Ventrue

Template:WWW} While other clans play at politics, study philosophy, or encourage the arts, scions of Clan Ventrue focus their pursuits on the one thing that truly matters: power. Rulership is in their blood, and rare is the Ventrue who does not feel a need to command. The Ventrue legacy is that of kings and queens, a lineage of sovereigns dating back to before the rise of the Roman Empire. They consider it their divine right to lead and shape the world. This attitude not only imposes itself on other vampires, but also extends to the province of humans, where Ventrue often play kingmaker and decide the fate of mortal empires.

“As noble a standard as loyalty sets, there is simply too much fear, self-doubt, and ambition in Kindred nature. To be sure, nobility is defined by a certain honor, a certain drive toward ascendancy. Yet total constancy is neither natural nor realistic; even dogs bite the hand that feed them! Such is the paradox of our existence, the dichotomy between desire and reality, dignitas and ruthlessness, loyalty and self-awareness: those are the hallmarks of our nights.” — A. Graves, Esq.

Noblesse oblige is a term often heard in the halls of the Ventrue. The Ventrue clan values dignitas, a virtue based on honor, propriety and respect, and those who abide by its intricate rules will find themselves successful within the clan of kings. Ventrue are a cunning breed, educated and erudite, equally as capable with a sword as with a pen. Conservative and callous, Ventrue rarely make decisions based on emotion. Everything they do is weighed against the acquisition of power, and only the fittest survive. They know that ruthlessness is necessary to rule a domain of fractious undead.

The Ventrue practice of royal command translated into the modern world with ease. Instead of kings and emperors, they have become powerful CEOs, controlling empires of finance and business rather than land and serfs. The clan has shifted its attention to modern technology and commerce, where it thrives like voracious wolves in a field of helpless sheep. In order to maintain the clan’s acumen, Ventrue choose childer from those who are already successful; military leaders, business executives, and wealthy investors join the undead ranks with ancient kings and queens.

Like mortal royalty, a Ventrue learns the pedigree of her blood from the day she is Embraced, and she must always be prepared to recite her lineage letter perfect at the command of her elders. Internally the Ventrue organization operates in feudal fealty chains, although the exact nature has evolved from its ancient roots. Now, peerages, vassalages, and oaths of fealty merge seamlessly with business contracts, buyouts, and high-pressure management styles.