Mind's Eye Theatre - Vampire The Requiem.pdf - RoseRed

golconda and transcendence chapter • status one: in society the danse of the macabre damned 281
Few Kindred would admit that they seek to become such monsters to monsters. In secret,
however, many old (and not-so-old) Kindred pursue scraps of rumors in hopes of achieving
a verboten transformation into something mightier, more fearsome and less limited. Among
the Kindred, each is enemy to all. They spend their unlives learning to be wolves, and for all
they profess to hate their condition, few accept the thought that other creatures still regard
them as kine to be devoured at will.
Status in the Danse Macabre
Rule or be ruled. In the Danse Macabre, nothing is as much a measure of control, manipulation
and desire as the esteem granted a Kindred by his peers. The various Status Merits
described in Chapter Two (see pp. 131-135) quantify that respect and regard for individual
characters. Status is fl uid, however. Once play begins, a character’s actions (and the reactions
of those around him) have as much to do with his standing as any expenditure of experience.
This fl ow of esteem and rank is one of the clearest manifestations of the Danse Macabre.
In any large chronicle, Status acts as the essential measure of standing, respect and reputation
accorded to a vampire by undead society. As explained in Chapter Two, Status can take
several forms: Clan, Covenant and City. These Merits collectively determine reputation and
renown in Kindred society as a whole. Characters with very high Status traits are so well
known that most socially aware vampires know their names, even far from the celebrities’
own domains.
Status is not a blunt weapon, though. It is a scalpel that must be used carefully. Apply
too much pressure and the tool breaks. Relying on Status to open all social doors is likely
to establish a Kindred’s reputation as boorish and unworthy of his high standing. At the
same time, failing to cultivate the respect of one’s peers by participating in Kindred society
leads to deteriorated Status. High standing is a mantle that requires constant care. Those
who wield it are under attack from those below, as well as under close scrutiny by those on
the same level and above.
This section details a variety of systems related to Status, but it is the players, Storytellers
and the chronicle that provide a context for these systems. The in-game means through which
two Kindred achieve the same Status dots can vary greatly. A social wallfl ower who is the
progeny of the Prince, and an unbound rabble-rouser who has proved effective, might have
both City Status 2, but they aren’t treated the same. Similarly, a high Status does not mean
a “better” vampire, simply one with more respect in a certain group.
Status is somewhat rigid among the clans and covenants, but each group has its own
standards and its own ways to appoint leaders. The Ordo Dracul values research into arcane
knowledge above all else, and holds the most advanced scholars in high esteem. The Circle
of the Crone emphasizes a Kindred’s spiritual nature, and the most fervent priestesses hold
the highest positions. The Ventrue prize temporal achievements such as political infl uence,
favors owed and material resources. Clan and Covenant Status thus rarely carry over to
Kindred outside of those group. Few Ventrue know or care if a particular Mekhet is famed
in her clan as a big-shot hacker, for example.
SPEAKING ABOUT STATUS
“Status” is an out-of-character game term. It quantifi es perceptions that exist in
character, but no Kindred would describe herself (or anyone else) as having “Status