by: Kenneth Jenner for Sanguinus Curae
It is unfortunate that all other vampires see the Ventrue as power-hungry elitists who care for nothing but wealth, status, and prestige. Even more unfortunate is the number of Ventrue who play to this stereotype, becoming mere caricatures of what it means to be Ventrue. Everyone knows who these vampires are -- the pompous, the arrogant. These vampires are the ones you find comparing the sizes of their corporate and political empires.
How easy it is to manipulate the power-mad. How elementary it is to play the strings they entangle themselves in -- are they the puppeteers or the puppets themselves?
It should not be surprising how many so-called manipulators find themselves ensnared in the plots of the Tremere. How many would-be Princes have lost their souls to infernalist machinations? Far too many.
Yet their numbers grow. Is it any wonder why the Camarilla is in such a sad state, one wonders?
It is to be argued, however, that any single body of government will have its share of untalented bureaucrats. As the Toreador is plagued by the faux artistes, as the Brujah must deal with the merely antisocial, so must the Venture have its shortsighted political warlords. For within this ponderous mass of mediocrity lie the Kindred's most brilliant manipulators.
These Ventrue are those we cannot see, those that voice their decrees from where we cannot hear. These are the Ventrue that hold the Camarilla together through their machinations, the Ventrue that seek power not for its own sake, but for the sake of leading a Camarilla united underneath their guidance against their enemies. These are the Ventrue to be reckoned with. These are the true kingmakers.
And perhaps these Ventrue hide behind a carefully maintained flock of pompous, arrogant, blustering, power mongering -- yet highly visible -- fools.
The next time you think of the Ventrue as a fractured clan of backstabbing bureaucrats, remember what you have read here.
by: Adamus for Sanguinus Curae
The Ventrue are often considered to be the leaders of vampiric society. This clan of Blue Bloods holds enormous influence in both mortal and Kindred affairs. The clan stereotype of businessmen and politicians is seemingly valid, since the Ventrue prefer to Embrace those who can hold their own in the arena of political and economic conflict. Many Camarilla Princes come from the Blue Bloods, and the clan is without doubt one of the strongest pillars of the Camarilla sect.
The Ventrue use their political and financial power to further the goals of the sect, and of course their own goals. The Ventrue are powerbrokers and manipulators of the purest pedigree, carrying their 'burden' of responsibility with stoic calm. They claim that without their guiding hand, the Camarilla would have fallen centuries ago. Unfortunately, their claim may hold truth. The Ventrue's aid in the growth of the sect is not easily overestimated. Yet many Kindred of this clan seem to pursue power only for the sake of power, gathering more wealth and influence for themselves.
The Ventrue have also influenced the advance of mortal society a great deal. Old ties with the Roman Church still exist, although the Blue Bloods have always had to contend with the Lasombra in the halls of the Vatican. The Ventrue are also said to have been one of the driving forces behind the Christian Crusades, and other mortal conflicts are credited to this clan in varying degrees. The Brujah hold their own grudges against the Blue Bloods, as the Ventrue are said to have played a great role in the fall of ancient Carthage.
Rumors are whispered that the Ventrue Antediluvian found his end at the hands of a Brujah, but one is never wise to utter such suspicions in the face of a Blue Blood. A Ventrue's anger is easily invoked in this manner.
During the Anarch Revolt, a large group of Ventrue shed the shackles of their clan and joined the fledgeling Sabbat. Their chivalrous natures ensured their place as protectors and knights in the Sword of Caine, and the Ventrue Antitribu are among the fiercest defenders of the Sabbat sect.
The Ventrue continue to build their power, ever spreading their influence in the hopes of guiding the Cainite race to a new, glorious future.
A future under their leadership, of course.
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