Independent Alliance: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "==History== The Week of Nightmares was the catalyzing event behind the formation of the IA. When the massive earthquake of 1999 shook Bangladesh, both the Giovanni and the Setites paid close attention as the Ravnos Clan flew into fugue-like rages and was subsequently reduced to all but a footnote in Cainite lore. As the Red Star became more prominent in the night sky and the Sabbat began its crusades, the Followers and Giovanni came to believe the attack targeted the Ra...")
 
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==History==
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===Associates===


The Week of Nightmares was the catalyzing event behind the formation of the IA. When the massive earthquake of 1999 shook Bangladesh, both the Giovanni and the Setites paid close attention as the Ravnos Clan flew into fugue-like rages and was subsequently reduced to all but a footnote in Cainite lore. As the Red Star became more prominent in the night sky and the Sabbat began its crusades, the Followers and Giovanni came to believe the attack targeted the Ravnos Antediluvian and the pain and suffering of the Ravnos founder caused waves of dementia to sweep through the Clan of Deceivers. For the Setites, this revelation spurred an ancient quest to find their founder. For the Giovanni, the realization that the loss of their Founder could bring about their own demise gripped them with terror.
In modern nights it has become more common for Kindred who are not Mesu Bedshet or Giovanni to join the Independent Alliance. In such cases, these members of the IA must be 'adopted' by one or the other IA clan for purposes of status jurisdiction. (Note: this is not the same thing as [[House Rules|Clan Adoption]].) These members of the IA are called ''Akuya'' if adopted by the Setites and ''Associates'' if adopted by the Giovanni.
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While the Sabbat’s massive offensive against the Anarch Movement and the Camarilla continued, the Giovanni sought to better secure their founder. As militant packs seized Camarilla cities and held bloody festivos to celebrate, Augustus Giovanni secured himself in Venice. From the safety of his stronghold, Augustus Giovanni set his Clansmen to the task of seizing the holdings of the Sects who were too busy
==Positions==


fighting for their unlives. As the Sword of Caine and the Ivory Tower tore at each other, the streets ran red with vitae; the Anarch Movement managed to avoid entering the fray as a whole, likely as a course of their decentralized nature. As the war raged between the major Sects, signs of Gehenna and Cainite lines thought long dead claimed allegiance on one side or the other. For their part, the Setites aligned with a lineage of Brujah claiming different origins from their Camarilla and Anarch counterparts as they sought their founder (Pg 33). The war between the Ivory Tower and the Sword of Caine attracted the attention of mortal Hunters and the realization of a new “Inquisition” took hold. In the chaos and loss, the Followers of Set and the Giovanni continued to profit.
===Doyen===
The ruler of an IA Domain is called a Doyen. In IA Domains that have at least five resident Followers of Set and at least five resident Giovanni, there are two Doyens that jointly rule over the Domain; one for each Clan. A vampire becomes the Doyen for their Clan by claiming the right to rule over their Clan in the Sect’s Domain. If successful, they have the freedom to do as they wish within their own Clan and limited authority to direct the Clansmen of their fellow Doyen. The title Doyen is gender neutral. Like a Sabbat Archbishop, a Doyen must be cunning and subtle if they hope to retain their position.
Together the two Doyens keep the peace and create local laws known as Resolutions; they also do whatever is required to keep the city orderly and safe from incursion by outside forces. Each Doyen wears many hats, including diplomat, commander-in-chief, lawmaker, patron of the arts, and judge. While their authority derives from The Treaty of Alliance, their success as a the Doyen depends as much, if not more, on their ability to manage the affairs of their Clan though skillful application of influence, persuasion, personal charisma and force of will.
Within their Domain, a Doyen rules absolutely over their Clan until they lose power and another takes their place via political maneuver or a bloody coup d’état. If a Doyen shows themselves incapable of managing their Clan, they may be forced to abdicate by their Clansmen or through an act of the Shepherds of the Dead or Janus Guard. If a Doyen suffers the Final Death or is forced from office without a clear successor the position will remain vacant for up to one month as a successor for the Clan is chosen.
During that time the remaining Doyen will rule over both Clans and the city as a whole. If, at the end of one cycle of a moon, a new Doyen does not rise up to replace the Clan’s fallen Doyen, the Shepherds of the Dead will make the appointment. In Domains that have only one Clan with more than five members, there is only one Doyen with power over all the Domain’s residents; that Doyen is from the Clan with the most members.
Members of the Independent Alliance who are not Giovanni or Setites are usually considered an associate of one of the two IA clans. Thus, in reference to "their clan", these positions refer to associates in such a fashion.


