involves the infiltration or conversion of covenants with competing ideals. Sooner or later, successful subversion tactics bring a domain to a tipping point of Movement sympathy, wherein enough Kindred support the replacement of the current government with a Carthian system.Almost universally considered superior to sudden rebellion, subversion of a domain is many, many times more difficult to achieve. Despite appearances, subversive strategy is not entirely peaceful. It can involve sabotage, assassination, even terrorism, so long as the actual operation of conversion appears to be happening from within the competing covenants or via diplomatic interaction with the Carthians. Deception and intrigue are the hallmarks of a subversive campaign as well, and can lead (if improperly concealed) to just as much violence as open rebellion. owever, the proper planning and execution of a subversive campaign can result in the entirely peaceful rollover of government in a domain and mpose an “untainted” Carthian system in its wake.
Not all Carthians are up for the rigorous secrecy nd manipulative politicking of an aggressive campaign of subversion, though, and realize that failure and exposure could forever damage whatever trust they share with the Kindred of the domain. These vampires prefer to take an open approach, hoping o win the Damned over with simple argument andenthusiastic offer of a new deal.
The greatest problem facing Carthians who successfully seize control of a domain reveals itself immediately upon acknowledgment of their ascension to power. They must, thereafter, impose law upon the other covenants, deciding whether to afford them the rights and freedoms entailed in the Carthians’ ideal system or to exclude and oppress the covenants in hopes of eliminating potentially dangerous competing philosophies. Faced with the decision of forming an unstable ut honorable government or sinking to the level of the Carthian enemies and crushing dissent in the name of security, many newly empowered Carthians struggle to satisfy their own ideals in the realpolitik world of Kindred government.
Carthian Civil Dispute
Certain Carthian experiments are doomed to failure. Whether through the misapplication of rule, the creation of illogical or unworkable policy or just unpopularity, a Carthian government can certainly collapse. When it does, the members of other covenants stand at the ready to rush in, hoping to fill the vacuum with their own figureheads and take control.In general, the first signs of failure in a Carthian system will be obvious to the members of the Movement long before the signs become apparent to the rest of the vampires in a city. In these cases, some Carthians see the opportunity to evolve the local Movement, eliminating the current experimental government and replacing it with another applied ideal. If the originators of the failed regime refuse to step aside for the replacement, a schism within the covenant forms, leading to an internal struggle for control. Dispute gives rise to animosity, and animosity leads to bloody conflict.
There are all sorts of ways to settle a disagreement over the right to rule. In some domains, a simple vote can lead to a wholesale replacement of policymakers, while in others a more physical approach is required. The more open the conflict,though, the more obvious the rift in the Movement will become, and the more likely that competing covenants will try to take advantage of the situation. For this reason, secret conspiracies and backroom dealings become the hallmarks of a Carthian government on its last legs, as members of the Movement plan their last-ditch efforts to maintain control. If the situation isn’t resolved quickly, politicking can give way to kidnapping, blackmail and extortion — more often than not spelling the end of the Movement’s reign.
Worse yet, a meltdown between Carthians can have wider and more lasting effects. In an idealist’s covenant, failure to maintain government can crush the spirits of both the covenant’s members and the outsiders who are beginning to believe in the promise of escape from feudal rule. Those who might yet be relied upon as subversive Allies draw back, reassuming their former loyalties with redoubled intensity and regarding The Carthian Movement with Suspicion forever after.
The potential for schism is an extremely difficult problem for most Carthians to deal with. On the one hand, dispute and debate are engines that drive innovation, allowing the Movement to accept and integrate new ideas and refine its approach. On the other, competing ideas frequently draw hot-tempered vampires into dangerous conflict. How does a domain allow for one without accepting the other? Is forbidding the former without restricting the latter possible?
One European republican domain allows complete freedom of expression at Elysium while imposing a strict penalty on any vampire who interrupts a parliamentary session. Furthermore, the members of Parliament themselves are forbidden to stand or come into contact with one another during a session. Anyone who violates these rules is immediately escorted from the gathering by the Sheriff and his Hounds and prevented from participation during the rest of the session in question. This simple but harsh punishment guarantees that those who misbehave will have no effect on policy, giving all Kindred a strong motivation to remain within the bounds of acceptable conduct.
