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This page provides information about Vampire: The Masquerade
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Sections of This Page:
The Traditions † The Camarilla † The Sabbat † The Clans † The Garou † Rules & Resources

The game Vampire: The Masquerade (henceforth referred to as “The Game”) in the Crypt Rooms at Beauty’s Castle is slightly “relaxed” to encourage a certain freedom for players to use their initiative in creating and developing the characters and storylines within which they play The Game. This creative freedom should still adhere to the spirit of White Wolf’s basic guidelines and structure. To this end, all players are strongly encouraged to research and familiarize themselves with these guidelines at White Wolf or the highly recommended White Wolf Wiki.

For some guidelines on creating a character and interacting within a storyline, refer to Playing The Game, where you will also find sources for the books upon which this RPG is based.

For a quick reference to game terminology, refer to the Glossary of Terms.

Below are some of the most fundamental elements of The Game.

The Traditions
©White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

The Camarilla

The Camarilla is a global organization that maintains and oversees a collection of feudal domains (Cities), particularly in North America and Europe. The Camarilla is the largest of vampiric sects, which represents and protects all vampires by enforcing and promulgating the Masquerade. It is currently composed of six Clans, though officially it considers all Kindred under its purview and welcomes any that obey its laws. In general, much of the Camarilla's approach to maintaining order involve enacting the Traditions.

Organization: (in descending hierarchal order)

The Inner Circle is the organizing council of the Camarilla. Practically nothing is known about the Inner Circle, which takes pains to keep the identity of its members hidden. The public face of the Inner Circle are the Justicars and their Archon assistants. Members of the Inner Circle elect Justicars and otherwise establish the principles of Camarilla law. The Members meet once every 13 years in Venice, and at these meetings they select new Justicars and further decide the direction of the sect.

The Justicars are the most powerful visible component of the Camarilla’s government, charged with adjudicating matters of the Traditions on a wide scale and acting as the eyes, ears, and hands of the Inner Circle. There is one Justicar for each clan of the Camarilla, and each is served by several handpicked Archons who act as their spies, enforcers, and representatives around the world.

An Archon is a recognized agent of one of the Justicars or Inner Circle members of the Camarilla. Archons are almost always selected by their Justicar at the beginning of the Justicar’s term and are usually dismissed when their Justicar is replaced. Individuals may be chosen to become an Archon for a variety of services ranging from combat prowess, tactics, investigative, or espionage capabilities. They are usually quite skilled and, as envoys of their Justicar’s will, carry a lot of political clout. However, Archons do not always act openly, and may simply divert resources and information to certain Kindred from behind the scenes. In fact, it is a large embarrassment to a City’s Prince for an Archon to be dispatched to help maintain order.

A Prince is a vampire recognized as the leader of a Domain (usually a single City) and possessing the authority of an Elder as described in the Traditions. The Prince holds authority over unlife and Final Death by virtue of the Traditions. These rights traditionally include:

Princes delegate other offices: Seneschal, Sheriff, and any other offices specific to the City. Princes are also the primary interface with the government of the Camarilla—they are expected to assist Archons and Justicars as necessary.

The Seneschal is the Prince’s right hand, looking after the day-to-day operations of the domain, and keeping track of the Prince's interest, schedule and appointments. The Seneschal is usually the most trusted confidante of the Prince. The Seneschal also has the authority to act on the Prince's behalf in the event the Prince is unavailable for any extended period.

The Sheriff enforces the laws of the Prince over a given domain (in our case, the City of Chicago). This includes investigating, interrogating, and concluding the laws which have been broken and deciding whether or not to bring the criminal before the Prince. The Sheriff carries out all sentencing handed down by the Prince. The Sheriff may not issue sentencing on their own, but will hold the criminal in confinement until the Prince (or Seneschal in the Prince's absence) issues sentence.

The Sabbat

In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Sabbat is a loose organization of vampires who reject the Traditions. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat believes in the Antediluvians and Caine. Also known as the Sword of Caine, as they believe they will be the army Caine will use to destroy the Antediluvians once Gehenna arrives. The Sabbat consists of two main Clans, and numerous antitribu from Clans normally independent or associated with the Camarilla.

