chapter two

Invictus Etiquette

Titles and terms of address are not the only ways in which Invictus vampires make their opinions and aspirations known in public society. Although to outsiders the subtleties of etiquette within the covenant seem complex and layered, in truth, there are a few simple rules of communication that hold true. The basis of all public statements of the Invictus is context, and that is what renders the intentions of the Invictus opaque to all outside the covenant but crystal clear to all within.

WALKING THE LINE

Following the rules of Invictus etiquette is a sure way to avoid ruffling feathers and can impress vampires in high places. Then again, not everybody wants to avoid notoriety, and too much approval from above can lead to suspicion of toadying.

A clever vampire may make calculated forays into impolitic behavior just to make sure he’s noticed. It’s a dangerous game but can be charming if well played. It’s all a matter of gauging the local scene and figuring out how far you can go without losing control of the situation. Many a roguish youngster can step into the spotlight through inadvisable conduct — but only those who carry themselves with aplomb when all eyes are turned their way will survive.

There is a saying among the Daeva of the Invictus: “A lovable rascal is just a reject with good timing.”

Precedence: This is a simple rule. No superior must ever be made to wait for an inferior. If a party is thrown, the most prestigious attendee should be the last to arrive. Thus, it is expected that everyone responds to an invitation to verify their attendance — so that the host knows not to let the event officially begin until the most superior guest arrives.

If everyone adheres carefully to this rule, then superior Kindred will always speak before inferiors, will always be the first served in matters of gift-giving and other procedures and will always be called upon to perform, demonstrate or act before inferiors.

Breaking this order of precedence implies a direct challenge of authority, and is an acceptable lead-in to a duel of monomacy (even if it were unintentional — but not if it were directly caused by the superior).

Gifting: Among Invictus Kindred, the giving of gifts is a remarkable statement. Any gift given, whether in public or private, may imply affection, support or deference. What is most important is that the gift demonstrates significance, effectively saying that the giftgiver believes the recipient is worthy of notice. The giving of any gift allows the recipient some small power,

because she is free to refuse it. Refusal of a gift is, of course, an insult proportional to the sacrifice the gift represents. A refusal can lead to a duel, if the parties involved are hot-headed enough, or to a long-lasting animosity, if they are not.

Many Invictus vampires give small gifts of jewelry to one another as a bonding exercise, simply to acknowledge ties of blood or friendship (and to make sure that anybody who sees the exchange understands that the participants are on good terms with one another).

It is customary, upon settling a dispute in a manner that is to the satisfaction of both parties, to exchange a paltry gift as an indicator that all is well. Some Kindred insist that the signing of contracts is always followed by a trade of pens, while one South American Prince is known to require monomacy duelists to exchange gloves upon resolving their challenge.

Display: To accept a gift is one thing. To wear or display it is something entirely different and provides yet another subtle avenue of statement to the members of the covenant. Wearing an accepted gift in public implies a return of affection or support for the one who gave the gift: it essentially means that the recipient wishes to be associated with the giver. Not such a big deal in some cases, but when you’re talking about a vampire who’s making a bid for praxis (or one who is somehow scandalous), wearing a gift in public can provoke quite a reaction from those who notice.

Beyond gifts, the rule of display applies also to the self. Where one chooses to make appearances and how one positions oneself are equally important. Standing at the shoulder of another vampire indicates associative support again, while taking his arm is a declaration of affection. Facing another vampire without bowing the head indicates a formal indifference, while bowing the head is a display of subjugation.

Simply attending an event indicates support for the host. Thus, it is expected that all Invictus Kindred attend every official covenant event (unless they want to bring their loyalty into question). Even making an appearance within the bounds of another vampire’s domain can be considered a declaration of association, assuming the visit is peaceful.

Displaying a weapon carries no special significance among the Invictus. However, touching the hilt of the weapon, even lightly, indicates a wish to do battle with the vampire one is facing. Invictus Kindred who are presented with such a demonstration must either rise to the challenge or respond with a submissive gesture.