The constitution of a tyrannous Canadian domain simply forbids vocal disagreement with respect to interpretations of law, requiring that all disputes be conducted in writing with no less than a 15-minute pause between statements. The result is a slow and aggravating process, so most Kindred avoid it altogether. The punishment for violating this law is severe: the restriction of territory and the surrender of material goods for redistribution among the Kindred of the domain. All who abide by the constitutional restriction are heard, though, and their arguments are demonstrably capable of initiating radical reinterpretations of law.
When these measures fail, the inevitable result is revolution. More than a few domains have collapsed into civil war, only to see the reins of power seized by opportunist members of The Invictus or The Lancea Sanctum. Collapse of Carthian power rarely leads to the ascension of one of the other covenants, as the downfall of idealistic philosophy is generally considered a vindication of traditional rule.
Leaving The Carthian Movement
Among all the covenants, leaving The Carthian Movement is paradoxically easiest, yet the Carthians are the hardest to get away from. The open nature of Carthian organization means that often, there’s nothing binding a Carthian Kindred from leaving the covenant proper. Most members of the Movement don’t know any sensitive secrets or perform essential duties that couldn’t be reassigned, so all they have to do is leave. There aren’t any forms to file, and rarely do other members ask any questions. Those Kindred who leave in an orderly manner are even welcome to return to the Movement later if they want. This openness actually creates an atmosphere in which Carthian Kindred are comfortable suffering most abuses that fall their way without considering leaving the Movement, because the strain is easily relieved by complaints and the illusion that the establishment is “doing something about it.”As a matter of fact, Carthian Kindred with no formally recognized Status can simply up and leave without hassle. In a passive-aggressive sense, they might cease any duties they may have been observing in the first place, which with such low Status could not have been much. Except for extremists such as the Burning Horizon (see p. 74), the Carthian policy on slackers is usually, “You don’t work, you don’t eat.” So no retribution is visited besides losing the benefits of Carthian membership. Some Contacts might stop talking to the vampire, and access to shared vessels would be lost. Most Carthian cells have better things to worry about than flaky neonates. Carthians who are involved, but not influential,
might experience more difficulty trying to leave. Low levels of Status (• to ••) usually carry enough responsibilities that the Kindred in such positions are considered useful, though usually not enough that they are considered dangerous if they leave. The details depend on the experiment in progress in any given domain. If the Carthians of a city are organized as a terrorist conspiracy out to bring down the establishment, any Status with them at all makes a character into a potential risk if let go. If they are a public lobbying group or a democratic city government, even a highly placed official with Status ••• or •••• might be free to leave without incident. Status ••••• with the Movement indicates a leader of such stature that her departure would probably cause the local movement to crumble; her closest followers and colleagues are likely to discourage this strongly, possibly violently.
Officers and policy-makers at the highest levels sometimes have difficulty making a clean break. Carthians in high places might have sworn oaths to their fellow officers and to the Movement. In especially radical or totalitarian domains, Carthian luminaries might have signed contracts in their own blood, or agreed to contracts penned in the Vitae of their fellow officers. All this blood is a practical symbol, and perhaps a bit of practical magic, binding Carthian high officials to their sacred duty with the only thing that is always sacred to a vampire. If an officer even tries to betray the Movement, such duplicity will usually be detected long before it bears fruit. As professional revolutionaries, powerful Carthians are very well practiced at the business of Paranoia. This Paranoia is a constant no matter what brand of politics is the norm in a particular domain, or the position and mission of a particular officer. Even if a group of younger Kindred gets charge of a domain, they probably have a shorter leash than they think. The Burning Horizon for example: their sire was still in the city, and, for a powerful vampire, Torpor is only a small impediment to keeping tabs on somebody. He might have had Ghouls continuing surveillance on them, or simply hired mortal investigators who didn’t know the purposes of their observations. He might have created other childer the Horizon didn’t know about, or had other associates doing the job
Even if a Carthian official manages to escape with sensitive information, it’s only a matter of time before she’s found and reported. The diversity of the Movement’s members leads naturally to the acquisition of Contacts and informants anywhere a traitor might run to (as represented by the discount on acquiring the Contacts Merit for Covenant members). Once the escapee has been located, Carthian mercenaries are mobilized. Due to the demands of the Masquerade, these Kindred troops are already trained in special ops-style, covert, low-impact urban warfare.Traitors escaping from the covenant are quickly and quietly put into Torpor, to be brought before a Carthiantribunal. These tribunals rarely deliver anything but a unanimous guilty verdict, with rarely any punishment other than a full day’s exposure to sunlight.