Organization:

Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat has a single nominal Regent, elected by a a circle of advisors called Cardinals. Beneath the Cardinals are the Prisci, who oversee large geographic regions (such as Canada or the Eastern Seaboard). Beneath them are the Archbishops (roughly the equivalent of a Camarilla Prince) overseeing specific cities. Below the Archbishops are Bishops, who oversee groups of packs each consisting of 3-10 vampires led by a ductus or priest. The titles are deliberately used in mockery of the Catholic Church.

The Clans

There are six Clans primarily aligned with the Camarilla, two Clans primarily aligned with the Sabbat, and five Independent Clans aligned with neither, for a total of 13 Clans in Vampire: The Masquerade.

While the Clans traditionally aligned with the Camarilla are: Brujah, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere and Ventrue, there are a few from each of these Clans who have chosen loyalty to the Sabbat instead.

Likewise, the Clans traditionally aligned with the Sabbat are: Lasombra and Tzimisce, there are a few Lasombra who have chosen to be independent or loosely aligned with the Camarilla. The Tzimisce are strictly of the Sabbat sect with none known to be Independent or Camarilla.

The Independent Clans consist of: Assamite, Followers of Set (Setite), Gangrel, Giovanni and Ravnos. The Gangrel were originally aligned with the Camarilla but their Justicar chose to leave the Camarilla several years ago and most of his Clan followed suit. Other than the Gangrel, very few vampires from the Independent Clans align themselves with any sect other than their own Clan.

Note: Vampires who choose an allegiance counter to the traditional affiliation of their Clan are called the antitribu of that Clan.

The Six Camarilla Clans:

Quick to anger and always passionate, Clan Brujah have fallen from their former position as a clan of lofty philosophers and activists and are often painted as merely a rabble of “angry young Kindred” and revolutionaries. Scratch the surface of a Brujah thug, and these days you are more than likely to find a Brujah thug underneath. However, the clan is a fallen clan, still mourning the death of their Carthaginian paradise and decaying from their era of warrior-scholars to the petty rebels common today. (Clan Disciplines: Celerity, Potence, Presence)

The Malkavians are a clan of Kindred cursed with insanity. Every Malkavian is in some fashion insane; in game terms, they have at least one derangement they can never remove. They are one of the original seven clans of the Camarilla and, strangely enough, a pillar of the organization. Throughout history, the Malkavians have been the seers and oracles of the Kindred, bound by strange compulsions and insight. (Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate, and Dementation OR Dominate - the character must choose one, but not both)

The most visibly cursed of all Kindred, the Embrace warps each Nosferatu into a hideously deformed creature; the archetypal Nosferatu resembles Max Shreck's Count Orlok, though the curse has any number of variations. The Nosferatu are the spymasters of the undead, collecting information and selling it for a dear price. They are also the masters of the underground, living in the sewers for protection. (Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Obfuscate, Potence)

Clan Toreador are some of the most beautiful and glamourous of the Kindred. Famous (and infamous) as a clan of artists and innovators, they are one of the bastions of the Camarilla, as their very survival depends on the facades of civility and grace on which the sect prides itself. (Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Presence)

Clan Tremere is one of the youngest vampire clans, having just come into existence during the dark ages. In the little time since then they have made incredible inroads within vampiric society and are arguably the most powerful clan in the modern nights. This is due in no small part to their strict hierarchy, secretive nature, and mastery of Thaumaturgy, all of which elicit suspicion, fear, and respect from other Cainites. The Warlocks stand as a pillar of the Camarilla and are one of its main defenders, despite the fact that they exist almost as a subsect. Some even go so far as to consider themselves the evolution of vampirism, citing their extreme versatility of blood magic and lack of a true clan curse. (Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy)

