On Hunger and it's Satisfaction (Princes of Darkness, !NSFW!)

[Kashked]

So... eh... this is NSFW, alright? Don't tell me I didn't warn you. This playthrough will contrain torture, porn, and torture-porn. This is not erotic vampire fanfiction. This is me trying to do the most fucked up-things I can think of in a game that features the murder of infants as a vanilla feature. I want to do a playthrough about corruption and control.

So, quick breakdown for the non-initiated. Princes of Darkness is CK3 in the setting World of Darkness. The "countries" we see on the map are not the actual countries. This is not an alternate reality, it's supposed to be our world. The mongols will burn Baghdad, Holy Roman Emperors will be crowned and deposed, but in the background of that, what we see, is the hidden domains of supernatural creatures. Vampires, or Kindred as they call themselves. Mummys, werewolves, fairies, trolls, demons, djinns... it's all there. In the background, fighting a hidden war. The Vampires call it the Jyhad, the unseen war, where everyone is a pawn of an unknown power greater than them, and even those who thing they are at the top of the pyramid are just pawns of even greater, unseen, powers.
We aren't building barracks in this mod, we are using influence and money to secure "barracks influence" in the normal, mortal armies. We aren't actually sieging that city, small groups of vampires and specialised warriors are fighting a secret war during the nights against an equally secretive defending force. Champions are key to warfare. A numerically superior force is easily beaten if there are two or three 1000-year old vampires thrown in the mix. You think knights were overpowered in vanilla? This mod takes it to a whole new level.

And the thing that seperates it the most from vanilla CK3 of course... no one ever dies of old age. Except the werewolves, granted, but they still live to 130 or so. Rivalries, strong hooks, claims, all that shit sticks around. Things get messy. A guy in Europe inheriting a title from his 4000 year old great-great-grandmother in India-kinda messy. I love this mod for that.

And of course, the blood... it opens paths to things some would consider... unnatural...

So why all the NSFW warnings? Well, I intend to play one very specific vampire. And I have loaded up all the fucked up mods I think I will need to play him. He's not a very nice guy... To be fair he isn't cruel. Or even wrathfull of vengeful. He is just really ambitious, a bit of a control-freak, and also really really horny. Vampires have religions, sorta, you see, and this guy follows one called The Path of Sin. Could have been worse. Could have been Path of Cruelty, or Path of Screams. But still... it's pretty bad.

Anyone familiar with the mod and setting have probably guessed who I'm talking about by now...

I'll probably continue this as long as the playthrough holds my interest. That's the thing, you never get a new character unless you fuck up, so it can go a bit stale, so I'm not commiting to a super-long campaign. Also I'm not commiting to a writing style. I was arguing with myself, should I do it like a typical narrative, or in-world sources, or as someone telling a story, and in the end I just decided to do all of them. Each chapter might vary totally from the previous in style and form.

As per the rules of the forum, the entire post will be contained within the spoiler.

Spoiler: NSFW... I'm not kidding!

1229, The Vatican

"Sister Vittoria... is it true? He is dead?" the tall lanky man asks.

"Yes brother. We have several reports. By all accounts the monster Constantius met his Final Death in the eartquake that rocked the Holy See. The local abominations are in severe disarray. We have managed to catch three lairs, they were unprepared, rudderless. The mayor players are reevaluating their political positions, but the lower rungs are running around as headless chickens, ripe for the slaughter." the woman in red responds.

"We must take full advantage of this situation. Set your entire Sisterhood to the task. Cleansing the Eternal City must be our top priority right now. We can set the beasts back a century or two if we act fast. I will report directly to the Holy father and the heads of the Inquisition, we need more support, or this chance will slip through our fingers. Anything else to report?"

"Just one thing... one of the beasts said something concerning. It was one of the mad ones, raving and ranting as we surrounded it, so I am unsure if it holds any validity..."

"Let me be the judge of that, Sister. I have learned that sometimes it is the mad beasts that speak the only truth coming from those Satanic mouths."

"As I said, we had him cornered, surrounded. He was raving nonsense the whole time, I could not make any kind of sense of it. But just before I stuck the stake in it's heart it seemed to reach perfectly clear lucidity, and said something... and I can not shake the evil feeling that came over me in that moment."

"What did the beast say, sister? It's exact words?"

"It said... it just said... "He's back..." and then it stretched it's arms out and closed it's eyes, as if it welcomed Final Death in that moment."

"Any idea who "He" could be?"

"No, Master Librarian. That is what concerns me..."

Exerpt from "On Hunger and it's Satisfaction"
Addendums made by Camilla, 1230, during his reemergance

The Dream that was Rome
1230

​

There once was the dream that was Rome. Mighty, dominant, sat astride upon it's seven hills.
There once was the dream that was Rome. Conqueror and Master, making all bow before it.
There once was the dream that was Rome.

My dream.
My conquest.
My might.
My dominance.
There once was the dream that was Rome, now but a distant memory. I look upon the city, MY CITY, and I see naught but a faded memory.

I walk it's streets, and hear a vulgar version of it's beautiful tongue, once spoken at all corners of the world, now but a faded memory.

I see it's mighty monuments and I weep, for they are dilapadated, just a faded memory.

I look for the mighty temples, but instead find only shrines to the shepherder god.

I awaken.

And doom awaken with me.

Woe upon those who have tarnished the dream that was Rome.

Woe upon the preachers of humility and modesty, preachers of the shepherd god.

Woe upon all.

I awaken.

On the Path to Sin
1230, the catacombs beneath Rome

​

"My Lord Camilla... A pleasure to see you again. Your city is in need of you." the man who have tracked me down says. He made sure to not appear to be sneaking, making sure I knew he was coming, so as to appear non-threatening.

"I have walked upon those streets. Speak not to me of MY city. This is a city of sheep, of godly men, a city ruled by mortals where the Lords of the Night step carefully. This is not MY city. My city is dead. A faded memory. I desire not this rotten carcass. And here you stand, speaking to me as if were you my equal. I know you, Cretheus. I know your politics. I know that we walk not the same Path. Are you now the pimp of Rome, that ragged old whore? Is it on your head the decline of all that was glorious?" I answer him, the rage at the decline of the Eternal city that I have seen these last night still burning bright in my heart.

"Hardly... My Prince. Many Princes must take that responsibility, but alas, they are all dead, and I am not among them. I only recently arrived to the city, in order to seek you out. A great cancer has grown in Rome this past millenia. You have seen them yourself, the preachers of the christian faith. Those priests that are responsible for the lapse in our mortal Herd into new and strange forms of worship, forgetting the Gods of their fathers for a new faith, a faith that is hostile to us and do not pay us reverence, as did the cults of old."

"Truly... a millenia? Have I been asleep for so long? Have a thousand winters passed above me?"

"That and more. By the reckoning of the mortals it is now the year 1230, and you have not been heard from since the year 64, during the reign of of Emperor Nero."

"And who, then, is now the Emperor of Rome?" I asked

Cretheus spat at that.

"The one who calls himself the Emperor of Rome is a german, elected by the grace of the Prince-Bishops of the north. They are the servants of the Pontifex Maximus, as the christians call their high priest. Others claim the title in the east, but the Empire as you knew it is gone, conquered by barbarians and converted to the faith of the one god. Without the Ventrue at the helm the ship that was Rome sank, it's Emperors replaced by priests and savage warlords from Germany.
That, my Prince, is why we need you back. To halt the tide of christianity. They are hounding us, HUNTING us, even. We need our Eternal Consul back, to restore that which was lost. There are still those who remember you. The last Prince died in the very earthquake that awoke you. The Gods yearn for your return!"

"You mistake me for a pious man, Cretheus... I am anathema to all gods, old and new. You are not as wise as you think you are if you think I care one bit for the gods. My Path is that laid out by Tanitbaal-Sahar, the Path of Sin. That is who I am. Will you stand in opposition of that in the name of your gods?"
At that his eyes bored into me, judging my intent.

"My Prince... You are the one who is mistaking me for a pious man. I care not for the gods. I care only for the perceptions of the mortal herd. In the name of their god they are united and organised in their opposition to us. That worries me. The metaphysics does not, only the practical reality." he answered me frankly.
And at that I judged that our goals aligned, for now atleast, and I let him lead me to a gathering of the senior Kindred who were still active in the vicinity of Rome.

There was Zaccheus, who is as old as the mountains of the Appenines, and as wily as a snake.

There was Maginardo, whom they called the Aedile, although he was not of the old Republic, barely past 200 years old.

There was Maria, the Gangrel, whom I named Praetor Pergrinus, and set to watch the lands and coast beyond the mountains.

There was the mad german Otto, who called himself emperor, who in life had conquered Rome from the christian priests before the Malkavians got him.

And then there was Thrax, the Brujah, who had made sport of antagonising former Princes of Rome, whom I named Praetor Urbanus and assigned keeping the peace.

The younger Kindred, who had claimed Ostia and the quarter now called the Vatican I ran out of their nest and added to my cadre. And then I set to organizing my return.

Exerpt from "On Hunger and it's Satisfaction"
Addendum, "Reflections on the nature of Sin", by Camilla, 1232

​

What is the nature of Sin? Why does we who walk the Via Peccati so desire to Sin? For is Sin not simply that which Kine call evil, which changes with the coming and goings of human fashion?
No.
The Kindred, or Kine, who does not walk our path sin, and then they regret it. We who walk the Path of Sin make great cermony of our sin, and we revel in it. It is a concious act. Virtue is a lie, for we are already dead, and we shall reach neither heaven nor hell. To keep virtue holy is meaningless to us who walk the night, and beyond that, it is dangerous.
For we are not as the Kine, whose souls may pass on, but we are doomed to walk this earth until we are destroyed, or driven mad by it.

Final Death, or allowing the Beast to take control. That is how we end.

There is but one alternative to those ends. And that is to continue walking this earth until the end of days. A dedicated Sinner intends this. For this we need two things. We need to secure our position, so that none may grant us Final Death. To assure such a position one must achive total Dominance over ones surrounding if able, or submit to one that is stronger than oneself and serve them in the hope that ones use outweighs the threat one might pose to ones Master.
Secondly, one must be able to calm ones Beast, that monster that lives in each Kindred, just waiting for a chance, a moment of weakness, to emerge and take over, subsuming what remains of our Damned Souls into it's eternal rage. To calm the Beast we must feed it that which it desires, for it is part of us, and we all have our sins. The greedy man will feed his beast wealth, the lustfull and gluttonous will feed it carnal pleasures, the cruel and wrathfull will feed it the suffering of others, the just and vengeful will feed it retribution, and the pridefull and arrogant will feed it self-aggrandizing. All Kindred do this on an instinctual level, for we feel the Beast rising when we go against our nature. But the Sinner does it with purpose and plan, being always careful to feed the Beast at every opportunity, not letting anything stand in the way of this very Highest Purpose. We grasp at opportunity to Sin, like the drowning man grasp for anything to keep him afloat, for we know that without our Sins we will drown in the maelstrom that is our Beast.