Theoretically, a highly placed Carthian officer could leave the Movement peacefully, despite the strong tendency toward violence that is bred by Kindred Paranoia about secrets. The practicality of this approach varies wildly from one domain to the next, though. Do you have to sign a blood contract to be an officer in this city? How strict are the terms? How flexible and forgiving are the other officers? Depending on the answers to questions such as these, leaving can be a simple matter of turning in a written resignation, or downright impossible to do without slaughtering the rest of the conspiracy.Such slaughter is the unfortunate eventual result of many Carthian experiments. The only sure-fire way an officer can get out of the Movement for good is to kill everyone who knew her.
Joining Other Covenants
Those leaving the Movement usually have another home in mind for themselves. This might be independence, but usually it is to join one of the other covenants. The Invictus in particular are more than happy to recruit disillusioned Kindred away from the covenant that is most often their direct rival. The other three major covenants simply are what they are, and thus offer something to other Kindred that Carthians can’t: philosophies of faith, power or transcendence. The Carthians themselves admit that their social experiments often meet with minimal success, and one of the consequences when any such ship goes down is that there will be deserters. When Carthian power declines in a domain, disillusioned Kindred may go to The Invictus if the Kindred still desire the same kind of authority, or they may lose faith in temporal power entirely and head to the Sanctified, the Acolytes or the Dragons.Circle of The Crone
The Carthian Movement does not discourage religion among its members, but the Movement doesn’t support it, either. Despite this indifferent openness, covenant membership is an exclusive deal due to the nature of Kindred politics. This means those who seek enlightenment through the ways of pagan magic must leave the Carthians and join the Acolytes. Sometimes, these seekers are after the power of Crúac, having decided they prefer it over the power of law and politics. Usually, this means they have been burned by a failed experiment, though sometimes it is a long-term plan for an elder’s self-advancement. The motive for conversion might also be a genuine desire for the agonized enlightenment offered by the Circle’s philosophy. Where Lancea Sanctum justifies the way things are, The Circle of the Crone believes things could be different, and can be made better. Their notions of blood, sacrifice and pain are deeply resonant with the Kindred condition, potentially a strong draw for those who are not seduced by, or who tire of, temporal power.Regardless of former Status, all new Acolytes start at the ground level. Elders and neonates advance at the same rate, depending on their progress in knowledge of mysteries and acts of virtue. Any advantages that elders enjoy by virtue of their greater skill and Resilience are balanced by their greater indifference and stagnation, making the works of creation necessary to become great in the Circle more difficult. This equality is less artificial than that enforced by Carthians, which often seems appealing, given how often the Carthian variety simply doesn’t pan out.
Existence as an Acolyte also fails to pan out for many former Carthians, though. The trials and scarring of the psyche necessary to learn Crúac are more difficult than anything The Carthian Movement ever asks of its members. Though the structure of the Circle is equal in theory, the gap of power and respect between new initiates and experienced Acolytes soon seems insurmountable to a mind practiced in Carthian egalitarianism. Enlightenment isa long way off, and much more nebulous than the concrete social goals a Carthian would be used to.
Invictus
Practical Invictus recognize the danger of social change to their positions, especially after Carthians become a prominent power in a domain. A common tactic, because of its proven effectiveness, is to buy off the worst agitators by giving them positions of moderate authority and prestige among the First Estate. This gets the agitator away from the angry mob, defusing the danger of both. The responsibilities of the position will provide a short leash that outweighs the authority granted, yet allowing the former agitator to make a few small changes will make both him and his former followers happy.Spontaneous conversions from Carthian to Invictus are also accepted, somewhat smugly, especially since these are usually fallout from failed Carthian experiments. Of course, this always draws a few snide comments from the First Estate about the inevitability of such failure, yet Carthians who get out early enough can play this reaction to their favor. Recognizing inevitability before it strikes shows that the vampire, probably a neonate, is capable of the same insight The Invictus has always enjoyed; this is worthy of some respect.
Elder Carthians who leave the Movement join The Invictus less frequently than one might think, though, despite the obvious perks offered to elders by the First Estate. The elders among The Carthian Movement usually fall into two categories: founding members, and influential latecomers. In the first case, the philosophies that drove these Kindred to found their cell of the Movement in the first place are more important than anything. In the latter case, the canny elder would likely rather manipulate naïve neonates than contend with other powerful Kindred in the upper ranks of The Invictus. If a vampire 200 years old or older wants to leave, she’s not looking for political power. Very rarely is the move from Carthian Movement to First Estate actually advantageous for established elders.
