Editing Independent Alliance (section)

==New Status Traits==
Although the Shepherd of the Dead are often the oldest and most powerful members of Sect’s two Clans, the rest of the Alliance’s ranks are filled based on the individuals patronage, merit, and support of the status quo. Status traits honor both their past and current achievements in furtherance of the Alliance. As such, the Alliance’s hierarchy tends to lead through charisma rather than brute force. The leadership is empowered because others respect their cunning, guile, resourcefulness, and insight.

===Innate Status Traits===
Accepted (innate) - To be Accepted in the IA is to be Accredited. Being Accredited means that the Vampire is considered a full member of the IA and is beholden to the authority of Doyens or Shepherds and fully protected under the Treaty. To become Accredited a character must be granted the status by a Shepherd, Janus, Doyen, or Virago. Being Accredited allows the Vampire to use their IA status on any other Accredited member who has been in their physical presence within the last 30 days.

===Abiding Status Traits===

'''Celebrated''' - You hold a prestigious position among the Sect and are tasked with providing leadership through gentle persuasion and mild condemnation.
* Passive: While you possess Celebrated status, you may award any individual the fleeting status Reverent or Loyal without expending this status. An individual can only hold a single status from your Celebrated status at a time, but may benefit from repeated uses of Celebrated so long as they originate from separate sources. Further, you can issue orders to any member of your Sect who does not possess the status Celebrated, Hallowed or Authority and expect to have those orders obeyed. Those who defy you or disobey a direct order have all fleeting status traits they possess expended without effect. Fleeting traits lost in this manner are lost temporarily and return after two games or one month. Your target cannot gain any further fleeting status while under this effect.

* Spent: Expend Celebrated to award an individual who has caused significant offense the negative status ''Ribald'' or ''Warned''.

'''Cerberus''' - You are a protector of one of the most important customs of the Independent Alliance: either the physical champion of the Sacred Spaces or the social conscience of the IA court. Your power within that specific arena is formidable.
* Passive: While you possess Cerberus, you may award the negative status ''Warned'' to anyone who behaves inappropriately within your jurisdiction or does not respect the authority of your proclamations.
* Spent: You may expend the status trait Cerberus to award someone the negative status ''Disgraced'' if that individual violated an area under your responsibility. Guardians of Sacred Spaces may thus punish defilers of those spaces, calling them “Profane,” while Virago may punish someone who has been proven to have broken a legitimate boon, calling them “Boonbreaker.”

'''Earnest''' - You are granted the solemn duty to render punishment to those of the Sect who break
the law of the territory or who violate Treaty.
* Passive: While you possess Earnest, you may issue orders in combat to any IA member currently within your territory and expect to have those orders obeyed. Those who disobey your direct order in combat automatically gain the negative status ''Aberrant''.
* Spent: You can expend this status trait to give another Sect member the fleeting status ''Hood'' or ''Adept'', to give (but not remove) the negative status ''Aberrant'', or to order the punishment of a member according to the law of your domain. Those individuals who do not accept punishment in this manner receive the negative status ''Disgraced'' and the negative status ''Aberrant''.

'''Hallowed''' - To be Hallowed makes one an ultimate authority within the IA. Those with this status have the power to alter the Sect’s future.
* Passive: While you possess Hallowed status, you are immune to the powers of, and may contradict orders given by, any individual who does not have Hallowed status. Further, those with Hallowed status can award an individual the fleeting status ''Favored'', ''Triumphant'', or ''Tenacious'' without expending Hallowed.
* Spent: Expend the status trait Hallowed to give your target the negative status ''Disgraced'' or to initiate a hunt against your target that is global in scope and gives the hunted the negative status trait of ''Forsaken''. Further, the possessor of Hallowed may also expend this status to issue a doctrinal Ordinance altering the practices of the Sect. The power to issue an Ordinance is further defined by the position that provides Hallowed status.

'''Predominant''' - You are an Elder member of the Independent Alliance (i.e. of the 8th, 7th, or 6th Generation and of Elder age). You are given due respect for your age and the contribution and credibility your membership gives the Alliance. Your words have weight.
* Passive: While you possess Predominant, you may award any individual the fleeting positive status ''Honorable'' or ''Courteous'' without expending this status. An individual can only hold a single status from your Predominant at a time, but can benefit from repeated uses of Predominant so long as they originate from separate sources.
* Spent: You can expend Predominant to award an individual the fleeting positive status ''Favored'' or the negative status ''Vulgar''.