There is no enlightenment for us. There is no atonment. There is no forgivness. We are already damned by Caine's Curse. Our very existance is anathema to god, and the only reason He allows us to exist is to suffer. Our only goal can thusly be nothing short than to spite Him at every turn by the very nature of our continued existance.

For I intend to be there at the day of Judgement. I intend to be there, standing tall and defiant in the face of God himself, and I will spit on His face as my final act before the End of All Things.

For there is no enlightenment. There is no atonment. There is no forgivness. There is only an eternity of Damnation.

The Tale of the Praetor Urbanus
As told by Camilla to his childe Enzo during the Elysium of 1275
​

To tell the truth, my dear childe, I never reconquered Rome, for I never lost it. None dared to oppose my return. Rome came back to me as a desperate lover, longing for the caress of it's old Master, such caresses as it had known before, and desired again, for it had never been able to let go.

Rome is... a living thing... It was very, very sick when I returned, but as I nursed it back to health it returned more and more to it's former self. The City loves me, for I am the City, and the City is Me. Those who had habitated the city and it's surroundings accepted me without opposition, for there was none who could have opposed me in truth.
But there was still one who would try. Thrax she was called. A pridefull greek warrior-Brujah, in the best tradition of that clan, as fierce in debate as on the field of battle. She had been bothering the Ventrue and Toreador Princes who ruled in my abscense, if "rule" we may call it, for by all accounts she defied them with impunity along with her band of likeminded rebels operating from hidden sanctuaries outside the city where the fearful dared not thread alone, and armies could not pass.

Not three months had gone since our initial council, where I named her Praetor Urbanus against her wishes since she was the only one there who showed some spirit, and when I approached her lair I expect she forsaw either admonishment or battle, but I desired neither, for Brujah works on the same principle as dogs. When you desire to tame a flock of wild dogs all you need is the trust of the lead bitch. And Thrax was the lead bitch for all the Brujah in Italy. There weren't many of them, this land has never been home to many of that clan, but there were enough to cause trouble, so they had to be dealt with. So I went to tame the lead bitch of the pack.

With the powers of my Presence and Domination I led her to a secluded chamber, and then I fucked her without pause for three days and three nights. By the second night her powers of Potence were exhausted and she were a limp weight in my arms.
I called on her again, three months later, to the same result, and again 3 months after that.

Then I stopped visiting her. 3 months and 1 day later she came to visit me in my lair. I required her to wear my collar if she were to serve me. She refused at first. A few months later she came back and accepted it.

Over the next three years I worked on her, exploiting her ignorance of her Sin. Thrax's sin was diligence and bravery. I kept pushing her, to work harder, to fight harder. Molding her. She accepted the Path of Sin soon enough, as well as her role in my rule, not as an equal and councilor but as my tool. My plaything. Not just accepting, but relishing it.

[Meta-note. Keep an eye out for those collar necklaces. They indicate the first level of submission... when I dress them up in slutty clothes that indicates the second level. What I have installed is a fucking dueling system. No, really, a dueling system, but for fucking other characters. The winner earns Dominance xp, while the loser earns submissive xp. It's a whole system, very similar to the vanilla dueling system, taking stuff like health, prowess, traits and xp in the relevant skills, based on rolls. It's a whole thing... Anyway, it is the system I am using to represent "corruption" to the Path of Sin as a gameplay-mechanic. If you have level 3 dominant and you get someone to level 3 submissive there is an event that can happen that grants you the "My master" modifier for +100 opinion, usually making it possible to convert them to your Path, which is normally pretty hard in POD as multi-religious realms is the expected norm. You can also have another go at any time, assuming they are interested in you, and the more submissive xp you can get them to gain the more +opinion for "Obidience" you get. It's super-exploitable in POD, because unlike in vanilla you probably have 50% of rulers of the opposite gender unlike vanilla, but I am limiting myself to only using it when they come to me, not using it as a targeted tactic. Altso don't work for gay characters unfortunatly. I'm not going to just assume homophobia, the probable answer is that it would take 3 times as much work in development if it could also take FF and MM pairings into account. Anyway... that's the kind of mods you find when you think to yourself "Maybe I should do a thematic playthrough for the Path of Sin in POD?"... Don't go were I have been to find these mods... For the night is dark and full of terrors...]


She performed her duties as Sheriff admirably, and her other duties as well, for the rest of her short life.

She died the Final Death, in battle, in 1243, fighting death-cultist in Lucca. I do miss her sometimes. She was my first real conquest after my Awakening. Rome doesn't count. Rome was ALWAYS mine.

Now Thrax... Thrax I actually had to conquer before she would bend over for me.

The Rediscovery of Venus
Exerpt from: "Kindred Cults in the Italian Peninsula: An scholarly overview"
By Flaccia of Malta, Chief Librarian of Eternal Rome, 1317​

"In an age long past, an better age, an age of civilisation and culture, when Ventrue power in the Roman Empire were at it's height, a philosopher called Tanitbaal-Sahar were invited to Rome from Carthage, by the Prince of Rome and Eternal Consul, Titus Venturus Camille, better known simply as "Camilla". The Eternal Consul were interested in the philosophy Tanitbaal-Sahar were developing, which at that time went by the name "The Path of Desire".

Sanitbaal-Sahars idea was that if Kindred would allow themselves to give in to their instincts and desires they would have greater success in combating the beast than if they denied themselves, as many of the popular Paths of that day would have them do. Orthodox thinking was that by denying yourself your base instincts you would train mental resiliance, as an athlete would train his muscles to endure more, but Tanitbaal-Sahar claimed that it would be more effective to give in, and soothe the beast by indulging in your desire. Many within the Roman Kindred elite, amongst them the Prince, became enamoured with this ideal, and would dedicate themselves to this Path.

Another leading figure within this movement would be the Lasombra Aconia Messalina. While the mainstream Path of Desire would be all-encompassing, integrating all desires from the mundane to the exotic, Aconia would focus only on the carnal side of Desire. After the schism became obvious Aconia followers would leave Rome, following years of arguments between proponents of the two schools, the schismatics dubbing their interpretation of the Path the "Path of Pleasure".
A much smaller group to begin with, and with a much narrower appeal, the Voluptarious as they would come to be known, moved their lair to the city of Ancona, where they would reign over a secret underground temple dedicated to Venus.
Even after the fall of the Empire, the coming of Christianity, and the leader of the Cult, Aconia herself, falling into Torpor for several centuries a small group of cultists would keep the flame burning in the Aphrodisium.

What is less well known is that while this departure might paint a picture of enimity between the various factions of the Path of Desire, what we today call the Path of Sin, relations were friendly, even if heated debates that ended in bloodshed are recorded. None more friendly than between the Eternal Consul and Aconia, who are said to not only have been lovers, which hardly was unusual between members of pleasure-cults of course, but they were in fact bonded by eternal love.

In fact, the awakening of Camilla in 1230 was soon followed by Ancona's awakening in that same year. It is speculated that the psycic blast caused by such a powerful vampire waking up called to her soul, and she found her cult and temple still working and intact, and only 3 years later Camilla would find his way there."

"So, my Prince, what do you think? I'd though I'd ask, since, you know, you were there." the librarian intones in a dry voice.

"I'm frankly amazed, Flaccia... you took the millenia-spanning romance between two demi-gods and made it boring. Change it to this. "Camilla have fucked one million men and one million women, but he only loved two of them, and Acona was one of them.", alright?"

"My Lord... that would hardly be suitable for a scholarly overview and..."

"Use. Those. Fucking. Exact. Words."

"Yes, my Lord..."

"Also put in the bit where I fucked her childe. That bit was worthy of an epic too."

The Vatican campaign of 1240-1260
As told by Camilla, who thought it was all pretty awesome
​

Sin will always overpower virtue, for no creature can avoid it's base instinct and avoid being ensnared by those willing and able to provide it.

In the kingdom of the sheep, the man who controls the grass is King.
In the land of famine, the man with ample stores is King.
And in the kingdom of the chaste, the man who controls the whores is the undisputed King.

Having established control over the Kindred of Romagna, and reconnected with Ancona and my old friend Servius who had moved south, to Capua, I set about the mission to corrupt the clergy of this new church that they call Roman, an affront the Empire I BUILT. This organisation is vast, impenetrable to outsiders, and highly secretive. We reestablished our old Coterie, The First Sinners, and started plotting how we would bring down the church, corrupt it, and make it dependant on US. Unlike Cretheus I do not care what gods the Kine pray to when they huddle in their beds at night, as long as they are dependent on structures which I can control. The butcher cares little for the ideologies of the sheep. But he was right that a highly organised, secretive, world-spanning organisation is a threat to our kind, especially after I learned of the existance of organised leagues of these hunters who controlled entire cities from which few Kindred would come out alive.

The plan boiled down to this, we would need to have control of the clergy, through the use of their primary weakness. By forcing their clergy into celibacy this church have given me as easy way in. These men will be easily ensnared, and once ensnared they will talk. And even those with the self-discipline not to talk to their whores can still be blackmailed. The goal was to control an equal amount of whores in the city of Rome to the amount of clergymen. If every single one of them wanted their own personal woman or man, or whatever else they desired, I set out to be able to provide that. Taking over the Roman underworld was the easy part. An army of cutthroats, pimps, brigands and thieves. Many of the Kindred in the city already had their hooks into that market, and coming and taking over proved little challenge. But we also needed funds. Having no established sources of income we took to thieving. The Giovanni, who have appeared as a sub-clan of the Cappadocians from the old Necromancer cults of my own days proved the richest target in Italy. We ransacked their vaults, and also those of Ulfila, a Kindred who posed as an bishop of the church himself, but that fool actually was a true believer and was attempting not to stop the church, but to change it from within on some personal quest of his. I didn't make any friends in northern Italy during this period, but we amassed enough wealth to start the actual infiltration.

​

We were soon walking freely within the Vatican itself, aided by our agents, willing or not, with access, defiling not only it's holiest places with our mere prescence, but by performing whatever Sins we could think of within those holy places.
And we were very succesful. Tendrils of Sin reached far into the Vatican establishment, and corruption existed on every level.

Our greatest victory came with the corruption of Rectrix Vittoria Santini di Parma, a key agent of the Inquisition that sought to hunt our kind. Having stared too far into the abyss in her investigations she had become curious. Even withhunters have needs... She sampled men, women... other things... but finally she asked our agents to find her the deepest perversions they could conjure up. A quick-thinking Toreador came up with the "Pope of Perversions", to lure her into my grasp, playing on her twisted feelings towards her own Mother Church and her only Father-figure, the grand priest of the shepherder god. That would later evolve into the title I would come to be known under, "the "Pontifex Maximus of the Damned".