The problem faced by the Carthian Kindred who do join the First Estate is that The Invictus system actually fails almost as often as Carthian experiments. Princes are assassinated and replaced all the time. Power is brokered, gained and lost. The system may not change as it changes hands, but the unrest caused is no less turbulent and lasts just as long. Former Carthians soon find themselves wondering why they bothered to switch; they are not enjoying more power or luxury, or even more stability. Experienced at seeing through the bullshit and propaganda, these Kindred cannot help but discover that The Invictus does not live up to its mythic image. For rats who fled a sinking ship, this is often a revelation that they fled to another ship, also sinking, that has been sinking for longer.
Lancea Sanctum
The Lancea Sanctum preaches a faith that is no mystery. Kindred are damned, and the Sanctified do not deny this. They do not offer some pointless false hope of redemption. The Church of Longinus offers one edifying thing: a philosophy justifying Kindred existence, allowing for monstrosity without severe degeneration. Many Carthians who give up on their own laws find it comforting to think they are following God’s law instead. Elders are less susceptible to this rhetoric, knowing that the interpretation and enforcement of these laws is up to those Kindred in charge of the Church. However, similar to The Invictus, The Lancea Sanctum has no qualms about offering a high position to an already aged and powerful vampire, though such positions are often temporal instead of clerical.The miracles of Theban Sorcery are, of course, also a draw. Besides the usual reason of deserting a failing experiment, the powers of the Sanctified make a statement that often convinces even the staunchest politicians that their ways might be wrong, or at least that they are in the wrong covenant. The desire for power draws as many Kindred away from The Carthian Movement as it draws to them, since the taste of mystic might versus that of temporal authority is a difficult choice. Unlike The Circle of the Crone, however, The Lancea Sanctum does not accept seekers who are in it solely for the magic. Theban Sorcery is only for the truly committed among the Sanctified, and there are many tests of faith administered before any secrets are revealed.
Ordo Dracul
The Circle of the Crone offers mysteries. The Lancea Sanctum offers faith. The Ordo Dracul offers more: knowledge and certainty. This route to power is easier to grasp than the other mystical paths among the covenants. The results are less flashy, but they are very practical. Furthermore, the Dragons know that others come to them solely to learn their Coils, and encourage this. Though the secrets of mastering the Coils are a closely guarded secret, their existence is widely known. With this most secretive of covenants, then, the irony is that any prospective member knows exactly what he or she is getting into.Carthians come to The Ordo Dracul for the same reason everybody else does. They are perplexed by what they are, and seek to transcend. The foibles of Kindred nature prey on Carthian experiments, especially irrational fears and frenzies. The Coils of Banes and the Beast can cure these problems from inside each vampire who learns them. When social structures fail to control the problems from outside, former Carthians often seek to join the one covenant with a proven method of control. Certain sects of Carthians even appreciate the strict meritocratic hierarchy of the Order. A Dragon’s role in the Order and knowledge of the Coils are the only determinations of rank and privilege. There is no uncertainty, and there are certainly no failed experiments.
Unfortunately, most former Carthians seeking to join the Dragons are rejected, just as almost all applicants to The Ordo Dracul period. The Coils are not meant for teaching to just any Kindred; the Order is exclusive. The Carthian ideal of equality and universality is nowhere to be found in this secret society. Only the most elite are welcome to join the Dragons. Refugees escaping from a failed Carthian experiment, which they may have caused to fail or simply failed to stop, hardly qualify as elite. A former Carthian may have to spend decades or centuries proving his worth, an eternity of frustrating nights as new Kindred are embraced directly into The Ordo Dracul, or other, more promising candidates are accepted without all the fuss.
Unbound
When the experiment prospective Carthians signed up for, or were swept up in, fails, they are cast to the winds. No other covenant wants them particularly, and many Carthians have soured on the idea of working with a covenant. The ones who don’t eventually drift back to The Carthian Movement tend to stick together in Carthian coteries with new philosophies or dedicated observance of the old. Few of these neonates are ambitious or driven; if they were, then the major covenants would be the place to satisfy their drive. These are the flotsam of the Movement, who contributed little in the first place. Such lowly vampires typically simply continue existing below the radar of the city bigwigs. Sometimes the ones who drift away like this are actually passionate non-participants, taking individualist philosophy to its logical extreme.Other than those who lack ambition or commitment, there are two major kinds of former Carthians among the unbound: rabble-rousers and fakers.Rabble-rousers are activists so extreme in their views they can no longer even work with The Carthian Movement. This usually means crazies: perhaps those who favor explosives as a solution to most problems or proponents of definitive violations of Kindred Traditions. Groups of rabble-rousers are usually threats to the Masquerade as well as the unlives of other Kindred in the city. Fakers, on the other hand, are actually not former Carthians at all. Fakers are, in fact, secretly still members of the Movement, pretending to leave with the rest of the refugees from a failing domain. These secret Carthians act as sleeper agents, maintaining a relationship of trust with the actual former members, ensuring that the Movement does not lose any of its network of Contacts.
