The Traditions

The First Tradition: The Masquerade

Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.

  • Meaning: Secrecy is survival.

  • Enforcement: Breaches bring Final Death.

  • Examples: Feeding in public, using powers openly, careless embraces.

    (We’ve already expanded this as its own codex page, but it anchors the rest.)

The Second Tradition: The Domain

Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect in thy domain. None may challenge thy word in thy domain.

  • Meaning: Each Prince or elder claims territory. Within their borders, they are sovereign.

  • Implication: A Prince’s word is law in their city. Trespassers risk death.

  • Anarch Spin: They reject the idea but still enforce turf fiercely — same rule, new coat of paint.

The Third Tradition: The Progeny

Thou shall only sire another with the permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine elder’s leave, both thou and thy progeny shall be slain.

  • Meaning: Control the spread. New vampires are liabilities.

  • Enforcement: Illegal embraces = automatic blood hunts.

  • Political Use: Elders hoard permission as a weapon, granting childer to cement alliances.

The Fourth Tradition: The Accounting

Those thou create are thine own children. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shall command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

  • Meaning: A sire is responsible for their childe until they’re released to independence.

  • Enforcement: If a fledgling breaches the Masquerade, the sire is punished.

  • Story Use: Creates power struggles between sires and rebellious neonates.

The Fifth Tradition: Hospitality

Honor one another’s domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.

  • Meaning: Visitors must present themselves to the Prince.

  • Enforcement: Failure to present risks being marked rogue or hunted.

  • Story Hook: Princes use this to force neonates and wanderers into political games.

The Sixth Tradition: Destruction

Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine elder. Only the eldest among thee shall call the Blood Hunt.

  • Meaning: Killing another vampire without permission is forbidden.

  • Enforcement: Princes and elders reserve the right of Final Death.

  • Story Tension: Anarchs flaunt this, Sabbat ignore it, but in Camarilla cities it is sacred.