I delivered to her what she asked for. The deepest perversions. The harshest pleasures. The most exquisite mixes of pleasure and pain. For days I worked at her. By the time she returned to the world of the living she was my creature, soul and body. Every single Inquisition agent in Rome and the greater Italian area were systematically wiped out. And she kept paying me, from money stolen from the church itself, to keep coming back for more. With their coffers emptied, their forces demoralized, and their highest leadership compromised we moved in and made a direct strike on the headquarters of the Red Sisters in Pisa, taking the city from their grasp. Vittoria killed herself 3 years later, after fleeing to the Ocula Dei order in the Netherlands where they knew not of her betrayal. Not knowing two of the order members that came with here were ghouls under my command, captured in battle, turned and released, however, these men recieved positions of authorithy within that order, and it was destroyed by the local Kindred Princes within 2 years, weakened by internal distrust.
Her two fellow order members would return to Italy after the destruction of the order, and be raised up as my childer for their service. Both died fighting werewolves in Corsica in 1259, and with them the last memories of the Red Sisters and the Ocula Dei, both, died.

It was also during these journeys that I picked up my court fool and longest-serving ghoul. Giorgio, who we like to call the "Wife Thief" for obvious reasons. An entirely unremarkable boy, his interest in me was obvious as soon as I saw him, his lascivious thoughts were leaking all around him to my finely tuned Auspex senses, just coming out of my carriage to stretch my legs while passing through his village. I winked for him to follow me behind the barn. A quick fuck, and then a quick snack I thought, until he pulled off his pants and revealed the biggest dick I've seen in my 1700 years of unlife. And I've seen a few... I didn't end up eating him, instead I ended up ghouling him, teaching him how to stay hard through the use of the Potence ability, and told him that if I ever saw him soft I would rip it off from him. That was 70 years ago, and he have never failed me in the one task I expect of him. Truly my most faithful servant.

But that is beside the point. Giorgi really have no relevance to the story. I just bring him up because I find it funny.

It was also during these campaigns I would end up marrying Callisto. A breathtaking and fiery woman she would serve by my side as my friend, lover and confidant for many years. Originally a follower of the Path of Humanity I turned her to Sin quickly enough.

It was all building up to the grand finale, our Pilgrimage of Sin to the Vatican. Unfortunatly Servius would never make it, as he fell in battle just before, but in his honour we did all we could to desecrate the houses of God.

[Alright, so to fess up, in pure gameplay terms this didn't actually happen. Many of these characters are landed and couldn't join the pilgrimage. So I embelish the gameplay events a little for dramatic and narrative effect. I try to stay within the confines of what actually happens in-game as much as possible, with only minor alteration such as these.]


My childer, Beatrix and Theodora, who both were holy women during their living days, will be the coup-de-grace, the final corruption.


Beatrix is given to the Pope. She has never spoken of that night afterwards, but the papal office became a lot easier to work with afterwards.

[That's actually just my ghoul in a pope-hat... The pope unfurtunatly doesn't exist on-map in POD]

Theodora is given a permanent residence in the Vatican itself, tasked with managing the procurment of anything, and everything, these most holy men aren't supposed to have. And meanwhile making me a lot of money doing it. Our infiltration is complete.

[This actually did happen though. Theodora has been Baron of the Vatican for over 80 years in-game where I'm at now in the campaign.]

And with that, I reclaim by right, that old title I held in the days of Imperium, Eternal Consul, of an Eternal Rome.

My political goals in central Italy having been reached, I started looking outwards...

 

[Caesar August 0912]

Finally some Princes of Darkness AARs

 

[Kashked]

I'm going to start out here with a bit of meta-discussion on just how powerful Camilla is, personally, rather than just politically, for the benefit of any reader who haven't played POD themselves, or atleast have never reached the pinnacle of power you can reach in that mod.

First of, militarily, he have a martial of 32, which doesn't sound too God-like for a vanilla player, but you have to take into consideraton that stats across the board is severly nerfed in POD. A martial of 32 is 5 points above the second-best characters in the world. He recieves a siege event every single day during sieges, as he is strong enough to literarly punch down a castle wall with his fist. He has a prowess of 100. In a fair fight on plains he starts out with a battle advantage in the 50's, but he recieves bonuses in several types of terrain, and has huge bonuses in faith hostility. I've attacked over a river into a mountain with defensive buildings and still had an advantage of 70+.

Diplomatically he is equally powerful. He can befriend any character in the game with a 100% success chance. A base +60 opinion from personal diplomacy and level of fame with everyone in the game, with massive additional bonuses to anyone of his faith, somewhat lesser bonuses to those not of his fate, and a whooping +120 opinion with anyone who is sexually attracted to him... Oh... and he have the power to change people's sexuality, so even if you aren't attracted to men, he can make you. He have several rivals who are at 100 opinion of him. As the flavour text for the presence skill says, "To know me is to love me.". Given 10-12 months he can mesmerize any character in the game with 100% success chance, and he can then order them to just kill themselves. Now, that order requires a secondary check which powerful characters will have a decent chance to resist, but it is still in the high 40%'s for most characters. Speaking of mental commands he could just send a command down his entire line, which is about 50 vampires, to send him tithes, to murder his enemies, to just embarass themselves, or, the nuclear option, to kill themselves. Yeah, he can order his entire house to commit mass suicide on a whim. These commands, by the way, can not be resisted.

Anyone who is in his court, or his dungeon, he can perform experiments on. Make them beauitful, or ugly, give them horns, make them albino, a dwarf or a giant, give them the ears of a bat, amongst other things, as he has learned the power of Vicissitude. He also has some skill in blood magic, which is it's own can of worms. Now he hasn't mastered these arts, that takes centuries in-game as he doesn't start with them, but still.

Oh, yeah. He's also immortal. I mean, all vampires are, but he is doubly immortal, because if he somehow actually is killed he will melt into the earth and re-appear 4 days later. This would cause him to lose every perk he has, which probably would take 500 years in-game to get back to the state he is in now, but it is notable.

He can also wound every single knight of a target, change the appearance of himself or a target, create a homoculus, a mortal clone of himself, turn into a variety of animals, both real and mythical, or just turn into mist, or as a last resort, just dissapear. Not just turn invisible, actually dissapear from the earth for a period, ending any plots against him. He has the power of "Perfect World", which essentially let him mind-control the entire city of Rome, turning it into his image of a perfect society. And we know what his idea of a "perfect society" would be...

Oh, and he rides on an immortal ghoul wolf into battle, which is kinda cool.

I just want to stress this. If this was a book or a movie, Camilla wouldn't be the antagonist. He would be the power behind the antagonist that is only hinted at and fans would make speculative 2-hour video essays about on Youtube. If this was an RPG, Camilla wouldn't be the final boss of the first, or even the second game in the series. It would have to be something like the Throne of Bhaal-expansion for Baldurs Gate 2, where the protagonist would have to ascend to literal Godhood before they would face him.

Camilla is, for all intents and purposes, a literal God.
He is still a step below the third generation-vampires, but the only time a third generation-vampire have gone on a rampage in the lore it had to be covered up as a war between India and Pakistan and required the application of magically empowered nuclear weapons and almost entirely depopulated his path all the way from Calcutta to Dhaka. A third-generation vampire is a world-ending event, but Camilla, who was created as a 6th generation vampire but has increased his generation by consuming the souls of other vampires, could easily, alone, destroy an entire country of mortals during the middle ages if he wanted to. Of course, it isn't quite that easy. There are other supernaturals around in every country of the world that would oppose him, as well as mortal mages, but again, I just want to stress just on what power-level this character is.

Thematically though, in the Jyhad even the most powerful are most often pawns of unseen powers. The only one that I can think of that fits though is the Morningstar himself, Lucifer.
In WoD lore Lucifer never was trapped in hell like the other Demons, but wandered the earth, and from the middle ages forward had as his main purpose to destroy the belief in the supernatural in the mortal world, with the end-goal being to destroy the demons who fed from their worship. A vampire lord undermining the spiritual foundation of the entire western world be a suitable pawn for him. Lucifer isn't evil, not really, in WoD lore, but he believes that him setting the demons free in the world was his mistake, because he loves humanity above everything else. And his method for destroying them is killing the power of faith that empowers them. Camilla turning the catholic church into a mockery of itself could further that goal. This is just a thought in the back of my head though. Lucifer isn't a character on the map, but he is the only being I could see being subtle and powerful enough to puppet Camilla, and also have an interest in doing that. But then again, the actual players in the Jyhad are inscrutible, and there could be another power behind him whose motives and methods simply transcend human understanding. Perhaps Camilla simply is an instrument of God himself. Or perhaps he really is at the top of his own pyramid, and simply haven't yet sufficently pissed off any greater power enough that they would act against him. The actual truth of that is unknowable.

Some gameplay stats at the time of writing this. I've played 132 years. Camilla have sired 45 childer, of which less than half are still alive, the oldest being 160 years old, but that includes her time as a mortal, she was in her 30's and was sired shortly after game start, and the youngest being 37, having been turned just over a decade ago.
He has 138 kills, but most of those would be mortals as his faith doesn't require him not to kill those he feeds on. As he always fights as a commander rather than a knight he has much lower chance of getting into battlefield duels so he doesn't have many battlefield kills.
He has 16 lovers, one of which is his soulmate, 19 friends and 5 living rivals. He can call up an army of 27 000, down from almost 50 000 before the black death ravaged the world, and 30 champions. He has a natural dread of 100, and have fought in 27 wars. He holds the empire of Eternal rome, as well as 6 kingdoms and the duchy of Latium, and he is also the head of faith of the Road of Sin. He is the dynasty head of the Ventrue, and support for Sinner Rome in the Euphorate is currently at 3. Getting it to 12 and achiving the Ventrue decicion "King of Kings" I would consider a win-condition for this campaign, but that is still far off.

Now, for tonights feature presentation...

Spoiler: NSFW

Today I thought I'd highlight some of the more succesful, or not so succesful, AI rulers in my game. I decided to do it not from the perspective of my own realm, but rather from the perspective of a clan Tremere scholar. This is obviously not an exhaustive overview of the world, but I'll try to touch upon most parts of the world.

A report on the current state of the War of Princes
By Celestyn, Master Librarian of the House of Tremere, 1362

​

Given events and the great retraction in the power and glory of our house over the last century, I thought it prudent to compile a report on the current state of the powerful players in what I would name the great "War of the Princes", which have ravaged Europe over the last 250 years, ever since the fall of Constantinople and the ascencion of our own house, which have reshaped the power-structures of Kindred society in Europe and beyond.
Though boundaries of the various powers of the Jyhad are ever-shifting, over the last decades it have somewhat settled down, and although this report will not be able to contain all the players I hope that it's content will be made availible to all the members of our House, so that it might be instructive to the neonates of our Order and help them navigate the powers with which they must interact as they set out as agents of our cause.

To start off with our own house, we are severly diminished in power from the days of Etrius. His death at the hands of the Arpad lord Vencel in 1256 was the death of our power in the east, and although one of our own still manages the chantry in Cheoris she, just as myself, are now vassals to the Tzimisce Voivodate and serves at the whims of these beasts.
Our only sovereign center of power is now in Vienna, and it is imperative that this center is not brought low, or our entire Order and House will be in danger.