===A House of Cards===
A Doyen’s individual authority over her Clan includes:
* Accepting all members of their Clan arriving in the Domain;
* Exiling the undesirable members of their Clan from the Domain;
* Declaring or revoking sacred spaces for their Clan in the Domain;
* Withdrawing support from the Virago;
* Holding the right of destruction over members of their Clan within her domain.


In 2008, an attack devastated the palatial Giovanni compound in Venice. Of the nearly two-hundred vampires and ghouls protecting Augustus, none survived to tell the tale and the Clan’s Founder was gone. The brutal attack destroyed the wraiths bound to serve Augustus, their incorporeal forms torn apart as if cut by a thousand blades. A massive investigation was conducted by the Giovanni, but thus far the Necromancers have only been able to discern their founder still survives in physical form; he has not been destroyed or diablerized. His whereabouts, and the identity of his attackers, are still unknown. As the tides of the war began to shift, the Giovanni found themselves targeted by the Sword of Caine. Struggling to recover from the abduction of their Founder, the Necromancers began to suffer heavy losses in the confrontations. Believing that the Sabbat and their new cohorts, known as the Harbingers of Skulls, were responsible for the abduction of Augustus, the Giovanni needed allies in order to survive. The Necromancer’s hands were tied by the Promise: a treaty with the Camarilla that afforded them no protection and little benefit, especially in the face of the onslaught from the Sabbat.
A Doyen’s individual authority over her fellow Doyen’s Clansmen includes:
* Securing offending members of the fellow Doyen’s Clan by any force necessary save final death;


With but one way to advance their cause, in 2010 Clan Giovanni sent a private declaration to the Camarilla Inner Circle stating its intention to break the Promise. The Necromancers claimed their Clan needed to fully engage with vampire society in order to survive after the repeated Sabbat attacks on the clan’s holdings. When the message reached the Camarilla, the tide had already turned in its favor over the Sabbat. These successes caused many Elders of the Ivory Tower to see the Giovanni’s declaration as impudence and a challenge to the Camarilla’s power.
Both Doyens must agree in order to do the following:
* Allocate feeding territory;
* Issuing hunts on criminals and enemies of the Sect where final death is proper;
* Punishing miscreants for violating the Treaty;
* Appointing and overseeing emissaries to nearby non-Alliance Domains;
* Approving new citizens that are not members of Clan Giovanni or Clan Setite;
* Exiling the undesirable Vampires that are not members of Clan Giovanni or Clan Setite;
* Appointing a Virago;
* Creating laws and courtesies (Resolutions) for the Domain;
* Appoint and remove the Hatchet.


Although most Kindred were outraged by the Giovanni’s statement, a small faction among the Ventrue, led by Purissimma Geiss, argued in favor of an alliance with the Necromancers. However, the Tremere and Brujah found common ground on this matter and sternly rejected any such overtures. Clan Tremere did not want another Clan with sorcerous power to swell the ranks of the Camarilla and threaten its monopoly and the Brujah had recently lost several of its own interests to the Giovanni and were in no mood to support the Ventrue or their allies. As a result, the Camarilla made no efforts to aid the Necromancers in their time of need and instead threatened a second war with the Giovanni if they were to break the promise. As news of the Giovanni’s desire to break the Promise spread, Giovanni were thrown out of Camarilla domains, refused entry to their courts, and openly slighted.
If the Doyens cannot agree on the matters requiring consensus for action, the Virago shall act as the tie breaking vote. In Domains in which only one Clan has more than 5 members, causing the Domain to be ruled over by only one Doyen, that one Doyen has all the authority and powers listed above. In a Domain with two Doyens, individually each gain the abiding status traits of ''Commander, Prominent, and Celebrated''; when acting together they gain the abiding status trait of Authority. In a Domain with only one Doyen, the Doyen gains the abiding status traits of ''Authority, Commander, and Celebrated''.


===An Alliance Borne of Necessity===
A Doyen can be removed from power in the following ways:
 
* A bloody coup d’état followed by an IA member of the Clan declaring herself the new Doyen; or
During this same time, the Followers of Set found themselves besieged by the Sabbat and mortal hunters who saw the cults of the Serpents as threats to morality. With the Camarilla’s increased victories, the Sword of Caine swung at other, less well protected Clans. Like the Giovanni, the Followers of Set became a prime target as no other Clan would come to their aid. The alliance with the True Brujah only extended to academic interests and the relationship between the bloodline and the Followers deteriorated as quickly as it was forged. Clan Giovanni and the Followers of Set were alone and besieged by enemies.
* By Ordinance passed by The Council of the Shroud if only one Doyen rules over both Clans in the Domain; or
 
