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The Traditions and you.

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The Traditions and you. Empty The Traditions and you.

Post  soldierforhire Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:00 pm

I was originally thinking about posting this information IC but I gave it some thought and for two reasons I chose to post it OOC.
reasons:
1) I am only the keeper and it would be the job of the prince or his Sheriff to speak to this IC.
2) By making this OOC I can speak to the entries in the books.

I warn you now this may end up being very long but I promise to make this as useful as I can to both new and old players. I intend to speak about the traditions as written, as I have seen them interpreted in my 15+ years playing this game and I will also be speaking to why I feel each of them are important.

The First Tradition: The Masquerade
Book write up: Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature to those not of the blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of blood.

This is the simplest, most important and most often broken tradition. it is the most important because with all the strengths of vampires they are completely vulnerable during the day. this tradition came in to being due to the inquisition. in the VTM setting the inquisition was the church's soldiers braking down the doors of the homes of vampires and dragging them in to the sun to die. (not the "fight against heretics" it was in reality). there was a masquerade before the inquisition but it was much more lax and ended up in death.

the traditional punishment for breach of the masquerade is final death. as breaching it could endanger all kindred in a city.

I have seen punishment for this to be everything from boons owed to the prince and people who fix the breach, all the way to final death. Final death is the most effective.

The Second Tradition: The Domain
Book write up: Thy domain is thy concern. All others owe you thee respect while in it. None may Challenge thy word in thy domain.

so in plain English your domain is your concern. (what this means is if you hold domain eg the prince it is your duty to uphold the laws in it) all others owe you there respect while in it. (you must be respectful to the one who holds the domain) None may challenge your word in your domain. like Edward the black prince in A Knights Tale says when he knights William "He may appear to be of humble origins. But my personal historians have discovered that he descends from an ancient royal line. This is my word. And as such is beyond contestation." now this is obviously a lie but he holds domain over the area and you are not allowed to challenge his word.

this tradition is equally important to the prince of a domain as it is to the residents of it, it is what gives the prince his power to rule, and it also governs the way the kindred in the city must act. the prince's word is law and you may not challenge it. you must show him respect. (you don't have to respect him you just have to not be disrespectful to him) on a dark note that it also allows a prince to punish people simply because they do not respect him. (eg admit to plotting to over-through him)

traditionally punishment for this is final death as disrespecting domain shows you care not for the traditions as a whole.

I have seen this punished in many ways however it is usually the princes who are the easiest on this are the ones who hold the shortest reign.

The Third Tradition: Progeny
Book write up: Thou shalt sire another one with the permission of the of thine elder. if though creates another without thine elder's leave, both thou and thy progeny shall be slain.

in plain english you are required to get permission from your elder to make a new vampire. failure to do so will result in your death and the death of the progeny.

it is worded as elder because this law was passed down from Cain to his childer and grand childer in the City of Enoch. in the modern nights the law requires you seek permission of the prince to embrace a new kindred. the rational of this is to keep the masquerade as over population can result in breaches of the masquerade due to over feeding.

traditional punishment is final death to you and your ill begotten progeny

The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting
Book write up: Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things, Their sins are thine to endure.

in plain english. if you make a vampire you must raise it and teach it the laws, until the prince deems that to have been done, any tradition they brake will result in you being punished.

there is seldom a need to punish kindred for breaking this rule, but if you refuse to accept the punishment for your childers crime you may find yourself meeting the final death.

The Fifth tradition: Hospitality
Book write up: Honor one another's domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance thou art nothing.


in plain english you must present yourself to the prince of a city, if you do not have his permission to live in his city you are not welcome.

this is simply because as ruler of a domain a prince is required to keep his domain in line.

Traditionally punishment is final death at the hands of the Scourge.


The Sixth Tradition: Destruction
Book write up: Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the blood hunt.

Again this dates back to the city of Enoch. where teach clan was ruled by it's progenitor.
in the modern nights the prince is the only one who can call the blood hunt, or order the death of a kindred.

rational is kindred are monsters and killers, without this law kindred would kill one another more readily than humans would. killing also endangers the masquerade.

Traditional punishment is final death.


As you may have noticed I say the traditional punishment for all of the traditions is final death, this is for two reasons.

1) Kindred justice is harsh. because braking any of the laws can endanger everyone in a city.

2) Pg 221 of LOTN covers Camarilla justice, the first line is " Justice with the city is typically handled by the prince. Most Kindred justice is harsh and abrupt, as infractions of the Traditions almost always carry a sentence of either final death or exile, though some princes may insits that an offender be blood bound to himself and/or the primogen council instead.


I hope you all find this helpful.

Joshua Coons

all text in bold is taken from LOTN either page 17 or 221.

soldierforhire

Posts : 9
Join date : 2013-02-09

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