Recent military losses against the forces of Eternal Rome and the roman Ventrue have severly diminished the military potential of the House, and we are surrounded by enemies, and looking further back, the loss of our Magus Prince, Lotharios to the forces of the Inquisition in 1288 knocked any hope of reclaiming the east from the realm of realistic possibilities.

Though we have lost much, we must hold to our Path, for the Code is our only hope to continue existing as a unified house. And although there are thouse of the Clan that have strayed from the Code, amongst all the great clans we are still the most united in purpose, and while we may serve at the courts of other powers, our council is greatly sought out and we are valued. The feared purge that we believed would be the consequense of the Tzimisce and Ventrue takeover never appeared, and instead we have retained our domains, first under the Eastern Lords and now under the Voivodate. They do not love us, but they do need us, for the power of our Blood Magic have proved valuable to them.

The Tzimisce​

The Tzimissce are without a doubt the most immidiate and most present threat to the Pyramid at this time, as they have made no secrecy of their disdain of our clan, and also were instrumental in the downfall of our eastern holdings. Yet relations with them have softened in recent times, as noted above, and many of our agents are now nestled within their courts, with many magisters serving them Treme influence is as great as one could hope seeing as they have conquered us. Long-term, however, we will not be able to maintain this influence without considerable effort and central support.

And speaking of our greatest foes, the Tzimisce. Though they were initially beaten back in Hungary by the Ventrue in the early 1200's, as well as displaced by our own house in the Carpathians, and their lord, Vladimir, was unseated from the leadership of his house by Noriz, a much more ancient beast, the Bane of Wolves came back with the vengence that is his hallmark after the mysterious death of Noriz, reclaiming his throne and domains.

In 1257 he had reclaimed his throne, and by 1269 he had avenged his humiliating defeat by the Ventrue and subsumed all the domains of the Eastern Lords of the Ventrue under his power.

Vladimir is a man with few friends, and many enemies, but he stands unopposed in the Voivodate due to his immense personal power, as he controls a vast host of, by report, 800 Vozhd, immense fleshcrafted creatures. No other Tzimisce lord can claim to control even half that number. He also has under his command 500 slazchta, lesser beasts, but still a horror to behold and more than a match for our own Gargoyles.

Like many other great lords of the Tzimisce he spends most of his time in his bloodform, making him neraly invulnerable to treachery, which is his greatest threat. Were the great lord to fall great turmoil is to be expected within the Voivodate, as he is currently all that holds it togheter, the Tzimisce being divided between their traditional Kuldonic practitioners and the followers of the Road of Kings, and many of the lesser Kindred who hold power within their vast domain not being of their clan, but as it stands the Voivodate is powerful, and indeed, stable.


Outside the Voivodate however, he have a rival of almost equal power, the one known as the Vroi Godess, Shaagra, an beast of ancient times.

Shagraa is said to be over a millenium old, and a childe of Triglav the Three-Headed, a Metuselah of the Tzimisce. She had slept beneath Prague since the times of the Roman Empire and only awakened in the last two centuries. She took control over all of Bohemia by power of her mere presence upon awakening, and have been expanding her sphere of influence since, claiming all the lands of the Western slavic peoples as her domain. Amongst her vassals are the Zadruga line of the Premsyls, who have deep connections to the mortal nobility through familial ties, and even some lord of the fairies, whom she subdued in the wars against the autumn court, and who have sworn their service, and their magics, to her cause. Most concerning for Vladimir, however, is her alliance with her brother.

Velya is another childe of Triglav, and the most powerful vassal of the Voivodate. Deeply commited to the Koldunic sorcery of his clan, and also a master of Blood Magic, he is the most credible internal threat to Vladimir, having the support of traditionalist elements of the clan, who would see them return to the Path of Flesh that have defined them for millenia.
But he is ever distracted by the designs of Tabak, his vassal from which he usurped his Kingdom, and so far he has not been able to launch any play for power.

Less relevant to our interests in Europe, perhaps, but still of note are the mayor players of the Tzimisce in other parts of the world, as that clan is our primary antagonist I feel it deserves special mention to any agent traveling in faraway lands.

Kartarirya, and his childe Ratti-Ben, rule southern India with a vice-like grip. Although these things are hard to confirm, it is very possible that Kartarirya is the oldest still living vampire in the world, reportedly having been turned by the Eldest as it's very first childe, over 9000 years ago. A vast gulf of time and distance stands between him and what we would consider the main branch of the clan in eastern Europe, but his practice of Koldunic sorcery is second to none, save perhaps Yorak himself.

In the past 200 years he have driven the Ravnos, the Ventrue and the Kuei-Yin from southern India, assuming total control and replacing them with Tzimisce vampires, who now infest every town of that land in great numbers. Arguably, the power of the Tzimisce in that region is even greater and more total than even in the Voivodate.

In Africa, the clan is represented by perhaps it's most pleasant side, that of Demdemeh. A scholar, walking the Path of the Vizier, he is content in his domain, which he has kept intact in the face of external threats, guiding the african Kindred to a more humane path, while maintaining peace with the native fae of the land as well as the native Impundulu lineage of necromancers. Along with his daughter Sycorax he is however locked in a long-standing conflict with the Yoruba mages

It is said that when he encountered the eldest, in the far past, when he was a mortal magican, the Eldest turned him inside out and made him look inside his own head. When asked what he thought of the experience he claimed it was nothing special, as all wise men are able to see inside themselves, and impressed with that answer the Eldest turned him. As with many of the stories from those ancient days it is hard to know how literal this story is, but having been witness to Vivicissitude myself I am inclined to believe it.

The Ventrue​

Though the Tzimisce have ever been our greatest foe, a more dangerous foe, in the grand scheme of things, is the Ventrue, for the Clan of Kings have great power and influence, above all in Europe. Highly centralised and organised, they are, after us, probably the most unified clan in purpose, that purpose always being power. They are also the most numerous clan amongst what passes for the vampire 'nobility'. While the Tzimisce and Gangrel can outnumber them, no other clan holds so many positions of great power, and their Euphorate mirrors our own Pyramid, although it is far more fractious as it is an ancient institution with many factions.

First amongst the Ventrue is Camilla. An ancient creature, like many Ventrue he is a relic of the Roman Empire, he awoke from Torpor 130 years ago, and quickly reestablished his old seat in Rome.
He has since taken control of all of Italy, subdued most of Spain, and established his power over the coast Mediterranean, being the only Kindred lord to actually control a fleet of warships to rival any mortal Emperor, the lay claim to everything that was once his empire. For in the distant past he was the power behind the throne of the Roman Empire, responsible for the destruction of Carthage, an act that have won him the eternal enmity of the Brujah clan.

Camilla is most noted for his total mastery of Prescence and Dominate, and few can hold on to their very souls in his presence, as he bends, corrupts and makes each and every one in his presence a twisted reflection of his own beliefs in the Path of Sin, using his subjects weaknesses against them to reach an unparalleled level of control over his vast domains. His obsession with control goes even further, and he has aquired knowledge of the Tzimisce art of Vicissitude, very rare outside the Tzimisce, and has crafted his very own body into his image of perfection. Tales tell that whatever woman catches his fancy will be subjected to horrid experiments, with the goal of pushing her natural beauty into perfection. Not all subjects will survive the process of course. Unlike the Koldunic sorcerers, however, he does not view this practice through a spiritual lense, rather, it is done on a whim, to please his tastes. On a more practical side he has also learned how to empower his ghouls through Koldunic practices, and Camilla's Ghoul Legion is undefeated in battle, and have fought in not only Italy, but also Iberia and North Africa, and while his legion of ghouled soldiers might not cause the same fear as a true masters Vozdh servants, they are far superior to any mortal armies, and able of holding their own even against assaults by Kindred. With undying devotion and the power of Camilla's own blood coursing through their veins they will brake any mortal force, and route even many supernatural opponents.

He has sired an unequaled amount of childer since his re-emergence, many whom he has made Princes of important cities within his domain, making the house of Camilla the most influential single house in the vampiric world.

Above all else ha values control, and due to this he is of great threat to us. Unlike many of his kin he does not view blood magic as an abommination in itself, in fact he is on the path to becoming a master of the craft himself, having been taught the craft by a rogue member of our order, but he will not accept any authorithy within his domain but his own, and he only accept Tremere mages into his realm if they forswear the Pyramid.

Most notable amongst these traitors is Therimna, the childe of Goratrix who abbandoned our path and sought refuge in Rome to avoid our house's vengance. Having named her his Tremere Primogen, she is now the ruler of Tunis, creating there a second center of Tremere crafts, creating Gargoyles and siring childer of our bloodline that is dedicated to the Path of Sin.

The recent seizure by Camilla of Innsbruck from our House demonstrates his ill intentions, and I must urge the highest vigilance against his agents of Sins who permeate every Kindred realm with his insidious influence. Our Order have lost so many of it's founding members in the last century, that we can ill afford branches of our bloodline leaving the Pyramid at this time.

A fellow relic of the old empire of the Ventrue is Julia Antasia. Being equal in age to Camilla, and of a similar background, she wrested control from Hardestad in the Fiefs of the Black Cross a century ago, cementing the Roman Ventrue's domination over the upstart German Ventrue, and have cemented her place as it's ruler since then. Heading the faction within the Euphrate known as the Eternal Senate she is equally dedicated to restoring the power of Eternal Rome as Camilla, although her vision of it is that of a Cainite Republic, rather than the despotic rule of the Eternal Consul. Still, she is Camilla's creature. Though not his vassal, and opposing his vision of an Euphrate dominated by the Path of Sin it is well known that he is her master, and she wears her collar proving his dominion over her proudly.
Still, she is among the most mayor powers of the night in her own right, as well, and famously she crushed the werewolves of the Sun's Fire Sept, as well as the Fenrisian pack of Luxenburg, ending the Garou threat in central Europe. Supported by her grand-childe Giselher, it is expected that only the death of the old Relic will reestablish a truely independent Ventrue presence in central Europe, as Giselher is not, atleast not yet, slave beneath the will of Camilla.

The House of Hardestadt, though, is not gone and defeated by the Roman branch of the clan. Even further north, Agnethe, the Hardestadt house head since the death of Hardestadt himself, rules as queen of Denmark and Sweden, and she alone is keeping the savage Fimbul Winter Night Sept of the Garou nation from ravaging central Europe.
Having driven the Einherjar, as well as the Jormundgard, out of Sweden from her powerbase in Denmark the valiant queen has found herself pushed back from the northern part of the scandinavian peninsula, but she is now holding her own, with the help of her ally Olav who guards what has become established as the northern border of Cainite influence in Scandinavia. The holdouts of the Einherjar in Norway concern her little, her main battle will be with the Garou.