Finally, displays of wealth are considered virtuous among Invictus Kindred. Ostentation can help solidify the covenant’s power base in a city, indicating a lack of fear and dangling an alluring way of unlife to the

outsiders in the domain. This flaunting of material goods extends beyond human bounds, though — members of the Invictus are expected to be flush with Vitae at any public event (demonstrating the covenant’s ample resources in more ways than one); blood is often provided in ample supply at Invictus hostings.

Respect: While it cannot be expected that members of the covenant will be able to avoid dispute with one another at all times, it is never acceptable to be openly rude or crass in reference to a compatriot in any venue. Invictus Kindred are beholden to one another in bonds of respect — choosing to be a member of the covenant means accepting a responsibility to uphold its tenets and serving as a part of a greater whole. Every vampire who makes that choice deserves the esteem of both her peers and her betters.

In truth, to outsiders, the respect Invictus vampires pay to one another is one of the covenant’s most appealing features. A neonate thrust alone into the cruel world of the Requiem can find surprising solace in simple politeness.

Because of this rule, disparaging or insulting statements or demonstrations always need to be veiled from observers. Within the Invictus, it is best if one can completely humiliate one’s enemies without ever failing to show common courtesy.

Invictus Philosophy

Most members of the Invictus would say their covenant doesn’t have a philosophy. Not for them the theories and dogmas of other covenants. The First Estate does not serve some higher ideal. The covenant merely recognizes certain eternal truths about power and the world, truths that should be obvious to anyone who pays attention. The Invictus accepts the world as it is, always has been and ever shall be.

Admittedly, Invictus members often disagree on how to apply these eternal verities. In fact, some of the “eternal verities” contradict each other. Such differences seldom cause much conflict in the covenant. If two Kindred hold different beliefs and follow different practices, but both get what they want, they both must be right. A sire might encourage his childe to study both their careers. Philosophers may fret that when two people disagree, they can’t both be right, but the Invictus don’t care about ideal, abstract truth. The Invictus care about results. The First Estate claims its practices have worked for centuries. Millennia, even. And the practices shall continue to work forever — for Kindred, kine and everyone else. The powers of the First Estate’s members, and the power of the covenant as a whole, are all the proof anyone should need that the Invictus has the true path. And if the covenant isn’t powerful in a particular city — well, members say it will be, by and by.

unlife in the invictus

The Essentials

The core convictions of the First Estate are easily summarized. By themselves, they require little explanation. The complications come in applying them.

The Purpose Of Power Is Power

Other covenants see power as a means to an end. The Invictus sees power as an end in itself. This, they believe, makes them Unconquered; for while other Kindred may squander their power chasing some idealistic goal, the First Estate remains focused on acquiring more influence for itself. Find another vampire’s goals, and help her to achieve them — in exchange for whatever power she can give you. She becomes less able to achieve future goals — unless she asks your help and places herself even further in your power.

The Elite Lead, The Masses Follow

Power is not for everyone. Most people lack the temperament to wield power effectively. Indeed, most people don’t have time to assume leadership. They are too busy with their own lives (or unlives) to study an issue, ponder the options and make a good decision. So why ask them to? They are better off letting professional leaders handle the Big Picture.

Sometimes, people say they want a share of power and responsibility in running society. More often than not, the Invictus says, they really mean they want assurance that their leaders will look after their interests. Pat them on the head, say you share their views and send them off to bed. Thus has it ever been, from Egyptian god-kings to corporate CEOs.

This goes for Kindred as well as kine. The Invictus accepts the responsibility to take charge and govern other Kindred. The covenant tells its members to become part of a ruling elite. A small part, perhaps: not every vampire can become Prince, own a vast corporation or become a power broker for mortal politicians. Simply by joining the First Estate, however, members place themselves above the ignorant mortal masses — and even above other vampires. The Invictus knows who’s really in control. If Invictus members have enough cunning and determination, they can become the ones in charge themselves — masters of their fate and everyone else’s, too.

Rank Has Its Privileges

This Invictus does not believe people are the same. Therefore, they should not be treated the same, and they should not act the same. Kindred are not kine. Masters are not servants. The rich are not the poor. People should not pretend these differences don’t exist or don’t matter, any more than the lion should pretend he is a lamb. The power elite follows different rules than the commoners, because the power elite are different creatures — and because they can.

