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

the invictus
few do indeed manage to make their mark, to obtain positions of power or to even carve out
their own little fi efdoms. It might be challenging to advance within the ranks of the Invictus,
but the rewards for doing so are great.
The Invictus makes it easy for them. After all, the covenant wants as many members as
possible. Not only do more members equate to a wider base of power, but even the most
fearful elders acknowledge that they need young vampires to understand and take fullest
advantage of the modern world. Of course, as with all lords, what Invictus elders really want
are servants and vassals, not equals. Kings don’t build roads, they inspire and command others
to do so. The larger a king’s retinue and army is, the more power he holds, and the Invictus
desires to hold all the power. Members of the covenant actively seek out other Kindred for
membership, expounding the strengths and benefi ts of the covenant while glossing over the
rather substantial downsides.
No procedure or test exists for joining the Invictus. A prospective member must often take an
oath of loyalty before either a covenant or local offi cial (a Prince, Primogen or a lesser “patron,”
for instance). Of course, the covenant has members and the covenant has members. A new
recruit can expect to be carefully observed for years, possibly even decades, before other Invictus
members even deign to listen to him or allow him access to any sensitive information.
Given all this, the two common threads that run among almost all Invictus members, elder
and neonate alike, are burning ambition and a belief in the rule of law. Those who are unwilling
to work for every scrap of power — and to be constantly on guard against their rivals who do
the same — have no place in the courts and corporate boardrooms of the First Estate. Those
who aren’t prepared to operate within the unspoken rules, to play the games of politics and
trading of favors, will never acquire enough allies to succeed (or, perhaps, even survive).
Philosophy
If the Invictus is devoted to a single philosophy, it must be the notion that power among the
Kindred must remain in the hands of those most worthy of wielding it. In and of itself, that’s
not unreasonable. The Kindred are a violent, paranoid, ambitious race. If their society is to have
any hope of survival and secrecy, someone has to be in charge. Where other covenants differ
with the Invictus’ philosophy is largely in the notion of what “worthy” actually means.
The Invictus believes in keeping as much power as possible in its own hands, and in constantly
acquiring more. A good member is one who either advances his position in society, or who
aids other Invictus Kindred in advancing theirs. Apathetic or ineffective Kindred are tolerated
only as lackeys and pawns.
The covenant’s overarching philosophy has spawned several other guidelines, all on the level
of unwritten rules. That is, nobody’s going to write them down, but everyone who’s been in
the covenant more than a short while knows better than to casually ignore them.
The Invictus Must Be Respected
Without a doubt, the Invictus prefers to announce its presence, yet it isn’t stupid about it.
Members of the First Estate are experts at backroom deals and covert schemes, and they keep a
secret as well as anyone. If the Invictus holds power in a region, though, it wants the Kindred
to know that it’s in charge. Doing so inspires others to fl ock to its banners; after all, everybody
likes being where the power is. Making a public show also helps squash any opposition to the
faction’s local goals, since many Kindred are reluctant to take on a member of so powerful a
covenant while they would have less objection to challenging, say, a Carthian leader. Finally,
displays of power are simply a social convention. The Invictus is extremely hierarchical and
very formal. Its members often demand the respect and status they feel they’re due. Many
Invictus Princes and other leaders who choose to hold formal courts announce their covenant
allegiance without ever saying the word “Invictus.”
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