Lady Alice of the Baronies of Avalon is perhaps the most unlikely of the great Ventrue lords. Being fairly young by Kindred, and especially Ventrue, standards, at 150, she was elected to take the throne of Lord Mithras after he was slain by the demon Chelniel in 1297. Her rule being contested by werewolves tribes both in Wales and Scotland, she is also beset by the fae of the Court of Winter. In spite of all of this, or maybe because of it, the Lady Alice is highly beloved by her subjects. Having gone through so many wars in the past 200 years Avalon's elder generation is all but extinct, with a new generation of young vampires now ruling the land, the Cult of Mithras going strong despite the appearant death of it's god. The only truely ancient vampire left in the land is Cretheus, who wages unceasing war in the north to secure a powerbase strong enough to push his claim on his Sire's throne in London.

Lucius Trebius Rufus, yet another roman relic of the Ventrue, Protector of Jerusalem, is the only mayor Ventrue lord still dedicated to the cause of christianity, after Camilla's usurpation of the Italian Ventrues who had traditionally maintained the role of protecting both the Kindred from the church, as well as protecting the church from the Kindred.

He arrived with the crusaders, and was made Prince of Jerusalem in 1229, accepting to serve under the Samielite master of the Diet of Olives, Qawiyya, who had subdued the area before the crusades. But mere months after his arrival Qawiyya, the Lioness of Jerusalem, was slain by the werewolf Thibault l'Emilie, who also had arrived with the crusaders alongside his tribe, who had arrived to guard the Caern of Bright Promise in Acre. Suddenly thrust into the position of King, a role he was unprepared for, he took to the role, but he would later be subjugated by the Lasombra Ashira Caliphate. He now holds the strange position of being the prime protector of christian Cainites, while bowing to a muslim overlord. He is also the prime representative of the Ventrue clan in the middle east, an area where the clan always have been weak. Beset from all sides, still he endures.

Clan Toreador​

The Toreador hold little importance outside of what many would consider their "homeland", if vampires indeed can be said to have a homeland. Only one Toreador are of consequense for discussions here, for the clan of painters and poets is numerous, but seldom do they reach the true heights of political power.

But the Red Empress defies the typical image of the Toreador. A consumate political creature, she outmanuvered the Ventrue ruler of France, the metusaleh Alexander, and siezed power in 1224, and has held on to it since. Being a childe of the Patriarch Michael she has powerful blood coursing through her veins.
Her origins in the ancient past is hidden by her perfect french accent, for she far predates the French nation, that much is certain, as well as it's language, and rumours claim her origin lies in ancient Rome, but these reports are hard to verify as she spent centuries wandering, leaving few traces in the record during that time.

As with Lady Julia of the Black Cross she bears the collar which marks her as subservient to Camilla. Their relationship however started out in 1281, when the forces of the Court of Love were dispatched to Sardinia to imprison Helen of Troy, who had recently sworn fealty to Camilla at that point. In the greatest humiliation of Salianna's reign her forces, through outnumbering Camilla's 2 to 1, were defeated in Corsica and sent back to France with their tails between their legs in the first great military victory of the ascendant Rome, cementing Camilla's reign and causing Salianna to walk softly around Rome since that day, indulging the advances of Camilla upon her person as a sort of guarantee of peace. For she has a sword hanging over her head, her nemesis, Esclarmonde, bears alliegence to Camilla, and at his whim he could march into France and place a Sinner upon it's throne. At the moment her personal submission assures the political independence of her realm, but her position is precarious.

Clan Gangrel​

The Gangrel are of little consequense to our holdings in Austria, as that clan is spread out mainly in the vast wilderness of Asia, but recent events and victories does make me want to note down a few of the beasts. For make no mistake, the Gangrel are beasts. Not in the same way as the accursed Tzimisce, but in the manner of animals. The haunt the wilderness, and hold sway in all places where cities are rare.

North of the Voivodate lies the realm of the Ferals of Livonia. Their Warlord is Arnulf, but the true power behind this feral threat is Deverra, who is one of our own. A traitor to the Pyramid, Deverra was a talanted mage, but took not well to the ways of our clan, and asked leave to travel to the country of her birth to study their ways of magic, to further our own. But once there she cut contact and organized the local Gangrel into a force of war, and have ravaged the southern baltic coast since. Her first pawn, Qarakh, was killed, but she quickly found Arnulf to replace him.

The lands of Shaagra stand between us and the Ferals, but these hordes have a tendency to spread their sphere of influence, and we can not feel secure until the traitor Deverra is brouth to justice for her crimes.

A more obvious threat is the horde of Matasuntha, which recently have spread to the balkans and is encroaching towards our southern border as we speak. If Croatia falls under the horde, we will have the domains of Matasuntha on our southern flank, another relentless enemy to contend with. These savages can not be reasoned with, they wish only to tear down and destroy.

Looking even further east that land is ruled by the Anda Horde, another Gangrel realm, that has followed in the footsteps of it's mortal counterparts in the Mongol Empire. As the savage mortals sweep on, they are protected and helped in the night by these mongol gangrel.

But whispers have reached us of a force called the Quincunx Vanguard, a force led by Kuei-Jin from China, which is in the process of halting the influence of the Anda Gangrel. It is left to be seen what the final fate of the Yasa will be, but if tales are to be belived, they are in the process of total collapse.

[So, a meta-note here... This is sort of like a reverse mongol invasion as seen in vanilla. Dude just pops out with 100 000 guys in the middle of the steppe and starts "The Final war". If, or rather, "when", he wins he will take every single title in the entire Anda Horde Realm, they will be converted to his religion, Liberators of the Wheel, and subsume all de jure titles of the Anda Horde into the Quincunx Vanguard, creating a brand spanking new August Court Kuei-Jin empire in it's place.]

To the north, and east of the Voivodate is the realm known as the Shadow Curtain. Little is known, and even less certain about this realm, for few who do not pay their respects to the "Little Grandmother", Baba-Yaga, is allowed in those lands. Strange magics, demons, fae of the Winter Court, and of course, many clans of Nosferatu and Gangrel rule in those lands. It is a dark place, and our agents have no hold there.

Clan Lasombra
​

With the fall of the Sea of Shadows, as well as Lasombra Andalusia falling under the sway of Eternal Rome, the main spoke which Lasombra power turned around have been utterly broken. Most of the clan in Europe have either been scattered or serves Camilla, but the clan have many tendrils of power, and in the middle east it still stand tall, the muslim branch of it atleast.
The Old Clan, which followed the mystic teachings of the path of the Abyss, is for all practical intents and purposes destroyed with the fall of their hold in Syracuse, and the survivors have adopted other paths, or passed into obscurity. The dividing line goes now between the muslim branch, the christian branch, and the new Sinners who have been raised up by the might of Eternal Rome. The Sinners are mere pawns of Camilla, but in Medina the most powerful surviving member of the clan hold strong, as well as in northern Iberia, where the Shadow reqonquista continues to give haven to the christian branches of the clan.

The undead Caliph, much like his living counterpart, claims spiritual as well as wordly overlordship over all muslim Kindred, and although he can't claim to have achived that he has in some ways surpassed his mortal counterpart, in taking Constantinople, still in christian hands in the mortal world, as well as wiping out the infernalists of Syria, killing both Azaniel and Mary the Black, and driving out Tanith, ending the war with the Baali that have raged for centuries.
Though in many ways an admirable Cainite, by his decree Bloodmagic is considered a crime, so the influence of our clan in Ashira territories is made impossible.

Clan Cappadocian​

This would have been an unexpected entry, not that long ago, as the Cappadocians have never been a powerful clan, content with their studies, but the unexpected rise of Dionysius as one of the most succesful participants in the war of Princes warrants it inclusion.

In 1270 many cainites walking the Path of Humanity gathered in Athens, under the protection of Dionysius and formulated the Pact of Athens, a document formalising their path. After that Dionysius would go on an aggressive campaign across Greece, the western balkans and Bulgaria, freeing the lands from Garou and demon overlordship, as well as attaking the See of Nod, home of the Cainite Heresy sect. In the liberated lands he raised up many young vampires, not connected to the great clans, creating a equitable and peaceful realm unlike any other. At the time of writing his realm is being invaded by the gangrel horde of the Volga-Ural, but it have stood for over a century, and this might prove to be just a temprary setback.

The Followers of Set​

In recent years the Followers of Set have seen previously unseen levels of success in their heartland, while they have lost influence outside of it. Many Setite cults, both mortal and Cainite, have been hunted down and destroyed across the middle east and Europe, while the dominion of the main cult itself have brought low two of it's oldest and most ardent enemies.


Kementiri was run out of her nest by the Red Sea in 1257, and killed in 1320, fighting for Goyyam, whose duke she had married in return for sanctuary from the Setites. She, somewhat ironically, died fighting against Horus, on behalf of the Queen of Abyssinia.

Kemintiri fell in battle against the ancient werecat Iuty, the marshall of Horus' remaining forces.

Meanwhile Horus, eternal enemy of the Setites is down a single hidden stronghold, and once found he will not, for all his power, be able to resist the gathered assault of the Setite cult.

Meanwhile, in the Maghreb, the great Pharao Maatkare lost her Kingdom, and her life, to the Harbringers clan of the Garou.

But in the Egyptian heartland, Nakhthorheb, first childe of Set, still reigns supreme, having driven Horus out of Nubia, and routed the Brujah of Darfur and the Gangrels of Aksum he have extended the cults influence to it's highest point in millenia.

One last note, and warning, for all traveling members of the clan, is to avoid the lands around the Caspian sea, the northern part of Scandinavia and the Maghreb, for while the Garou of Europe is on the backfoot, with many of their septs having been recently taken down by the combined efforts of Cainite princes they are strong in these areas. In the north, the Get of Fenris, the most bloodthirsthy clan of the Garou are an existential threat and they hold vast lands. The Freestate of Karl the Blue was utterly destroyed and every Kindred in Finland was driven out, and from the north they have swept as far south as Nyköping in Sweden.
Similarly, the Harbringers and the Silent Striders of the Maghreb hold utter dominion of the night in those lands, and in the east the turcik Garou tribe of the Bachanates, at the shores of the Caspian sea, hold a vast dominion that not even the Gangrel hordes willingly challenge. Similarly, on the other side of the Caspian sea the Silver Fangs have conquered the old kindred realm of the Caucasus, and now no Kindred can live in those lands.

[Red is vampires, brown werewolves, green is fae, and Yellow and orange is different factions of the Kuei-Jin]

[Clan map-mode]

 

[Kashked]

Finally some Princes of Darkness AARs

I'm actually honestly surprised by how few there are. I searched the forum before starting just to see so there haven't already been a Camilla AAR, and there were barely any POD ones at all. It has a lot going for it, AAR-wise. A more stable cast of characters than a vanilla game to start of with. Great for drama that can last for centuries. Lots of very specialised characters with very particular powers and perspectives. Multi-religious to the extreme, giving room for a lot of "content" from those conflicts. And above all characters that can be very mobile.

Cretheus the Bitter-Ender for example, who started the playthrough in Italy, being the one who woke Camilla up, only to inherit a duchy in Hungary, sparking a conflict between Rome and the Eastern Lords that would end in one war and a high-profile murder (that part haven't been covered in the AAR yet... I'm not really doing stories in chronological order so it is likely to come up at some point), before ending up in Sthratclyde after the fall of the Eastern Lords, fighting evil fairies and plotting to take over England. And that is just one character. You can find plenty of stories like that if you look, even in AI courts.