Many former Carthians eventually drift back to the Movement, and although this is partly due to the subtle influence of the fakers, mostly it is because the ideals of The Carthian Movement really cannot be found anywhere else. Unbound Kindred who once had access to Carthian Resources miss that luxury, and unlike those who join another covenant, the unbound have nothing to replace those Resources with except personal freedom. The difference between freedom inside or outside The Carthian Movement is not easy to see, though. Carthians enjoy a great deal of freedom, and not all of it is an illusion. Even the part that is an illusion holds power over the minds of the former Carthians. Sure, there are more rules back in the Movement, but what effect does that really have? A little bit of intangible freedom is often seen as a small price to pay for what can certainly feel like a lot more security.
Multi-Domain Politics
The Carthian Movement may well be the only vampiric covenant to embrace modern science and technology in a comprehensive sense. Only few Invictus keep in touch by cell phones, but all Carthians do. Some individual Dragons keep their personal notes on a computer, but savvy Carthians not only keep computer records and backups, but are familiar with instant messaging programs and personal networking website communities. Carthian elders laud this as the most successful expression of the Movement’s core tenet, “Change is necessary.” The general consensus on Carthian forums and email lists is that the anonymous nature of the medium also promotes the other tenet, “Power to the people.” Vampiric powers have no merit in the online world, only the words someone types. Everyone is thus rendered equal.Having adopted the Internet in both medium and message, Carthians have found that the Internet is a big place. Their organization already had precedent for this, though, in the Carthians’ acceptance of telegraphy and, later, telephones. Prefects, committees and even ruckand- run Carthian Kindred keep in touch with each other across the globe, and they’ve been doing so for almost 100 years. The ousting of a totalitarian Invictus Prince in Prague raises a cheer in Chicago. A request for information from Tokyo will be heard and responded to from both Hong Kong and San Francisco. Many Carthian operations all over the world are funded by byzantine connections to front organizations such as drug cartels, import/export firms, mercenary companies, art thieves, smuggling rings and even securities traders, all supported by or connected somehow to Carthians.
Despite the many advantages of modern technology and globalization, even The Carthian Movement has failed to create a truly effective multi-domain government, however. The one piece of technology crucial to such government is denied to them by the absolute necessity of the Masquerade: mass media. The printing press, and the attendant rise of literacy through the years following its popularization, allowed mortal governments to escape the hand-to-hand chains of feudalism, a style of government that was mostly local. When an American invented the steam-powered printing press, newspapers captured public attention in cities all across the Western world, contributing greatly to the rise of nationalism. Nationalist feelings continued to rise with the popularization of radio, and were polarized in the extreme with the coincidence of television and the cold war. Mortal politicians can appear on the air free and clear, influencing whatever masses put themselves in range of a set. Kindred have no such option, and this is what some Carthian scholars see as a key component of the failure of multi-domain government.
Just because a coordinated government across multiple domains didn’t work out wasn’t reason enough for most Carthians to abandon the idea of cross-domain interaction entirely. After all, the ideals of the Movement had already spread to the four corners of the world, so Carthians in different domains could surely benefit from aid that wouldn’t be available locally. This willingness to interact over long distances and through modern media is one reason Carthian characters get a discount on the Contacts Merit. That’s only the beginning of the benefits Carthians might enjoy in your chronicle, though. Quite a few schemes of cross-domain politics have succeeded where the New Camarilla failed, by pursuing a more limited agenda that wouldn’t require popular support.