'''Venerated''' - You are a venerated member of your Sect, and vampires give your opinion great weight. The Sect owes you respect.
* Passive: While you possess Venerated, you cannot be openly or effectively accused of lying unless the accuser possesses the status traits Venerated, ''Commander'', ''Triumphant'', or ''Authority''. This does not mean other characters must believe what you say, only that they cannot publicly challenge its veracity.
* Spent: You may expend Venerated status to give someone the Ribald negative status trait.



===Fleeting Status Traits===

'''Adept''' - You have entered a conflict on behalf of the Sect (a siege, pitched battle, or similar major undertaking, not just a raid or a minor brawl), and comported yourself well on behalf of the Alliance.
* Passive: While you possess Adept, Stock NPCs who are following your character’s instruction gain an additional simple action per turn. Stock NPCs can gain benefit from only one Adept status per turn.
* Spent: You can expend Adept to receive an additional downtime action between game sessions.


'''Hood''' - You are known for being a strong-arm for the Sect. Your area of expertise may be physical, or it may be a less tangible form of expression.
* Passive: While you possess Hood, your Intimidate skill affects Stock NPCs with a rating of up to 3, rather than 2.
* Spent: You can expend Hood to sneak a one-handed weapon past detection (even supernatural or technological means).

'''Reverent''' - On occasion, those who are elevated among the IA will recognize another vampire’s intelligence and ambition.
* Passive: While you possess Reverent you may extend the passive bonus of any one status you currently possess (which is not expended) to one individual per night. This bonus lasts for one hour, so long as they remain within 10 feet of you.
* Spent: You can expend Reverent when another character would gain Beast traits for an action that someone on your Path of Enlightenment would not gain Beast traits for performing. The other character gains no Beast traits for performing this action. Alternatively, you may expend Reverent to request that an officer of the Sect share her views or offer advice, publically or privately (as you wish), about a subject that is pertinent to the domain. This may be used to further political agendas or for personal gain.
'''Tenacious''' - Your bravery and endurance in combat have gained the approval of important members in the Sect, and they have rewarded you for those outstanding efforts.
* Passive: While you possess Tenacious, you have a +3 wild card bonus to resist fear frenzy.
* Spent: You can expend Tenacious to gain a free Willpower retest when challenging to avoid any effect that would force you to leave combat. Only one Tenacious can be spent to retest against an individual per combat scenario.

===Negative Status Traits===
Aberrant (negative) - The IA considers you a failure, someone who cannot be trusted to live up to her
word and cannot be relied upon.
* Censure: While you carry the Aberrant negative status, you suffer the greater status ban and must wear a visible sign of your failure at all times. This badge of dishonor is chosen by the person punishing you with this status and may range from wearing a specific item, to maintaining a physical alteration such as the loss of a finger, or having the word “failure” tattooed across your forehead. This status lasts for two games or one month, whichever is longer.
* Punishment: If a character with the Aberrant negative status is found to break the censure of this status, she gains the additional negative status trait Warned, and the one month/two game duration of Aberrant is reset.

'''Ribald''' - You’ve committed a minor offense against the Sect, enough to be scolded, but not so much as to be severely censured. Regardless of the severity, this has been seen as a hindrance to the Alliance. You should learn from your mistakes, or you will be punished more harshly.
* Censure: All fleeting status traits you possess are expended without effect. Fleeting traits lost in this manner are lost temporarily and return at the end of the game session. You cannot gain any further fleeting status while under this effect. The Ribald trait lasts only for the night in which you are given the status.
* Punishment: If you receive a second Ribald, this negative status automatically upgrades to Warned. Further, while you hold the Ribald status and the Warned status as a result of a second Ribald, your maximum Willpower is reduced by 1. Once the Warned status is removed, your Willpower returns to normal.

===Status Bans===
The following Bloodlines sufferer from a Greater Status Ban:
* Premascine bloodline of the Giovanni not of Elder Age:
** The Premascine are a throwback to an older lineage of the Clan and suffer from the ghastly pallor reminiscent of the Cappadocians. As such, the Giovanni are extremely suspicious of Premascine that manifest after 1444 believing them loyal to the Cappadocians. Pg 53.
* Tlacique bloodline of the Followers of Set:
** The native Tlacique resisted colonization and fought viciously against the invading vampires of Europe. In the end, they were overcome by Lasombra and Ventrue forces, causing them to fall back to the undiscovered depths of South America’s jungles. There, they maintain hidden temples where the old ways – and the ancient gods – are still revered. Due to their reclusive nature, they are greeted with suspicion from other Setites. Pg 48, 49.
[[Category:Dark Skylines Lore]]