I have actually changed my perspective on the mod. My initial perspective was that while a vanilla game, as in the vanilla setting, not neccesarily unmodded, became more interesting as time passed and more complex relationships were created, but that POD became less interesting as the canon characters were killed off and replaced.

But I have actually found that the game retains a lot of interest even with many characters now being randomly generated characters in some areas. And there are plenty of 100+ years old characters running around at this point who have been created by the game. There is that awkward phase at the start of the game where a lot of canon characters die in the initial wars and are replaced by 30-year olds that I dislike, but as the game matures there are enough dynacially created characters of considerable age that it returns to being interesting again.

 

[Killcrazy13]

Reading and enjoying your reviews of the mod more than the actual playthrough. I think the next DLC will be a gamechanger for PoD.

A couple of questions:
1) Are all the hunter organisations eliminated seeing as they dont show up in the govt map mode
2) Do you have an end goal in mind for Camilla?

 

[Kashked]

Reading and enjoying your reviews of the mod more than the actual playthrough. I think the next DLC will be a gamechanger for PoD.

A couple of questions:
1) Are all the hunter organisations eliminated seeing as they dont show up in the govt map mode
2) Do you have an end goal in mind for Camilla?

Assuming they do what I hope they will, and make all Traditions realms use the new Byzantine system, hell yeah. Imagine each house having a lair (family estate), with political schemes unseating princes rather than JUST wars. It will be much more accurate to the lore and theme. The POD devs have historically had early access as PDX are allowed to favour them since they own the IP, they couldn't do the same for GOT since that could be seen as profiting off someone elses IP, so I have hope that it will release alongside or atleast soon after the expansion drops too. That will make so many interesting starts viable too. There are many interesting characters I have wanted to play that just don't have a chance, but with the possibility of becoming an adventurer instead of a game-over they suddenly become viable. I also hope that they will unland some characters and make them adventurers from the start too, characters that are only landed to make them playable at the moment.

The biggest weakness of the mod have always been that it is beholden to the base-game system of inheritance. There is absolutely nothing saying that a Prince's childe should inherit his domain. For non-capital counties, yeah, those aren't really princedoms, they are just domains, I can see a childe taking over that, but for the duchies it shouldn't happen unless the heir itself is significantly powerful. And a 3000-year old vampire serving a 30-year old just shouldn't happen. Unseated elders really need 'somewhere to go to', so they don't just wander the map randomly and end up in bumfuck nowhere. Yeah, they have a decent chance to be landed again, but usually they end up with a backwater county and the AI isn't clever enough to leverage their personal power in that position, unfortunatly. I mean... In this game Ur-Shulgi has been landed by one of his childer, and he just sits there, doing nothing. I mean, I can headcanon that he is plotting the end of the world or something, but in gameplay terms it is unlikely he will ever do anything.
I'm really looking forward to see how they manage to integrate the new systems and make it more lore-accurate, and, of course, more interesting to play.

As for the questions, hunter organisations are effectivly dead, yeah. Knights of Acre hold one county in Anatolia last I looked. They were the last significant one. They were actually alive with about 7 counties when I took the screenshot, but they are hidden under the text that says "Traditions", ironically. They had about 5000 troops so they could hold their own, but I ended them myself. House Murnau survived for more than a 100 years, but they were finally finished off by house Tremere just before I took the screenshot. The rest were picked off pretty early.

As for end-goal... Like I said, I would consider getting 12 sinners into the Euphrate and taking the King of Kings decision as a win-condition for the campaign. Other than that I just want to see how the anarch revolt and rise of the Camarilla and Sabbat is implemented in the mod, as I've never played a game long enough to see that before. That is why I am leaving mainland Europe pretty untouched, with the headcanon explanation that since both Empress Salianna and Lady Antasia have "personally" submitted to Camilla he sees little reason to conquer their lands, he views them as subordinate to him anyway. Other than that I want to roughly recreate the Roman Empire. So fighting the Setites and the Ashirra Caliphate for Egypt, Syria and Anatolia and taking Constantinope is definatly on the table.
I also want a fully decked out court of Primogens, with an "Excellent" one for each clan, which I almost have. I just need an excellent Malkavian, Gangrel and Tremere, I have "Good" for those.

And I'm also looking for an "out" for Camilla, personally. I don't have trust the AI's ability to kill me, so I want a "reason" to enter Torpor and continue playing as the slightly less OP Livia di Ravenna, my chosen successor.
Tanitbaal-Sahar is dead. It got kind of dramatic, I actually don't know if it is an event that is specific to Camilla or if any vampire with a soulmate can get it... But if Ancona also dies there is a good chance I will use that as an excuse to have him enter Torpor. It is speculated that it was Tanitbaal-Sahar's dissapearance that made him enter Torpor the first time around so it fits. I'm at the point now that there is nothing that can really challange me left. Fighting one of the big empires would probably cost me a few high-value childer and/or vassals, but I could beat them with my hands ties behind my back, honestly. I have so many opinion modifiers that my nemesis has 100 opinion to me... There is basically no possibility left for internal opposition.
Other than that I recently aquired the Serpentis power, so getting to the end of that and getting the Godhead transformation and ascending to godhood might be an interesting end-goal. As I am the head of faith and don't know if I am actually able to reform the Via Peccati, but making it into an actual Ashen Cult with Camilla as it's literal living god could be an interesting end-goal. I could always give away the head-of-faith title to someone else in that case, but that is pretty far away still, it will take atleast a century or two to reach that.

Mostly I just want to see the new sects form and see how that turns out. I don't really see a scenario where I would join either, atleast not as long as I'm playing Camilla, so after that I might make it my mission to destroy them. In the end, Camilla's mission is to return things to how they were back in the days of the Roman Empire, after all.
Normally, in a POD-playthrough I would end it here and restart as another characer, but now that I have come so far I really want to see what else happens. I had never even made it to the "Scourge of the Steppes" event before, so that came as a total surprise for me, and now I'm curious to what other late-game events the devs have made.

So, in conclusion I want Ventrue domination of Europe and the middle east, Sinner domination of the Ventrue, and possibly either ascending to godhood OR entering Torpor and giving myself a bit of a challenge with a less OP character but with the same basic goals. Entering Torpor and then realising Livia di Ravenna falsely converted and ACTUALLY still believes in the Eternal Senate would be really cool to, and try to reverse everything I have achived as Camilla and ensure Eternal Senate domination instead could be really cool too, and actually challenging now that I think about it. Even if she is an honest believer in Sin as an AI character I could always headcanon it. I mean, I converted her through Domination and bloodbonding, after torturing and raping her several times as Camilla. I could play her either way, as truly broken, or secretly harboring resentment for how she was corrupted and turned and just waiting for her chance to return to her old self.

 

[Kashked]

Spoiler: NSFW

This is written from the perspective of Camilla himself, for a very simple reason. It records what I, the player, and by extension, he, knows about his court. There might be secrets held by some in the court that he is unaware of, secret faiths and relationships, diableries and murders he, and by extension, I, am unaware of, so they aren't recorded here. It will also reflect his own feelings about his underlings.
I don't intend to cover every vassal of course, only those who are interesting to the story in some way.

Imagine this simply as his own thoughts, as I wont bother to obfuscate anything he wouldn't want to be made public or keep any secrets. This is Camilla's unfiltered thoughts and opinions, and I don't really see how there would be any character he would trust enough to actually give this account to, so I can't really fit it into the in-world format I prefer.

The Court of Rome
As of 1391

Overview​

As of 1391 I have achived the destruction of the last serious threat to the Kindred from the catholic church with the conquest of Cyprus and the destruction of the Knights of Acre. I now stands unopposed by mortals in my domination of the Mediterranean sea. But new threats have emerged with the expansion of his power. Conflict with the Setites seem inevitable, if the holy sites of the Path of Sin in Egypt is to be put under my control, and with the Ashirra Caliph holding Constantinople the era of conflict can not be said to have stopped.

And in the Balkans the recently arrived Gangrel horde of the Volga-Ural, with Matasunta at it's head, who have sworn to burn Rome, and the recently established Kingdom of Hellas, sanctuary of the Via Humanitas, both stand in opposition to my rule.

To my north the Voivodate have recently expanded, finally achiving their goal of crushing the upstart house of Tremere in their holdings in Austria. Meanwhile, further north, Garou power is waxing, as the Fimbul Night Sept have recently crushed the power of the House of Hardestadt, and expanded further south, while the Baronies of Avalon have fallen, being run out of England and Scotland by the Garou of the Fianna branch in the south and the Valkyria in the North, while Alamut in east have fallen to the Silver Fangs. The entire Kindred world, which had believed it had vanquished the threat of the Garou, finds itself besieged by the beasts, while the High Clans find themselves under threat by the Gangrel, ever pushed westward by the rise of the Kuei-Jin in the far east, surviving mongol Yasa vampires bolster the ranks of the western ferals as they push the boundries of our realms.

Lasombra​

[Meta-note... Her, eh... "shape" is caused by my body-mod, CBO. By design she is supposed to be slim. But CBO changes the system, and aside from allowing for more "extreme" body shapes, makes gluttonus characters gain a lot of weight. It could be argued that this doesn't make sense for vampires. In lore they are fat if they were fat when they were alive, not from drinking blood. But I'll admit, I like this version better. Not so much Venus of Milo, more Venus of Willendorf, a more primal image of excess and fertility.]

Primogen of the Lasombra of Rome is Aconia. An ancient vampire of the Roman era she split off from the main branch of the Path of Sin and founded her own Path in Ancona.

Many would underestimate The Intense Venus as a beast only driven by base desires, without higher plots and designs than those, but this underestimation is her greatest weapon. She is the prime architect of the destruction of the power of the Giovanni, taking Venice by her own might and cunning, and there established her own economical and wordly powerbase, while still maintaining her Spiritual home in Ancona in her hidden Aphrodisium.
Having recently conquered Cyprus I granted that domain to her childe Enrico, and granted her dominion over him, and the holy site of her path on that island. She is worshipped as a goddess of excess, debauchery and unrelenting carnal sin by her followers, both Kindred and kine, in hidden pleasure cults all around the mediterranean, as the head and creator of Via Voluptarius.

Aside from her role of Primogen of the Lasombra, she also holds the religious title of Aphrodisiac Celebrant, responsible for holding the Aphrodisiac, a celebration of Sin, held annually, every spring. This title she has held for 150 years, for the decadence of her court is unrivaled in the domains of Eternal Rome. She is also the Court Augur, another title of great spiritual significance, responsible for reading the signs and judging auspicious days for functions of state and spirituality.

Aside from her religious and worldly responsibilities she is also the Scourge of Eternal Rome, responsible for hunting down any enemies of the state, and assuring the unhindered excetution of my power within my realm, a position which she has excelled in over the past two centuries.