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But they do follow rules. The Invictus asserts privileges over other Kindred, and Invictus leaders claim privileges over other Invictus — but never a license to do whatever they want. Rank has its duties as well, and the First Estate takes its duties seriously.

Order Above All

Some believe God ordered the world. Others believe in impersonal forces of nature. Either way, the world has an order, a right and proper way of doing things. Acting in consonance with that order brings success; any deviation from that order increases the risk of failure, chaos and destruction.

The chief duty of the Invictus is to keep everything and everyone in their proper places, fulfilling their own natural or divinely ordained role. The laborer must toil, the soldier must fight, the priest must preach, the certified public accountant must tot up figures, the kine must supply their blood to the Kindred and the Kindred must take it without letting the mortals know. And the Kindred must continue their Danse Macabre forever, never changing the steps — with the Invictus calling the tune. As is its proper place.

Tradition

The facts of power never change, because people don’t change. The hopes, fears, follies and ambitions of the kine stay the same for centuries and millennia. That’s what Invictus elders say their experience teaches. If you don’t believe them, literary members of the covenant can show you sniggering sex comedies from ancient Rome that sound just like Hollywood’s latest offerings or laments from Egyptian scribes who complain the world’s going to hell because children don’t respect their parents anymore.

Since people don’t change — and the Kindred even less so — why should anything else? The First Estate’s elders have seen too many fads come and go; too many fate-of-the-world crises become historical footnotes, too many revelations and revolutions sputter and fail. Stick to the old and established customs, they say. Traditions became traditional because they must have worked for a long time. Odds are, they still work better than some newfangled reform.

Even in small things, therefore, the Invictus values tradition for its own sake. Any innovation will probably move the world further from its proper order, not closer. Rejecting tradition is vain at best — who are you, to think you know better than everyone who came before you? — and, at worst, could end the Danse Macabre in a holocaust of anarchy.

The Patronage System

The single most important concept in Invictus philosophy, however, is patronage. The practice of

patronage underlies many of the covenant’s practices. Many mortal societies have elements of patronage; so do the other covenants. The First Estate, however, consciously structures itself around the relationship of master to supplicant.

A patronage system works simply. A patron — someone with wealth and power — distributes largesse to people poorer and weaker than himself. In return, the recipients — the clients — do something to help the patron maintain and increase his wealth and power. This lets the patron distribute more largesse, and receive still more favors from his clients.

As the Invictus claims, patronage is everywhere and it’s old as the hills. In New Guinea, a “big man” invites the rest of his tribe to a feast; the respect and popularity he gains helps him acquire more livestock, so he can hold more feasts. In the Mafia, they say, “I do a favor for you, and someday you do a favor for me.” Congressmen steer government spending to their districts, and receive votes in return. Middle Eastern despots from Sargon of Akkad to Saddam Hussein granted government posts and palaces to their cronies. The feudal system that guides the First Estate’s elders was based on patronage: the king gave out grants of land and authority over the inhabitants, in return for his vassals’ pledges of loyalty and military service. Given such ancient and widespread usage, it’s no wonder the Invictus regards patronage as a law of nature.

Largesse

Rich and powerful Kindred have several forms of largesse they can offer to clients, which include the following:

•Money matters a lot more for the kine than the Kindred, but vampires are not completely disinterested in it. An Invictus who seeks influence among poorer Kindred can buy them stuff such as a car, a small building usable as a haven or braces for a mortal granddaughter. At higher social strata, Invictus deal in financial favors such as corporate stock (the gift that keep on giving), inside information or — for politically connected patrons — tax breaks and government contracts for a client’s business.

•Hunting Territory is one of the most important commodities in Kindred society. Like medieval kings, Kindred Princes and Regents can distribute land to their followers, in the form of exclusive hunting rights to certain locations. Hunting territory might range from a particular neighborhood down to a specific nightclub. Best of all, a client can subdivide this privilege to offer largesse to other Kindred in turn: an Invictus might let another vampire prey on the mortals in a particular homeless shelter, say, or stalk her nightclub on Tuesday nights.