Clan Ventrue has long been one of the proudest lines of vampires. Its members work hard to maintain a reputation for honour, genteel behavior, and leadership. A sense of noblesse oblige has long pervaded the clan, accompanied by the genuine belief that the Ventrue know what's best for everyone. They not only consider themselves the oldest clan, but see themselves as the enforcers of tradition and the rightful leaders of vampire society. Unsurprisingly, they have long been chosen from the ranks of nobility and privilege, whether kings or merchant princes, but they have also been known as knights and warlords who sought to live by the laws of chivalry and duty. If anything, the Ventrue have adopted to fill the roles of leadership over the ages, and in the modern nights are more politician than noble warrior, more CEO than baron lord. They remain the largest supporters of the Camarilla and the Masquerade, believing both institutions to be the surest means of protecting vampires from the growing mortal masses, and of guarding their own power. (Clan Disciplines: Dominate, Fortitude, Presence)

The Two Sabbat Clans:

The leaders of the Sabbat, Clan Lasombra are Darwinists, predatory, elegant, inhuman and deadly. Masters of the supernatural, unworldly Abyss, their consummate power over shadows and darkness evoke by turns fear, horror and awe in those outside the Clan. Firm believers in the worthy ruling and the unworthy serving, the Lasombra have maintained their traditions even as they have turned the Sabbat to their own purposes. (Clan Disciplines: Obtenebration, Dominate, Potence)

If you described a Tzimisce as inhuman and sadistic, it would probably commend you for your perspicacity on the inhumanity, and then demonstrate that your mortal definition of sadism was laughably inadequate. The Tzimisce have left the human condition behind gladly, and now focus on transcending the limitations of the vampiric state. At a casual glance or a brief conversation a Tzimisce appears to be one of the more pleasant vampires. Polite, intelligent and inquisitive they seem a stark contrast to the howling Sabbat mobs or even the apparently more humane Brujah or Nosferatu. However on closer inspection it becomes clear that this is simply a mask hiding something alien and monstrous. (Clan Disciplines: Vicissitude, Animalism, Auspex)

The Five Independent Clans:

The Assamites are based in their hidden fortress Alamut in the Middle East. They are traditionally seen by Western Kindred as dangerous assassins and diablerists, but in truth they are guardians, warriors and scholars who seek to distance themselves from the Jyhad. Throughout their history, they have remained self-sufficient and independent. (Clan Disciplines: there are 3 “sects” within the Clan each with a different combination of disciplines: Warrior: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus | Vizier: Auspex, Celerity, Quietus | Sorcerer: Assamite Sorcery, Obfuscate, Quietus)

The Followers of Set (or Setites) are a clan of vampires who believe their founder was the Egyptian god Set. Orthodox Setite belief dictates that Set will one day return to rule or consume the world, and devout Setites prepare the way for his resurrection. To this end, the clan remains independent of the Sects of other Kindred, and practice with great skill the arts of corruption, deceit and ancient sorcery. (Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis)

Clan Gangrel are nomads who hold closer ties to the wild places than most of their city-bound cousins. They are also closer to the animal aspect of the Beast, and are masters of the Protean Discipline. They were one of the seven founding clans of the Camarilla, but became disillusioned with the sect in the Final Nights, its elders eventually deciding to sever its ties and become an independent clan. (Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Protean)

The usurpers of clan Cappadocian and the youngest clan of Caine, the Giovanni are both a clan and a family. They Embrace exclusively within their family (one of many things kept within the family), and are heavily focused on two goals: money and (necromantic) power. (Clan Disciplines: Potence, Dominate, Necromancy)

Nobody in the west understood Clan Ravnos, and now in the Final Nights, it's too late to do so. Misunderstood as a clan of gypsies and tricksters, the western Ravnos are a minor and heretical branch of the undead lords of India. Gifted with the power to manipulate maya, the Ravnos saw themselves as tempters and avengers, replacing the fallen Kuei Jin in the scheme of the universe. All that is irrelevant now, however, as Zapathasura rose from his slumber in the Week of Nightmares and in his own death throes, wiped out nearly all of his clan. (Clan Disciplines: Animalism, Fortitude, Chimerstry)

The Garou

The Garou are the Werewolves of White Wolf's World of Darkness. Garou is a term used by the werewolves of Werewolf: The Apocalypse to identify their race and culture. The term is used nearly interchangeably with Garou Nation. The word Garou comes from the Old French garoul, meaning “werewolf”, which in turn likely comes from the Frankish wer-wulf, meaning “man-wolf”.