Originally an independent Prince of Ancona, and Prince of Venice by conquest in 1236, she willingly submitted to Rome after the proclamation of the restoration of my Kingship of all of Romagna, in 1238. Since then she was named Queen of Venice in 1294, and Cyprus in 1391, and has fought it my many wars of conquest, a fierce and deadly warrior, ever underestimated by those blinded by appearances.
A master of Presence, Auspex, Domination, Fortitude, Obtenebration and Potence, she have accompanied me on my journies to unlock the further powers of the Blood, and is now also a capable Bloodmage, and have unlocked the powers of Vicissitude and Serpentis, further enhancing her already considerable powers.

Her military forces comprise mostly of mortal men, with a contignent of 600 of her own Ghouls, the Lustfull Legion, made up of her most ardent mortal followers.

Her childe Enrico, who once held dominions over Cuneo and conquered the Princedom of Piedemonte by his own power returned to his sire's court after being deposed in 1266, and has since been convinced to walk his Sire's path. Although not a commited sinner by nature I named him as the Prince of Cyprus and placed him under his Sire's rule, as a reward to my longest-serving vassal and friend, and the fire in my heart that anchors me to this world, for after the death of Tanitbaal-Sahar, she is the last remnant of this new world that I truly love. For so much is lost that can never be restored, but as long as I have by my side my Intense Venus, a shard of the great world that once was, I will walk this world with the intention of recreating that which was lost.

I laid house Montano, the old ruling house of the Lasombra clan, low. In 1302 I took from them northern Italy, and 50 years later, in the wake of the Black Death which had ravaged Italy I masked the invasion of southern Italy as a wave of refugees, but we sought out and took all their strongholds, forcing the Shadow himself to leave Sicily, or face the Final Death. Accompanied by his brother, Gratiano, who had been driven out of Verona by the zadruga of the Rosselini line, they fled and sought refuge in Greece. There he abandoned the Path of the Abyss, a Path he had walked for over 4 millenia, in despair, and adopted the Path of Humanity, before being given sanctuary in Anatolia by his clan-mate, the Ashirra Caliph.

It was with some sadness I vanquished Montano's power, for we were lovers and confidants, once, before political neccesity forced me to take from him his lands. He saw in this a great betrayal, of course, and vowed vengence on the entirety of house Camilla, a conflicts that spanned 5 decades of plots before I laid it to rest as he fled Sicily.

And although this great enimity between our houses could have been allowed to continue I decided to mend it following the collapse of the Sea of Shadows, by naming as Princes childer of that house to take the places of Montano and his vassals who had been driven out. These scions of Montano had themselves adopted the Path of Sin upon my ascendance, when I restored Eternal Rome, and I sent them messages that if they would return to Italy I would make of them Princes in my land. Two of them answered, and returned to Italy, to serve me.

For the ancient seat of the Lasombra clan, Syracuse, I choose Leandro Fuentes, a devoted sinner, who will guard the tomb of the God of the River of Shadows himself. Leandro is no great vampire, having mastered no disciplines, but he is a loyal creature, who I believe would hold his alliegence to Sin, and by extension, myself, over the alliegence to his Antedeluvian, should Lau-Som-Bheu ever again stir. I will confess, I dare not set a non-Lasombra as guardian of the tomb, should this offend the Antedeluvian who sleeps there. I may be a megalomaniacil demi-God, but I am no fool. The God of the River of Shadows, would he want to, could drag me into the Abyss, and there would be little I could do to stop him.

For Ancona I chose as Prince Liseta the Luminous, a disciple of Sin driven out of Hungary by the Arpads in 1337. After our first meeting I highly desired to keep her close to Rome, for obvious reason, and granted her Capua. Being one of the most competent schemers, as well as possesing a beauty to rival Helen of Troy herself, she is amongst my most favoured servants and a devoted Sinner.

In 1268 I sent my forces outside of Italy for the first time since my awakening. Ismael, a scion of the muslim al'Lama house of the Lasombra had heeded my call to join me in the Path of Sin, and he came to my court to implore me to invade the land of Andalusia and depose it's Queen, Badr, known as "The Sword of Al-Andalus", so that he might serve me and the Path of Sin.
Ismael would fall in battle a mere 12 years after taking his throne with my help, but his childe, Kinda, would take up rule in his stead, and have ably ruled the Kingdom, in my name, now for over a century.

Far from the center of power in Rome, she have not attained any high offices in my service, but I view her still as an able and true asset in Spain, and as a friend.
Her Scourge, and nemesis, is my own grandchilde, Berenguela, who is her assumed succesor, and it speaks to Kinda's cunning that Berenguela have not yet been able to kill her and take her throne, for she makes no secret of that desire.

But Badr, while defeated in Andalusia, would still make her comeback. She maintained her power in Valencia, as Queen of Al-Sarq, for another 40 years, until she was unseated by her vassals, Flavius and Mireia. Coming to my court, and soon into my bed, I returned with my armies to Spain in 1343, with Badr at my side, and forced Flavius Sidonis to yield to my power, and accept Badr back as queen of the land he had ruled for four decades.

The Queen, being a creature of unbendable faith, have never accepted my Path, and maintains her belief in God, but I forgive her the errors of her ways, for she is amongst my fiercest warriors, and ever since the death of my childe Olfgéir, serves as Sheriff for all of my domain. Having to attend my court in Rome for much of her time, she have been unable to maintain power in Valencia, and Flavius is by many said to still be the power behind the throne, serving as her diarch in Valencia while she is busy attending to my needs, both as my Sheriff as well as my lover.

[Editors note: I decided to play a bit between writing these... and of course Mirei Subira revolted in that time. She took the crown in less than 7 months, Badr never stood a chance, and Flavius is the duke of Valencia, so she is his vassal now, with Mirei being Queen of Valencia. I'll let the entry stand, though, as it was true at the time.]

Clan Toreador
​

The Toreador holds a special place in my heart. As one of the High Clans of the old days, I love and respect them, and they are well represented in my court, for I find great utility in their love and devotion of things of beauty, not least the beauty of the Kine they decide to bring into eternal life.

First amongst the Toreador of Rome is Helena of Troy, one of the most beautiful women to ever walk this earth. Upon my awakening I learned that she had established her lair in Sardinia, and ruled as Prince of Cagliari. But ever the Pale Wolf, Menele of Sparta, would stalk her, and they fought back and fourth on the island, with no one able to take the upper hand.

It was thus after I myself arrived in Corsica, in 1263, and there drove out the Garou who infested the island, that Helena would kneel before me. Her lover and ghoul, Prias, had been slain by Menele that same year, and his holdfast in Tortoli taken, and the Pale Wolf stood poised to drive her out of Sardinia for good, and only by accepting my protection could she hope to maintain her power over the island. I named Trajan, progenitor of the house of Trajan, one of the most ancient and powerful of the Nosferatu houses, as steward of Corsica and tasked him with rebuilding Kindred power there, and accepted Helenas fealty, naming her as my Queen of Sardinia, and went on campaign against the mighty Menele, to force him to submit.

Ever since that day, though hate between them still burns brightly, Menela has served as Helena's Sheriff, for he knows that if he were to act against her all the might of Rome would fall upon him. She is attended by her ancient childe, Eletria, who having been driven out of her own domain have accepted her Sire's choice to walk the Path of Sin alongside me.

Thusly, the political situation in Sardinia is ever tense, for so many ancient vampires living in such close proximity breeds intrigue and hostility, but as of yet Helena maintains her grip on power through guile and cunning.

Helena have also served as my Lord of Misrule now for over a century, having free reign to openly mock any vampire power in my realm, so that they not grow complacent in their own power and glory, as well as serving as one of my three most acclaimed champions, for while not a warrior by training, she is still one of the most ancient Kindred in the western world, and a master of both Fortitude and Celerity.

[Note that this is a patron character, so a custom non-canon one]

Another of my favoured Toreadors is Cecilia. And ancient vampire of unclear origins, she was once a proponent of her own interpretation of the Path of Sin [Editors note... I can't remember what it's called, and can't find it in the list of faiths, but it's a homebrew non-canon Path in either case, focusing on sex and desire as a means of control.] she returned to the fold after her return to Rome after an extended stay in the east.

A dangerous vampire to cross, she is now utterly bent to my will after I have defeated her in her own game. Her Path was always to make herself the object of desire, and to control those around her through that desire, but now she is bound in her own desire to me, in eternal servitude as my acclaimed champion.

In her realm she has elected to surround herself with the spawn of the Nosferatu, so that the only Kindred of beauty are her and her childer, who she chooses purely based on their beauty.

Sophonobia was the Prince of Tunis and Gabes, reigning in the ruins of her beloved Carthage. Being more than two millenia old she is amongst the older of the vampires in my realm.

After my conquest of those lands she left Africa, and wandered for a while, but returned on the death of my childe Hammu, who I had made prince of Gabes after the conquest. She retook her residence in Gabes, and accepted the Path of sin and my dominion, in return for being allowed to continue living in her ancient homeland.

[Note: These are non-canon homebrews, patron characters]

Ah, yes, of course, I almost forgot Pearl. Of course most people do. She is my wife and Imperatrix. Not that anyone cares what she thinks. She is a doormat. But she is very pretty, an exotic beauty, an ornament. I was told of this pair wandering France a couple of decades ago. A pair, Sire and Childe, with the Sire having set herself the quest of taking for her childe, a princess of some french court in life, a princedom, but failing miserably.

Using my powers of Dominate I summoned Rosalie and her childe to Rome, and took the childe for my bride, as my plaything. She doesn't enjoy the company of men of course, but I could never be bothered to Enthrall her and change that. What she does enjoy however is being dominated by those stronger than her and that I give her in great plentitude.
Rosalie left my court after a while, last I heard she was serving some king down south of the Sahara, but I am keeping my little Pearl around. Maybe I will tire of her one day, who knows?

The Nosferatu of Italy

​

I will admit it, I hold no great love for the Nosferatu. In my days they were seen as one of the low clans, and not granted great power. But they have nestled themselves into the powerstructures of the world since that day, and their use is undeniable.

The only one I can say I do not hold some disdain for, however, is my good friend Zaccheus. He is immensly old, that much is clear, and of unclear origins, himself claiming to be a childe of Baba Yaga, but from what lands he originated I am not sure even he himself knows, for he does claim to not even remember what language he spoke as a mortal man. He was, however, instrumental in the initial wars and plots that allowed me to expand my power past Rome itself in the early days after my awakening, and for that he forever holds my gratitude. Our friendship was forced in battle and war. He was later driven out of his lair in Lanciano after a breach of the Masquerade, and replaced by his brother, Ephraim, who alongside with the one they call "The Consiglieri", serves in the court of Spoleto.
Clothilde, meanwhile, is a vile creature who makes her lair just north of Rome itself, the grandchilde of my old Keeper, the Aedile, who managed my estates in the early days of my return.

I can't help but shiver when I think of these miserable creatures though. Our kind should inspire awe and terror in mortals, but not by being hideous monsters.

Clan Malkavian
​

The Malkavians are represented in my realm by three vampires of note. The Clan of Madmen have their uses, and a certain charm.

