The Father

Vampire the Requiem - Covenant - Circle of the Crone

Lawgiver, punisher, authority figure — the Father, or Patriarch, is all these things. He is experienced, he’s been there first, he knows how the world works and he has developed a set of bedrock principles for dealing with it. He made you. He can break you.
Father gods often create the universe, as Odin did from the body of the murdered Giant Ymir, or Marduk did from the slain monster Ti’amat. Acolyte Patriarchs note well that these founders built upon corpses.
Where The Mother accepts you as you are and puts the best interpretation on everything you do, the Father challenges you and demands that you live up to your potential. Kindred sires of both genders tend to resemble the paternal stereotype more than the maternal one, of course. For every vampire who sires out of sentiment, there are five whose plan is to create a useful and eternal servant, aide or companion. Rarest of all are those Kindred who meld the two drives, those who Embrace from a powerful emotional need and from a solid estimation of ability and accomplishment.
The stereotypical Mother gives the Embrace to her mortal son or sister or spouse, because she loves them and wants to spend eternity with them (even if it means selfishly damning them to half-death). The stereotypical Father picks an elite achiever with skills, position or abilities that complement the Father’s needs. He wants someone to make his Requiem easier, or, even better, someone who can enhance his own power.
Only rarely does someone with such desirable attributes happen to be someone the Father loves. More often, the love of the Father blinds him to Flaws and weaknesses, so that he is eternally disappointed that his childe doesn’t live up to Expectations.
Dispassionate structuring is at the core of this role, and because of this, Fathers gravitate to formal positions of authority, both within the covenant and within larger Kindred society. Where an Outsider might get wholehearted support from his fellow Acolytes as a Hound, they instinctively turn to a Father when seeking a Sheriff.
Fathers set formal guidelines for behavior, expecting all to meet them without exception. The letter of the law is most rigid for Fathers themselves, as is its spirit. It’s tolerable for a Hero to play by his own rules, or for a Mother to decide that minor violations are best hushed up, and warping the intent of strictures is what Fools and Tricksters do best, but there’s no wiggle room for the Patriarch. The standard he sets is strictest for him.

Perception

Purpose

Patriarchs make the rules and set the laws in place over themselves and others. Patriarchs are both legislators and executives, most often recognized through some formal structure that may be elected and democratic, or acceptance through mystic ritual or simple despotism by power.

Social Status

Fathers declare what is expected and often are the formal face of the Circle to other covenants. The higher the Father’s Status, the more authority he possesses and the more discretion he has to judge and punish those who violate covenant law. Status 0 to • Fathers are, just as Mothers, seen as pushy and untrustworthy: before they’ve even got their own house in order (by properly understanding the faith of the Circle) they’re giving a corrupt Embrace to others and, most likely, mis-educating them about what it means to be dark spirits of the night.
With Status •• to •••, a Father is respected. The law-giving authority of the covenant (whatever form it takes in a particular domain) seeks out his input on matters that touch upon his expertise, and if he volunteers an opinion on any point of law, it’s listened to with respect.
By Status •••• to •••••, the Patriarch is truly guiding the covenant. Not only is his voice heard on subjects of stricture and formal law, his opinion is expected. Governing the Acolytes and interpreting local rules take up a formidable amount of his time, and balancing grievances almost certainly takes up much of his nights.
Regardless of Status, fairness is expected of Patriarchs. Unlike the selfish Hero and Fool, Fathers are expected to look to the interests of the Circle first, even sacrificing their own perquisites if needed. The higher the Father’s Status, the more icy impartiality is expected.

History

Mythological Examples

Father gods are often sky gods, and those Acolytes who believe that human worship is almost entirely metaphor (though metaphor with genuine power behind it) point out that a child in his crib looks up and sees his father as a bearded face far above him. Thus the various Fathers of the world are bearded faces in the sky, taking advantage of their high perspective to bring order to the world below. Adad, the Akkadian Lord of Abundance, is one such sky-father, standing above the world and bringing life-giving rain so that the earth can flower and fruit. But Adad is not universally forgiving or benevolent: his myth cycle tells of him creating a great and destructive flood to punish Humanity (a narrative common to manyMiddle Eastern religions).
Baal is a darker father god from the region. Similar to Adad, Baal embodies masculine fertility, but his myths also include the sacrifice of children to him in a fiery furnace. Some Acolytes call the sacrifice a Christian slander, but many more pursue it as a legitimate sign of fealty. Sometimes symbolic, the sacrifice is more often literal. Furthermore, Baal-worshipping Kindred are far more likely to regard their own childer as devices expressly created for the good of the sire (and, by extension, the covenant and clan). These hardcore servants of Baal regard Western secular notions of individual rights, freedom and dignity as impractical liberal fantasies.

Type

Government

Used By

• The Circle of the Crone