The Garou Nation refers to the 13 Tribes of Garou. The Garou Nation has no true head and has no central governing body. Individual elders can attempt to influence the Nation, but cannot actually command it.

A Tribe is the “family” of a Garou, determining a werewolf's social ties, totem, and spiritual connections. The Tribe is in many ways similar to the Clans of the Vampires. A Garou is not bound to join the tribe of their ancestry; a cub, for example, may not meet the standards expected of a tribe and is therefore unacceptable as a member. The personal philosophies of an individual Garou may also drive them to seek another tribe that meshes better with their views. Some tribes, such as the Black Furies and Children of Gaia, specialize in taking in cubs who were rejected by their ancestral tribes.

The 13 Garou Tribes:

The Black Furies are the matriarchs of the Garou and only accept women as members. They are known for their honour, wisdom, pride, and fierce skills in battle.

The Bone Gnawers are the scavengers and survivors of the Garou and are seen by the other tribes as little more than mongrels who sift through the waste of mankind. The Bone Gnawers see themselves as underdogs, waiting to triumph against overconfident foes.

The Children of Gaia are the peacekeepers of the Garou. The Children work for understanding between the tribes and hope to eventually form all tribes into a unified front against the Wyrm.

The Fianna are strongly based on Celtic and European traditions. They are known amongst the Garou for their passions for the pleasure of life, their skills and ferocity in battle, and as keepers of the music, stories, and lore of the Garou.

The Get of Fenris are fierce warriors with little room for mercy and compassion. The Fenrir view themselves as great heroes, but have been known to shock other Garou with their violent ways.

The Glass Walkers are steeped in technology, human religion and the ebb and flow of the city. They live and die by a creed of progress. While they fear the Apocalypse as any werewolf, they believe that each passing day makes them stronger, that every new invention may be appropriated for their cause, and that every new philosophy might strengthen their resolve. In this way, Glass Walkers are the quintessential Urrah and don't have the strong aversion to human populations that most Garou do.

The Red Talons are the only tribe among the Garou that is exclusively lupine in nature, shunning humanity completely as a blight on the Earth.

The Shadow Lords are the politicians and manipulators of the Garou. The Shadow Lords work through their strict hierarchies and secretive ways to wrest as much power as they can.

The Silent Striders are nomadic, introspective, and highly spiritual. The Silent Striders have plumbed the depths of the Umbra, perhaps more deeply than any other tribe of Garou.

The Silver Fangs are the leading tribe of Garou. For centuries, the Silver Fangs have assumed the mantle of leadership, but in more recent years they have fallen prey to madness and other defects mostly due to inbreeding.

The Uktena are composed of the broadest base of cultures and considered one of the more primitive groups of Garou, but are also masters of the dark and forbidden knowledge. The Uktena were part of the original tribes, or Pure Ones, who were the first to settle North America.

The Wendigo consider themselves to be the purest of the Garou. The Wendigo are comprised of wolves and indigenous peoples of the Arctic and Subarctic of North America. Unlike their Brother Tribe the Uktena they have not actively begun to include other cultures outside of their traditional Kinfolk into the tribe. The Wendigo seek to destroy the influence of Wyrm while preserving their old traditions.

This information has been provided as a means of acquainting (or reacquainting) yourself with the elements of White Wolf®'s roleplaying game, Vampire: The Masquerade®, within their World of Darkness®, upon which Beauty's Castle Crypt Rooms are based. The information on the Garou Nation® of White Wolf's Werewolf: The Apocalypse® is included as part of White Wolf's World of Darkness®.

We encourage you to delve into the World of Darkness via the links provided on this page and explore this deep, rich and fascinating World created by the founders of White Wolf®.

Beauty's Castle Crypt Rooms Information

This page provides information about Vampire: The Masquerade in accordance with White Wolf Publishing, Inc.©

The Traditions ©White Wolf Publishing, Inc.