The Camarilla came about in an attempt
to hold vampire society together against the power of the Inquisition in the
15th century. Under its iron guidance, the Tradition of the Masquerade grew
from a cautious suggestion to the guiding principle of Kindred unlife. Even
today, the Camarilla concerns iteself with the enforcement of the Masquerade,
maintaining harmony between Kindred and kine, and battling the Sabbat, which
it views as its direct opponent.
The Camarilla touts itself as the society of the Kindred, and it is partially
correct. It is the largest sect of undead on the planet. Almost any vampire,
regardless of lineage, may claim membership in the Camarilla. In truth, the
Camarilla asserts that all vampires are already under its aegis, regardless
of the wishes of the vampires in question.
Over the years, the sect has attempted to extend its influence over other areas
of vampire life, and each time has had its hands roundly slapped for its insolence.
Princes brook no interference in the affairs of their cities, while the ancient
Methuselahs scoff at the temerity of the younglings who think they can play
at Jyhad. In the end, the Camarilla's influence begins and with protecting the
Masquerade and ensuring Kindred-kine coexistence.
The Camarilla claims to allow membership to any interested vampires, regardless
of bloodline, but the vast majority represent the seven founding clans. It was
their members who founded the sect, and only these clans regularly make up the
Camarilla's governing Inner Circle. Other vampires of different bloodlines may
attend conclaves and meetings, but their voices frequently go unheard.
After the Anarch Revolt, the Camarilla placed itself squarely against the Sabbat,
seeing itself as the only means to hold the war packs at bay. The Camarilla
alone upheld the Masquerade and protected its own, while the Sabbat would as
soon throw away the Traditions and everything sacred to sustain its paranoid
dreams of Gehenna. Dissent is a luxury that cannot be afforded during times
of war, and the Camarilla believes quite firmly that those who are not with
the sect must be against it.
However, for the frightened elders who make up the higher echelons, the Camarilla
has quite a few enemies. In these modern nights, the Camarilla is hardly the
monolith that its proponents advertise it to be. Elders cling to their positions,
refusing to relinquish them to those who have reached the age of consideration.
Younger vampires feel left out of an organization they are expected to uphold,
but which offers little to no reward for their efforts save the threat of punishment
if they fail. Ancillae are trapped in the middle, unable to turn to either the
younger or older vampires; taking up with the neonates means relegation to the
lower strata of power, while attempting to fall in with the elders risks the
appearance of overstepping boundaries and being crushed for insolence.
Many elders in the Camarilla's upper echelons find themselves in the position
of relics. A good many are unwilling or unable pick up the new technology that
the young ones have mastered - cellular phones, laptop computers, Kevlar, phosphorus
grenaded, sun lamps, Dragonsbreath rounds - and in the modern world, barely
able to use a telephone or radio leaves these elders at a distinct disadvantage.
Should they relinquish their positions and find themselves outside the halls
of power, they become targets as their personal might lessens without the Camarilla
behind it. A few gangs of ancillae with diablerie on their minds and the latest
technology in their hands, and an elder might well find himself becoming obsolete
in more ways than one. Therefore, in preemptive strikes of paranoia run rampant,
the elders kill the best and brightest who could some night pose a threat. The
result is an organization that is cannibalizing itself, and one night it might
regret the mistake.