* By Ordinance passed by The Shepherds of the Dead of the Clan of the Doyen to be removed from power if both Clans have a Doyen within the Domain; or
When news reached the Giovanni of the similar plight of the Setites, the Necromancers sent emissaries to the temples of the Serpents. Already weakened by the attacks from the Sabbat, the Setites accepted the Giovanni’s overtures and the two Clans began a series of political negotiations. Caught between the Sabbat’s desire to slaughter Antediluvians, and the Camarilla’s refusal to publicly admit that such creatures influence the world, common bonds brought the Clans together; both clans claim independence from the Sect war, revere their Founders, cleave to Paths outside of humanity, and profit from the hypocrisy of the various Sects that look down on them.
* By command of the Janus Guard over the Sphere in which the Doyen resides; or
 
* If only one Doyen rules over both Clans in the Domain, that Doyen can be removed by petition to the Janus Guard over the Doyen’s Sphere that is signed by ⅔ of all the resident IA members in the Domain; or
But the Camarilla was not willing to let the Necromancers go quietly into the night. The Camarilla demanded the Giovanni return to the Promise’s restrictions and just before the two could erupt into warfare, the Followers of Set, using an untold number of centuries-old boons from dozens of highly ranked members of the Camarilla, paid the Giovanni’s debt and effectively saw the Promise broken. In exchange for their assistance, the Giovanni provided the Followers of Set access to their centuries of accumulated knowledge in Necromancy and mutual aid against the Sabbat and the mortal Hunters.
* If two Doyen’s rule over the Domain, the Clan that seeks to remove its Doyen may send a petition to the Janus Guard over the Doyen’s Sphere that is signed by ⅔ of all the resident IA members of that Clan that reside in the Domain.
 
The partnership between the Setites and the Giovanni continued to grow. Together, Setite and Giovanni leaders united against the Camarilla, prevented incursions from the Sabbat and forged the beginnings of what would become a worldwide Alliance. In 2011, the relationship between the two Clans was formally solidified when their leaders met to execute “The Treaty of Alliance”.
The elders of Clans Giovanni and Setite, for themselves and their childer, gathered together out of mutual accord, do swear and affirm the following treaty of alliance:
 
I. Territory - All territory owned by either, outside of the lands of Egypt and Venice, shall be considered shared resources, to house and shelter us each within the other, as the local populace so please.
 
II. Emissary - In all territories, each Clan shall have an Emissary to the other. These emissaries shall bear witness to significant business deals, offer advice and counsel, solve disputes, and give testimony back to their Clans.
 
III. Punishment - No Setite shall deliver Final Death to a member of the Giovanni, nor shall a Giovanni deliver Final Death to a Child of Set, without permission from the Emissary of the accused.
 
IV. Protection - Each shall go to the aid of the other, in business or in combat, to defend or aggress, to the mutual benefit of both our Clans. Both Clans shall, to their utmost, protect the Alliance and its territories from mortal awareness and incursion.
 
V. Independence - Neither shall bow knee, nor join in whole nor in part, nor ally with, nor take positions wihin, the Sects of the Camarilla or the Sabbat. Personal alliances, boons, and individual agreements notwithstanding, none shall affect the part or the whole. No member of the Alliance shall render aid to a Giovanni or Child of Set who holds status in these Sects.
 
VI. Religion - There shall be no law made within these territories that shall discriminate or limit the free exercise of all forms of worship, sacrifice, or the determination of a soul.
 
VII. Accord - Finally, both parties agree to use every exertion to enforce peace and friendship between their Clans.
 
So done for the Followers of SET, by our eternal hands, marks and seals, in the name of SET the Guardian, SET the Jackal, and SET the Creator.
 
So done for all our Coscas, by the bond of Omertà, in honor of Capo Crimini Augustus Jovian Giovanni.
 
Ratified in Las Vegas, in the desert of Mojave, this ninth day of May, 2011.
The announcement of the new IA was met with cold silence from the Camarilla. Many Elders believe these two notorious Clans are far too untrustworthy to keep to such an agreement. They anticipate the severing of the Alliance will leave both groups bitter rivals and provide future opportunities in the Jyhad.
 
Whatever the future may hold, the arrangement has changed many things for both Clans. No longer bound by the Promise, the Giovanni freely trade and interact with members of the Camarilla and the Anarch Movement; though many Elders, including Justicars and various Princes, still hold grudges against them for breaking the Promise. Nonetheless, the two Clans have exploited their budding association and pooled their influence in the underworld by seizing control of criminal networks, mafia families and drug cartels. Consequently, they established safe houses and meeting places across the globe that are hidden from mortal hunters. As many Elysia were no longer safe, these Giovanni/Setite meeting locations became vampiric gathering points for Camarilla, Anarchs, and other independent Clans, allowing the Alliance to show its strengths.