The Underbelly
Carthian mercenaries and diplomats (see Nomads, p. 37) do more than conquer new domains. Teams of these nomadic Carthians also maintain a network of black market transactions and smuggling operations that not only keeps many Carthian chapters funded, but provides them with weapons and vessels to feed upon as well. In some cases, vampires set up their own new operations, but more often they take over an existing mortal racket and repurpose some of the products and most of the proceeds. The slave trade has always been the favorite form of commerce to any vampire, for obvious reasons. The twin advantages of money and Vitae are an obviously beneficial combination, but tonight the trade has been driven so far underground in most countries that it survives only through use of technology elder Kindred don’t even understand. The modernists of The Carthian Movement are the natural exception to this rule, and so they capitalize on the modern slave trade like nobody’s business.Between San Francisco and Tokyo, for instance, many different yakuza families operate scams to draw American women with aspirations of being actresses, models or the like into serving as geisha at nightclubs in Shinjuku. Once there, the yakuza bosses seize the women’s passports, and ensure that they become so deeply in debt they become virtual slaves to their employers. The slavery is made literal as the women are forced to sell their bodies to try to make enough money to escape their bonds in a perpetual cycle of degradation. A pair of enterprising young Carthians, Tomio Ojo of Tokyo and John Akamatsu of San Francisco, decided this would be a perfect profit-skimming racket. They send easy vessels over to Tomio’s cell in Tokyo, and the money flows back into Akamatsu’s trust fund to support the Movement in San Francisco.
Truckloads of migrant workers in North America are another choice target. Carthian nomadic cadres shepherd loads across the border, smoothing out INS border inspections with the application of bribes or vampiric power. Local chapters in cities near the border, from Texas to California, often call up Mexican cells to place orders for these trucks, sometimes called “meat lockers.” Ironically, life often improves for the workers, when they aren’t bled dry. The Carthian agents are more interested in setting their new Herd up with stable jobs in places they can easily be fed on than in fleecing the poor bastards. Even a minimum wage job is better than what many of these families leave behind in Mexico, and the Carthians often ensure better employment than that. Compared to feeding your family and American comforts, what’s a little light-headedness anyway?
Some Carthians are squeamish about this sort of trade. They make very reasonable arguments that this sort of oppression is exactly what The Carthian Movement seeks to end among Kindred, so to perpetuate it among mortals is counterproductive. The Carthians involved in the slave trade simply point out that a vampire has to drink blood somehow, and, besides, it’s not really slavery, because the mortals do get paid and have better living conditions than the homeless poor. These dregs of mortal society will never be the great thinkers that Carthians everywhere should emulate, the slavers argue, so the most humane thing to do is provide them with stability and safety, but treat them as the vessels they are.
Power Brokers
Carthian grass-roots campaigning manages, somehow, to gather political influence with alarming rapidity. Experienced Carthians specializing in some aspect of this political maneuvering become valuable assets as advisors on the process. These experts don’t always become full-time diplomats, but they often offer advice in consultation. Sometimes an in-person appearance is the only option, so moneyed Carthians from the requesting domain pool funds for an expedited trip to and from the hot spot. Experts to be traded around like this come in many forms, from an experienced protest-rally leader to the Nosferatu with a scarily keen grasp of just whose kneecaps to break to keep a city secure. The arrival of such an expert is sure to stir things up, which is always exciting to the local Carthians. As they are fond of saying whenever they feel something is going well, “Change is good.”Aside from the prestige naturally arising from a position at the helm of a successful Carthian experiment, playing host to the permanent residence of one or more experts who are sought after by Prefects in other domains is a source of undeniable power. A shrewd Prefect loans out his experts when he can, so his fellow Prefects will owe him a debt of gratitude when he needs something one of them can provide. Sometimes, the Prefect goes so far as to impose a draft on Carthian citizens to raise auxiliaries in response to a request for aid from a nearby domain. Troops aren’t as valuable as expert advisors, such as a Sheriff who led Carthian troops in securing a city, but troops are far from worthless.
An established Prefect can always call in at least one or two markers from neighboring domains in a pinch, and often will have favors to call on from distant domains if the need arises. This, despite the lack of a coordinated governing structure, makes The Carthian Movement much stronger in areas where several Carthian domains are geographically close to each other.
I’ve seen them all:
good Princes, bad Princes, tyrants, despots, would-be philosopherkings
and monsters who hid their evils in the cloak of office.
None of it made a difference.
An edict declared from on high is always detached and arbitrary.
The only time you can respect a decision
is when you’ve had a hand its making.
—Rick Merriman, Carthian diplomat
good Princes, bad Princes, tyrants, despots, would-be philosopherkings
and monsters who hid their evils in the cloak of office.
None of it made a difference.
An edict declared from on high is always detached and arbitrary.
