Independent Alliance

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.