Revision as of 17:58, 11 June 2023


Positions

Doyen

The ruler of an IA Domain is called a Doyen. In IA Domains that have at least five resident Followers of Set and at least five resident Giovanni, there are two Doyens that jointly rule over the Domain; one for each Clan. A vampire becomes the Doyen for their Clan by claiming the right to rule over their Clan in the Sect’s Domain. If successful, they have the freedom to do as they wish within their own Clan and limited authority to direct the Clansmen of their fellow Doyen. The title Doyen is gender neutral. Like a Sabbat Archbishop, a Doyen must be cunning and subtle if they hope to retain their position. Together the two Doyens keep the peace and create local laws known as Resolutions; they also do whatever is required to keep the city orderly and safe from incursion by outside forces. Each Doyen wears many hats, including diplomat, commander-in-chief, lawmaker, patron of the arts, and judge. While their authority derives from The Treaty of Alliance, their success as a the Doyen depends as much, if not more, on their ability to manage the affairs of their Clan though skillful application of influence, persuasion, personal charisma and force of will. Within their Domain, a Doyen rules absolutely over their Clan until they lose power and another takes their place via political maneuver or a bloody coup d’état. If a Doyen shows themselves incapable of managing their Clan, they may be forced to abdicate by their Clansmen or through an act of the Shepherds of the Dead or Janus Guard. If a Doyen suffers the Final Death or is forced from office without a clear successor the position will remain vacant for up to one month as a successor for the Clan is chosen. During that time the remaining Doyen will rule over both Clans and the city as a whole. If, at the end of one cycle of a moon, a new Doyen does not rise up to replace the Clan’s fallen Doyen, the Shepherds of the Dead will make the appointment. In Domains that have only one Clan with more than five members, there is only one Doyen with power over all the Domain’s residents; that Doyen is from the Clan with the most members. Members of the Independent Alliance who are not Giovanni or Setites are usually considered an associate of one of the two IA clans. Thus, in reference to "their clan", these positions refer to associates in such a fashion.

A Doyen’s individual authority over her Clan includes:

  • Accepting all members of their Clan arriving in the Domain;
  • Exiling the undesirable members of their Clan from the Domain;
  • Declaring or revoking sacred spaces for their Clan in the Domain;
  • Withdrawing support from the Virago;
  • Holding the right of destruction over members of their Clan within her domain.

A Doyen’s individual authority over her fellow Doyen’s Clansmen includes:

  • Securing offending members of the fellow Doyen’s Clan by any force necessary save final death;

Both Doyens must agree in order to do the following:

  • Allocate feeding territory;
  • Issuing hunts on criminals and enemies of the Sect where final death is proper;
  • Punishing miscreants for violating the Treaty;
  • Appointing and overseeing emissaries to nearby non-Alliance Domains;
  • Approving new citizens that are not members of Clan Giovanni or Clan Setite;
  • Exiling the undesirable Vampires that are not members of Clan Giovanni or Clan Setite;
  • Appointing a Virago;
  • Creating laws and courtesies (Resolutions) for the Domain;
  • Appoint and remove the Hatchet.

If the Doyens cannot agree on the matters requiring consensus for action, the Virago shall act as the tie breaking vote. In Domains in which only one Clan has more than 5 members, causing the Domain to be ruled over by only one Doyen, that one Doyen has all the authority and powers listed above. In a Domain with two Doyens, individually each gain the abiding status traits of Commander, Prominent, and Celebrated; when acting together they gain the abiding status trait of Authority. In a Domain with only one Doyen, the Doyen gains the abiding status traits of Authority, Commander, and Celebrated.

A Doyen can be removed from power in the following ways:

  • A bloody coup d’état followed by an IA member of the Clan declaring herself the new Doyen; or
  • By Ordinance passed by The Council of the Shroud if only one Doyen rules over both Clans in the Domain; or
  • By Ordinance passed by The Shepherds of the Dead of the Clan of the Doyen to be removed from power if both Clans have a Doyen within the Domain; or
  • By command of the Janus Guard over the Sphere in which the Doyen resides; or
  • If only one Doyen rules over both Clans in the Domain, that Doyen can be removed by petition to the Janus Guard over the Doyen’s Sphere that is signed by ⅔ of all the resident IA members in the Domain; or
  • If two Doyen’s rule over the Domain, the Clan that seeks to remove its Doyen may send a petition to the Janus Guard over the Doyen’s Sphere that is signed by ⅔ of all the resident IA members of that Clan that reside in the Domain.
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