The only time you can respect a decision
is when you’ve had a hand its making.
—Rick Merriman, Carthian diplomat
The Carthian Prelude
The rigorous process of evaluation that many Carthians undergo before Embrace is likely to solidify their feelings of loyalty to the Movement only if they discover that many of their compatriots endured exactly the same test. If the characters involved pass the ordeal of membership only to discover that they’re the only ones who had to do so, they will feel resentment, not pride.When running a Carthian character through his prelude, remember this. There ought to be a reveal at the end (or near the end) of the test, demonstrating that he’s qualified for an exclusive organization through shared ordeal. A scar or other physical sign can be a subtle reminder, but even just a sincere expression of sympathy from one’s sire or elders can demonstrate that he’s only experiencing what they’ve all gone through, in one form or another.
Tenets of a Carthian Pure Democracy
- Power to the People: One citizen, one vote. Everyone shares equal power and takes equal responsibility for the policies of the Movement. The pure democracy interprets this tenet literally, expecting that every citizen shoulder her responsibility with dedication to the betterment of the community as a whole.
- Change Is Necessary: The laws and structure of the Movement itself must be subject to the needs and desires of the masses. The law flows and alters its course as the citizens dictate. Questions, protest and critique are both necessary and welcome in the process of government.
Tenets of a Carthian Parliamentary Republic
- Power to the People: The citizens of the Movement must be empowered to choose their representatives in government, and they must have recourse to peacefully remove those representatives who fail them. The system must give equal consideration to each of the territories that compose it, ensuring that no citizen receives a lesser share of the attention of her government.
- Change Is Necessary: Government must be mutable, and no single representative of the citizenry may hold office indefinitely. Scheduled terms of election ensure that change is a regular occurrence. Kindred are encouraged to rotate the leadership and keep the policies of the domain fresh.
Tenets of a Carthian Socialist Dictatorship
- Power to the People: All Resources and territories shall be divided equally and proportionally, in return for equal share in the labor of running the city. There shall be no benefit of age, class or clan. All citizens are identical under the law.
- Change Is Necessary: The system of Kindred territorial hierarchy as practiced by the entrenched covenants is unacceptable. Greed and gluttony are intolerable behavior in these modern nights. Centuries of bloodshed and servitude have damaged the hearts and minds of the vampire race. Only a complete revolution in thought and behavior can save them.
Tenets of a Carthian Communal Democracy
- Power to the People: All citizens should have equal opportunity to influence the policy of the Movement, but those who do not wish to sacrifice their time and energy to the governing of the domain should be free to withdraw themselves from electoral decisions. Kindred should be empowered to participate without obligation, and they should benefit from peaceful and prosperous co-existence.
- Change Is Necessary: The law must be capable of meeting the changing needs of the citizenry without disorganization. The system of representative democracy best satisfies this requirement, and a council of members who are no more exalted than their non-voting coteriemates provides a stable base from which to oversee these adaptable laws.
Tenets of a Carthian Consitutional Tyranny
- Power to the People: Let the citizens of the Movement detail the law of the domain. Let them determine the boundaries of acceptable behavior and the severity of punishment for anti-social Kindred. Remove the power of law from the whim of individual rulers.
- Change Is Necessary: The old systems of despotic monarchy are outdated. The Kindred should be allowed to rewrite the policy of their government, defining their own rights and privileges. Once a fair law is arrived at, those who support the old ways should be overthrown and subjugated.
Sweet Mercy
Sweet Mercy is a coterie of Carthian vampires dedicated to hunting down and saving werewolves from the horrible pain of their existence. This work began when the coterie piled into their truck one summer night and headed out toward a state park that was hosting a communal gathering. (The Carthians figured that feeding on “those hippies” would be easy). The first campsite they found, though, was in shambles. Body parts lay strewn everywhere, and in the midst of it all was a man in his mid-20s, weeping and staring at the blood on his hands. He claimed to be a werewolf, and that he had killed and consumed these unfortunate people.The vampires didn’t believe him at first, but he demonstrated his shapeshifting power and begged the Kindred — the first he’d ever met — to help him. He’d tried to kill himself before, but the wounds healed too quickly. The Carthians, falling back on what little they knew about werewolves (mostly from pop-culture sources), hit on the notion of Silver bullets. After a few quick errands, they filled two shotgun shells with the remnants of one of the vampires’ wedding Silver (she wasn’t thrilled, but she wasn’t actually married anymore anyway), bade the werewolf close his eyes and pulled the trigger. They had to empty both barrels to kill him.
