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Developer Diary #16: Camarilla Court

The team at The Chinese Room has been hard at work on Bloodlines 2, and we’re excited to show you the cast of our Camarilla Kindred this week.

Seattle has been dominated by the Camarilla for a century. It is an organisation of Vampires that has fingers in many aspects of mortal society to keep power. The Camarilla Court is under the leadership of a Prince who dictates the laws maintaining the Masquerade. Under the Prince, there are several official positions, such as Primogen who represent major clans and a Sheriff to enforce Camarilla law. Each has a place in the nightly affairs of Seattle.

Exploring the city will introduce you to these Kindred, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to and learn about them in their preferred surroundings. Phyre’s relationship with each can develop as you spend more time with them. Depending on how you play the games of vampire politics with them, they may grow to adore or abhor you.

In this diary, we’re sharing some profiles of the Kindred in Seattle’s Camarilla, provided by Writer Cherish Goldstraw and Narrative Director Ian Thomas, as if someone were describing them to you in-universe. This is the structure of the Camarilla, as you’ll learn about it at the start of the story.

In previous Diaries, you might have met some characters who are also part of the Camarilla and hold titles in it. Fletcher the Master of Elysium, Niko the Banu Haqim Primogen, Simeon “Silky” Ladock the Brujah Primogen and Mrs Thorn the Tremere Magister can be found living in Seattle too. You can find them in their respective Dev Diaries.

J J Campbell
Ventrue, Prince
Quote
"I know. I see the smile that does not reach your eyes. I see the brow that furrows, the dawn of panic. I see the tension in your shoulders, the hands that clench. Oh yes. I know. Why should my next word not end you?"
Description
Campbell is power personified. As the last century grew, he consolidated the Kindred’s hold on the streets; as the city rose, so did Weaver Tower and the Court, with tendrils into politics, business, society, and the underworld. Once Lou’s protege, it is now Campbell – urbane, perceptive, commanding – who leads Seattle into the future as Prince of the city.

Campbell.png




Lou Graham
Ventrue, Ex-Prince
Quote
“Oh, this is ridiculous – something must be done. I know it is quite the fashion to hear a wide range of opinions, but blood under the nails is such a nuisance.”
Description
In life, Lou Graham pulled all the strings of the elite in Seattle; she had the ears of politicians, criminals, blue bloods and commoners alike. In unlife she has spent more than a century deepening that hold. She looms over Seattle as a storm cloud, a constant factor in the choices of even the most powerful Kindred despite her absence from day-to-day politics. To badmouth Lou Graham is to badmouth the city, and this city has a habit of burying its foes down deep.


Lou.png




Ryong Choi
Ventrue, Seneschal
Quote
“I’m not sure you grasp the situation. You will act in this as my agent, and in return you will gain both the benefits and responsibilities of that. It is not negotiable. You could, of course, refuse. But the sun is rising.”
Description
Ryong is of a new breed, a dealmaker, modern, efficient, and pragmatic. With a city under threat and with the Masquerade in tatters, Ryong is the calm centre of the chaos, negotiating, out-maneuvering, and doing everything that must be done to maintain stability. She is not afraid to cut away dead flesh if it will help save the whole.

Ryong.png




Michael “Tolly” Tolliver
Nosferatu, Herald
Quote
“Hey, it’s the festive season; I’m just out for a stroll. I figure I bring joy to the world. And this little chat is courtesy of my selfless desire to entertain the elderly, so listen up, Nomad!”
Description
Most Nosferatu will hide themselves away from the world, but Tolly knows how little attention today’s mortals really pay to anything. The gregarious and gleeful intelligencer will be found where he’s least expected, always spinning webs for the Court, nudging this, gathering compromising information on that. Tolly knows where the bodies are buried, and has probably dug them up, critiqued their dress sense, and had a long and very pointed conversation with them about their stupid indiscretions.

Tolly.png




Benny Muldoon
Brujah, Sheriff
Quote
“You have one night - ONE NIGHT - to sort your business and get the fuck outta Seattle. After that, it's open season.”
Description
Benny is the attack-dog of the Court, the enforcer, the bruiser, the bone-breaker. You want him leashed up and snarling at your enemies, not biting at your heels, so get on his good side. He despises those who he sees as lesser bloodlines, and prides himself on his ability to sniff out those who are working against Seattle’s best interests. If you’re lucky, you’ll find him standing at the Prince’s side. If you’re less lucky, you’ll encounter him elsewhere.

Benny.png




Safia Ulusoy
Tremere, Researcher
Quote
“That’s... fascinating. Uh. You wouldn’t mind if I take a closer look? Fourteenth century, I’m almost sure... and look at these markings! Hermetic in nature, obviously! Could you just let me... oops! Sorry. I’ll clean that up.”
Description
Safia is the eager enthusiast, her attention caught by theories, facts, and the fascination of learning from both the old and the new. If the Court has questions, she is the one to find answers; her skill with thaumaturgy and her dogged research techniques have proven her worth to Seattle, no matter the current standing of her clan. Recently, she’s been investigating the city’s growing thin-blood population, a particular concern to the Court. However, her focus does tend to distract her from the more mundane world. You’ll probably find her in her lab or lost in a pile of books at the Wake the Dead coffee-bar.

Safia.png




Ysabella Moore
Toreador, Primogen
Quote
“The delicate brutality to pursue one special idea... all art is violence without the right canvas.”
Description
Ysabella, queen of the nightlife, stalks her way through Seattle’s society as trend-setter, bon vivant, nightclub diva, and performance artist extraordinaire. Her legendary events at the Atrium nightclub thrill and shock – the mortals flock to be part of her world. There are some in the Court who believe she treads perilously close to the edge of the Masquerade. Ysabella wields her art like a weapon – to her, self-expression is much more important than any stricture.