For 150 years now, my friend Marietta have been a constant source of joy for the court. Making her lair in Spoleto, she is the childe of Otto, who on my awakening presented himself as the "Holy Roman Emperor". I do regret that he fell in battle so early in my reign. He was funny. But Marietta is equally amusing. Serving as my Malkavian Primogen she is responsible for interpreting omens and make prophetic utterings, and she is often proven right. A master of Auspex, she is highly useful to have around, and served as my Court Augur for decades.

The Dionysian is another... interesting character. Although he rarely visits Rome he holds the largest domain in my realm. Of course that domain is the wastes of the Sahara, but that hardly seems to bother him.
Making his lair in the oasis town of Tadmekka, on the southern end of the great desert, he makes constant war against rival Princes who controls other oasis towns, and after having built quite the little empire of his own he approached me for protection, and I accepted him as my vassal. His brother, Necross, is equally inscrutible and what purposes the two have in creating their desert kingdom is unknown. And even if they were to tell me, they are both known liars, so what would the purpose be in asking?

Rorque of Navarra was the Prince of Navarra, a vassal under Badr until I decided to elevate him to King. Even as compared to other Malkavians he is an enigma. His motives and future actions remaining forever a mystery. He is however a good friend of both myself, and of Rome as a concept. Why? Who knows...

Clan Ventrue of Rome
​

My own clan, of course, is favoured above all others in Rome, and more than that, my own house now holds many important Princedoms within my domain. Breaking with tradition I have decided that the needs of Eternal Rome requires that I embrace more Kindred from the best servants in my court, and from great men and women I am able to get a hold of, to secure a firm grip of power. I think I can confidantly say that over the last 150 years I have embraced more childer than any other vampire in history. Of course, mortality is high. I am not creating a legion of mass embraced riff-raff. My childer are at the forefront of my armies at every battle, and few of them make it past a couple of decades. But those that do survive are hardened and able to take their place as lords of the Night, immortal conquerors and warriors, scholars and diplomats.

Livia da Ravenna, Chamberlain to Eternal Rome, my greatest asset, and my most ardent opponent... Ah yes, Livia.

The Prince of Ravenna, she joined Aconia in swearing fealty to my emerging power after I named myself the King of Romagna, and have served me as my Chamberlain since. Except those times she spent in my dungeons of course. And there have been a few times for her, for her idea of Eternal Rome have many times clashed with my own.

I could have disposed of in favour of someone more easily controlled. I could have, but I chose not to, for in Livia I saw the drive needed to realise my ambitions, and a worthy successor should the Eternal Slumber of Torpor ever call on me again. Someone I could trust to carry the torch should I need to withdraw from the world.

But the road to get her on the Path was not easy. I tortured her. I had my way with her, using all my art of Domination and Presence. I enthralled her and bloodbonded her, I cajoled her and brought her marvelous gifts and horrible threats, I bedded and broke her childers will to my own but it was all in vain. I could not break her.

Only when I learned of her darkest secret did she finally cave to my influence and joined me on the Path of Sin. For, as it turns out, a couple of centuries ago she had diablerized her Sire, and she refused to have the secret get out.

With that I have turned her to my side, and she is now and forever my most loyal and obedient servant. Having a firm grip over northern Italy, and many loyal mortal servants she is a force to be reckoned with.

The oldest of my childer is Beatrix. A woman of God in life, she was turned after I managed to lure her to Rome following the destruction of the monestry of Assisi. For many decades now she has served as my Court Mentor, instructing my adherents, but mortal and Kindred, in the tenets of the Path of Sin. Of course, her deepest secret is known to me... she doesn't believe in sin herself. But it amuses me to let her be my mouthpiece for a Path she secretly despises.

After the destruction of the Inquisitorial Red Order of Pisa I installed her in those halls, and she has since secretly ruled the city from the monestry, a return to her mortal roots in a way, for she is wise in the ways of the church and able to deftly manipulate men of faith.

Theodora served me as my second in command and Keeper, for over a century, from her seat in the Vatican she was instrumental in corrupting the innermost levels of the church. But after the fall of the Sea of Shadows in southern Italy I sent her to instead rule in Apulia, still serving as my Tribunes, and as a member of my Coteri of my closest associates she is amongst my most valued servants.

Her work in the Vatican made her immensly wealthy, and she has invested much of that wealth into creating the most powerful mortal armies in southern Italy.

Enzo, while still a very young vampire, I sent to Pavia, to serve as his older sibling Raqqiyya the Blasphemer's Keeper. He was not content in this role however, and over 80 years he built his powerbase in Lombardy, until he was ready, and he usurped the Princedom of Lombardy, making himself the most powerful Kindred lord in northern Italy. He have at his disposal great wealth, and a powerful army of mortals and ghouls that rivals any other in the Empire.

Recently, I have appointed him as Keeper of Eternal Rome, and granted him the title of Ventrue Primogen, a title previously held by Livia de Ravenna, for he embodies all that a true Ventrue should be. Although far too young, at a mere 156, to be considered as my succesor, he is one of the most favoured Princes in the Empire at this time, and he provides vast wealth in tribute to Rome, and many men for her armies when needed.

Nefer-Meri-Isis is one of the oldest warriors known to the Kindred, a fearless, and timeless, warrior of great renown. Invited to join my court she serves as one of my foremost champions, holding the title of my Personal Champion, in addition to being my personal bodyguard. In my court she has also found her immortal love, in my childe Ibn Battuta, the great explorer who serves as my caravan master.

In her long life she has killed many beings, both mortal and immortal, and she is forever haunted by attempts on her life from those who have sworn revenge against her. [Editors note. She has 38 rivals, many of them at my own court. I don't know what the hell she does to piss off so many people...]

The Brujah
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I will, once again, admit, that this is a clan for which I hold little else for than disdain. The Brujah were the driving force behind Carthage, and I destroyed that accursed place utterly. Ever since then the members of the Brujah clan have, understandably, been reluctant to serve me, and neither do I trust them. But, yet, there are a few of note that do serve me.

Catubodua... My greatest pride. For no other of my minions that I have tamed and brought under my will are as fierce as her. While she stubbornly walks her own ancient path she now serves me, utterly. She is my Brujah Primogen, and amongst the finest of my warriors. Driven out of her lair in Africa by the Setites she joined my court after I managed to break her rather considerable mental defences and I called her to serve me. Brujah can not be reasoned with, they must be broken and trained like wild horses, you see. But once broken and trained they are able and useful servants, just as a good horse.

Of course, Catubodua is "True Brujah", those that did not participate in the evils of Carthage, and I tend to trust her far above her clanmates.

Another Brujah of note is Ecaterina. Disfigured in life by assailants, who she claims were Ventrue agents sent to rape her, and unable to heal her disfigurment, I made her wear a mask when she joined my court after being driven out of Bohemia by Shaagra.

I have made her my plaything. She speaks often of herself as my "nemesis", the greatest of my enemies, and how she one day will kill me. But when I whistle the bitch comes, prostates before me and does as instructed, for she can not resist my call. She is a broken toy that I can not let go of. Every time one of her asinine plots are revealed to me I bring her to my dungeon and reminds her of her place. The most exquisitive torture I practice on her. Her mind is long since broken, but she holds too much pride to ever let go of our supposed rivalry. Can the lice claim to be rival to the man on which head it lives? Hardly.

Between her trips to my dungeon I let her run her domain in north Africa as she wills. She has found a childe that suits her. What happened to the poor thing in life I do not know, but she appears as if she has been experimented upon by Tzimisce. I am happy for Ecaterina. She found a child that makes even her appear beautiful, by comparison.

My non-kindred servants

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Salih was an ancient creature of the desert, on of the first and oldest fae of the land, who in his great Bazaar traded information to anyone willing and able to pay for it. Appearing as the form a man, built out of billowing blowing sand, he swore his alliegence to me. The Glome, his people, are immortal, and unable to be hurt by any means of mortals, but he made the mistake of challenging the werewolves of the Harbringers clan, and invaded their lands with his faire forces, gnomes and spirits bound in stone, and on the battlefield he encountered the Kinain werewolf Talib, a mage and mystic, who used his magics to slay the ancient being.

His granddaughter now manages the Great Bazaar, and still she pays homage to me.

The Undying Neferukhayt, called the "Socialite Queen of Zammour" left Egypt eons ago, to escape the eternal battle between Horus and the Setites. For many years now she has been my supplier of Philosophers Stone, upon which much of my wealth is built, for the ancient magics of the Undying is great. Over the years her desire for me became obvious, and I made her mine. A profitable and pleasurable arrangment for both parties, she have after almost two centuries of business accepted my offer of vassalage.
She is of the Shemsu-Heru, ancient beyond comprehension, older even than all but the most ancient of our Kindred, and have maintained her residence in those lands for millenia, but with the Silent Striders Garou becoming ever more aggressive and restless to her north she submitted to rule from Rome in order to maintain her undistubed peace.

Originally preying on mortals lust for money as a demon of Avarice Lord Mammon spent over a century after he was driven out of Genoa by the Lasombra in my court. He managed my coin, a task he was emminently suitable for of course, but I suppose my own Sin must have rubbed off on him, for after he was granted a new domain in 1366 as reward for his long service he instead founded a cult of Lust. [Editors note. I have no frickin' clue how, or why, Mammon would convert from Avarice to Lust. In-universe the answer is obvious, but I don't know what game-mechanic allowed him to do it.]

Demons are fickle creatures, and one Sin is as good as another I suppose.

Most of his original brood having died out while he worked for me he has married his youngest daughter, the Laham Lidia to replenish his numbers as he rebuilds a new cult. But of course, the leopard never changes it's spots, and he still manages to make himself immensly wealthy through trade. Beutiful slave women, exotic prostitutes from faraway lands, he combines his ever-present greed with his newfound focus on Lust.

My good friend Horus, immortal bane of all Setites, have sworn himself to my cause with the promise that one day we shall extract his vengence upon the line of Set. It is an promise I intend to keep, and one day I shall return to him his ancient homeland. But in the meantime he is the most powerful weapon in my arsenal. Relentless, powerful beyond comprehension, he is a force unlike any other on the battlefield. Holding the secret of Life, he will rebuild his line. One day.

The being called Marconius the Bloodstealer is not quite Kindred. But neither is he quite fae. It is unknown how he was created, but having experimented with turning fae into vampires myself, resulting in beings that have many of the same traits as Marconius I can tell with confidence that there is a connection. They, too, get the twisted appearance and fea-like abilities that Marconius have.
Having been driven out of his home by the Garou, he spent over a century wandering before joining my court.

Nakurtum is another displaced Kindred, this one from the east, who have joined my court and swore her service to me, alongside with her childe. Deeply unpopular with her kin in Persia she is ancient beyond measure, more than 5 millenia old if tales are to be believed. In my court she serves as a warrior and a scholar both, having been given the role of antiquarian of my relics and charged with their protection.




These, and many more, are my servants.

For all roads, as they say, lead eventually to Rome.