Moved with pity for this creature, and worried about the damage other such beasts might do if left unchecked, the coterie named itself Sweet Mercy and went on the hunt. They Haven’t had much luck so far — apparently these creatures are rare — but these Carthians are armed with Silver bullets and a profound sense that they’re doing the right thing.
Blood Contracts
Carthian Law is binding in more ways than the Vigor of the local Sheriff backing it up. The mystical properties of Carthian Law are not lost on most of the movers-and-shakers of the Movement, so the practical measure of contracts signed and possibly penned in Vitae was independently implemented by several different Carthian domains early on. The effects were not immediately obvious, except that those whorefused to sign the contracts were summarily drummed out of their former domains. Those who remained were naturally the most committed to the causes they signed up for. It was decades before anyone broke their contracts.One desperate night, Richard Foss realized that he was becoming a monster. He had handled hundreds of murders for the cause; Kindred, Ghouls, mortal vessels, all of them. When somebody needed to go down quietly, Richard would get sent in. Sneak up on the mark with Obfuscate, snap her neck instantly with Vigor. All in a good cause, but it became too routine. Too convenient to use his services instead of slowerways of solving problems. Foss wanted out. He asked his superiors — his friends, he thought — for some time off. He was denied. The administration was in trouble, and there were enemies they needed him to kill. Always more enemies. So, he went to ground, and on the road. As soon as he left the city limits, his blood started boiling, causing him to swerve off the road. Others from the city found him and imprisoned him before dawn. Before his execution, he described the feeling as a screaming in his veins, with the words of the contract he was acting against ringing in his head over and over.
If a contract is penned and signed with ink containing at least 1 Vitae from each party concerned with the contract, including legal counsel and any witnesses, and the contract is legal by Carthian Law, breaking the contract becomes almost impossible. All those bound by the contract become bound by their very own blood. Any action against the terms of the contract causes the offending party’s blood to boil and scream of his offense, causing a penalty to all actions equal to the offender’s Blood Potency. Once incurred, this penalty lasts for the rest of the night once; after that, the offender is no longer bound by the contract. This magic only works if at least one party of the contract is a Carthian, because a blood contract is an extension of Carthian Law.
Spectacular Failure
While picking themselves up from the War of 1812, American Carthians marveled at the undaunted spirit of Manifest Destiny. Infected with this pattern of thought, and in control of several American domains at the time, the loose confederations of Prefects contacted each other and formed a plan. In 1850, they were poised to declare the United States of America the domain of a New Carthian Nation, founded on the principles of its home nation just as the Camarilla had been during the heyday of the Roman Empire. Invictus Kindred in various cities generally scoffed at the notion; after all, they themselves couldn’t establish a trans-geographical domain even with time-tested political structures. A significant number didn’t find it so funny, though, intrigued at the prospect of greater unity and cross-domain security. A few noted elders even switched sides, much to everyone’s surprise, on the condition that their expertise on extant political models be recognized and noted for its value in the current effort at Kindred nationalization. The mystical covenants, naturally, offered what assistance they could, seeing the chance to establish their own foundation in a new paradigm.With the many domains divided internally on how to respond to the Carthian plan, everything proceeded smoothly at first from a complete lack of formal opposition. Safe routes of travel were established along the East Coast, particularly along key railroad lines rented or purchased by some of the rich and powerful new members recently ex– Invictus. Telegraph messages between all domains that had signed on were sent several times daily, keeping leaders in the Movement abreast of everything that happened.
Ironically, it was not the American Civil War that cut the lines of communication. The Underground Railroad helped as many Kindred escape the war zone under the cover of night as had helped slaves escape their masters. It was not anti–Carthian partisans rallying a resistance to throw the Carthian upstarts out of power, because such an assault never materialized. In fact, the mystically inclined covenants undermined the New Carthian Nationexperiment in a way with their lack of understanding of what that the new technology represented.
In the end, Kindred just stopped using the secret railways. They stayed in their home domains, and many important Carthians began to debate the point of having this unwieldy collective government by telegraph. New York’s parliamentarians argued loudly that they shouldn’t have to consult Albany’s committee before passing their own local laws, and power quickly shifted back to local governments. By the time other covenants started moving into leadership of some American domains again, the power had shifted back to local government entirely, so help from even neighboring Carthian domains was usually not forthcoming. They had their own problems to deal with.