Ysabella.png




Willem Axel
Nosferatu, Secret Keeper
Quote
“You don't understand, Nomad... if I took away their little black book, all their secrets... what would they have left?”
Description
Willem is the Prince’s archivist, keeping a century of secrets safe from the prying eyes of mortals and kindred alike. He’s long ago hidden himself away from Seattle’s society, unwilling to show his face on the streets, but maintains his contacts amongst the Kindred and the Court and the underworld of the city. Willem is never one to put himself forward or voice his opinion and this might lead others to overlook him or take him for granted, but he has the trades, transgressions, and debts are at his fingertips and such knowledge can be used as a knife.

Willem.png



 
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Looks good!

Small request, but could you add some image or visual break between each person? I kept looking at the wrong image for the narrative introduction.


I would also like to point out that Seattle is pretty laid back on dress code due to the tech people. People wear jeans to our fanciest restaurants. I get that this is the Cammy folks but I hope to see more grunge in the other factions.
 
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The quality of these dev diaries has definitely improved since the break. I appreciate that more effort is being put into them now.

The characters look and sound fine based on their descriptions, I think. Obviously we're not gonna get the juiciest bits about them here, but they seem like a solid foundation for a cast. :)
 
This dev diary is much better than the rest, props!

I'd like to give my opinion on the designs, their clothes seem a little too samey. I get that it's the camarilla vibe, but half the characters are wearing black, it feels slightly repetitive. Campbell, Ryong and Benny are most egregious, they all wear black suits, at least Ysabella has a high fashion dress to break the mold.

Keep it up!
 
Looks good but I'll have to see them in the game before I can give final verdict on them.
 
Whoa! I was not expecting to get this much information!

No longer do I have to guess which of the teased characters is the Prince or what is whose title..
I was also expecting Lou to be a toreador, primogen perhaps... I was so off :D Thanks a lot for sharing this with us!
I like what Im seeing.
 
Wasn't Pyre to be the Camarilla sheriff? Or something has changed?

Obviously in this diary we are shown what the court is like at the START of the game. We know for sure its going to change...

OT: I like the design of these characters. You can tell who is a player and who is a pawn..
 
Benny is probably going to die during the prologue. Campbell too.

Could be. The original steam info said:
"A three-front siege on Seattle, a power vacuum in the vampire court and an awakened elder at odds with the voice in their head"

I wonder what this "three-front siege" is referring to. Power vacuum might mean final death of the prince, but who are the power players vying for the position?
 
Cammy vs anarchs vs sabbat is traditional unless they bring in the racist Chinese vampires.

Maybe some werewolf shenanigans since we have so many forests too
 
Cammy vs anarchs vs sabbat is traditional unless they bring in the racist Chinese vampires.

Maybe some werewolf shenanigans since we have so many forests too
They could also have taken a page out of HSL and created a Seattle only faction, I thought the idea of old money pioneers vs new money cam was an interesting dynamic but yes its most likely just the sabbat or inquisition.

Edit : Then again the third faction could be who ever put the mark on pyre.
 
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Could be. The original steam info said:
"A three-front siege on Seattle, a power vacuum in the vampire court and an awakened elder at odds with the voice in their head"

I wonder what this "three-front siege" is referring to. Power vacuum might mean final death of the prince, but who are the power players vying for the position?
I'm guessing it's Ryong vs. Tolly vs. Lou for control of the court. All three of them were featured prominently in last year's re-reveal trailer.
 
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Okay, these actually look great!
 
Cammy vs anarchs vs sabbat is traditional unless they bring in the racist Chinese vampires.

We know from so far released information that Seattle is very much a Camarilla city. Camarilla has had a chokehold on it since forever.
I dont remember if we have seen ANY anarch characters so far in the official reveals... I would imagine there are some, but they are probably not that consequential.

Even the most obvious one, Silky, is a brujah primogen instead of an anarch.
Silky.png



Sabbat has been reduced to a non-factor in official V5 publications as well. I cannot imagine why; "always chaotic evil" faction is like going back to the 80s for all the wrong reasons. I have not seen as much as a peep about the Sabbat. Second inquisition however is definitely going to be a factor, but not a political one.

So I think the "three-front siege" may indeed refer to Ryong, Lou and Tolliver just as Jia Xu said., And this "civil war" may be fully camarilla-only. Dead prince, power vacuum, and powerful kindred jockeying for the top seat.
 
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We know from so far released information that Seattle is very much a Camarilla city. Camarilla has had a chokehold on it since forever.
I dont remember if we have seen ANY anarch characters so far in the official reveals... I would imagine there are some, but they are probably not that consequential.

Even the most obvious one, Silky, is a brujah primogen instead of an anarch.
View attachment 1180540


Sabbat has been reduced to a non-factor in official V5 publications as well. I cannot imagine why; "always chaotic evil" faction is like going back to the 80s for all the wrong reasons. I have not seen as much as a peep about the Sabbat. Second inquisition however is definitely going to be a factor, but not a political one.

So I think the "three-front siege" may indeed refer to Ryong, Lou and Tolliver just as Jia Xu said., And this "civil war" may be fully camarilla-only. Dead prince, power vacuum, and powerful kindred jockeying for the top seat.
Anarch diary is coming up in two weeks so we might see some Anarch characters then.
 
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