•Herds form a more specialized version of hunting privileges. Kindred who build a particularly large and easily exploited herd might offer other vampires access to their blood supply in exchange for favors. For instance, an Invictus who controls a blood bank might hand out pints of O-negative to his allies, while the Master of a blood cult can present visiting diners as subordinate gods or demons. A single easy feeding, however, isn’t much of a favor. To gain real support from a client, a patron would need to offer steady access to his herd, such as one pint of off-the- books blood every week or a visit to the temple once a month.

•Titles and Offices are one of the strongest bases for patronage, and one of the most enduring. An Invictus who holds some high office in the city’s power structure can arrange a lower office for a favored hanger-on. For instance, a Priscus might appoint a favorite as one of her designated Whips; or a Regent could appoint a client as the Master of his domain’s Elysium. Princes, of course, have the greatest power to grant titles and offices. Just as importantly, they have the greatest power to remove titles, if an officeholder becomes ungrateful.

•Boons are an all-purpose form of largesse. If a vampire can’t think of anything else to offer, he can fall back on the Mafia formula of a favor for a favor. For instance, a Primogen might want a wealthy clanmate to speak out in favor of a certain policy at the next meeting of the Prince’s court. In return, he promises to do — something, later, using the power of his office. Boons are so undefined, however, that they don’t make a very good basis for a long-term relationship of patron and client. More often, they are ad hoc arrangements between Kindred.

•Subcontracting: Some Invictus accumulate ties to other Kindred and kine with useful skills and resources. A member can offer access to these contacts and minions as a form of largesse. If she can’t supply a particular favor herself, maybe she knows someone who can — and who owes her a favor, too. An Invictus might loan out a ghoul Retainer with special skills, ask her Contacts for information on another’s behalf, request Allies to assist a client and so on. These minions may well be other clients of the Invictus, repaying past largesse by helping their patron ensnare another minion.

Favors in Return

Clients themselves can offer many different favors in exchange for their patron’s largesse. Most simply, a vampire can let the Kindred community know he considers himself a client. Even if neither vampire holds any special office in Kindred society, the patron gains influence. Other Kindred know that if they persuade

the patron to back their schemes, they win the support of her clients as well.

• Votes: Especially in cities with a strong Carthian presence, some Kindred domains have at least the appearance of democracy. In these cities, the Invictus works to build political machines straight out of Tammany Hall. Every Kindred knows the Invictus will pay for her vote, with whatever favors it can arrange. In less democratic cities, votes in the Primogen Council can still be influenced by bribes, favors and the implicit or explicit threat of retaliation from a powerful vampire’s supporters. Even the most autocratic Princes must still contend with power blocs: a Prince may rule an influential patron with a lighter hand, just because he knows the patron could cause a lot of trouble if she mobilized all her clients against him.

TOKENS OF FEALTY

Some Invictus like their clients to show some visible sign of their subservience. At one extreme, tokens of fealty may be formal, elaborate and blatant; for instance, all the squires of a particular Knight may sport identical face tattoos, an overcoat with the Knight’s achievement of arms on the back, a pistol on one hip and a bowie knife on the other. Less obtrusive tokens of allegiance include rings with a particular design, a pin, a particular brand of wristwatch or a special handshake to use with other clients. Sometimes, as in the latter case, a fealty token is just to help fellow clients recognize each other, and may be hidden from other Kindred. More often, though, the point of a fealty token is to let other Kindred know about the relationship, to advertise the patron’s influence. Most Invictus prefer unobtrusive tokens of fealty, for reasons of taste and to make sure the mortals don’t notice. (Those face tattoos, heraldic overcoats and weapons do tend to make people ask questions.)

•Assistance: Clients may actively help with their patrons’ projects. For instance, an Invictus who wants to gentrify a crime-riddled neighborhood might mobilize all her clients to stalk the muggers, drug dealers and gangbangers until the survivors figure out they should leave. A patron building a new haven might receive labor from clients skilled at construction and security — and, just as importantly, oaths of silence about what they have built. Invictus might also recruit clients to help members rig elections or arrange favorable business deals.

•Informants: Some Invictus seem to know everything another covenant seeks to hide. These members

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