Where Darkness Reigns
Vampire The Masquerade
In Vampire, characters play vampires, also called Kindred, descendants of Caine (the Biblical Cain), cursed with a thirst for blood, vulnerability to sunlight and immortality. Vampires are forever subject to the Beast, their raging animal urges of hunger, fear and rage.
Vampires generally live in cities, which are run feudally by Princes; life in a city is one of constant political manipulation and paranoia, as the powers of the city vie for power, control and food.
Vampires are creatures ruled by fear, most importantly the fear of exposure to the Kine, everyday humanity. Since the Inquisition the majority of vampires have lived under the Masquerade, an enforced campaign to hide the existence of the Kindred from humanity.
At its best, Vampire is a game of personal horror: the characters are continually forced to walk a moral tightrope between their need to survive and the horrific means by which they ensure it.
In Vampire: The Masquerade, Kindred is the most common euphemism for a vampire. The term is most commonly used by vampires who strive to maintain their Humanity. Sabbat vampires prefer to simply call themselves vampires or Cainites in order to show that they aren't falling into some petty game of denial by pretending they're still human. Kindred use the term Kindred and Kine to refer to all of humanity.
There are two main sect of kindred in the world that of the Camarilla and their advisories, the Sabbat. These two sects as well as other movements like the anarachs are all caught up in an ancient war for power known as The Jyhad. The true power behind The Jyhad is speculated to be the Antediluvians who control the movements of every kindred from either torpor or whatever dark hole they call home in these nights. Some such as the Camarilla seek to live life as if there is not threat from the Antediluvians feeling all of them must have meet final death ages ago. Others such as the Sabbat seek to arm and strengthen themselves against the threat of these ancient powers, destroying their pawns (the Camarilla), and preparing to face the Dark Lords when they make themselves known to the world again.
Camarilla
The Camarilla is the largest of vampiric sects, a loose organization which ostensibly represents and protects all vampires by enforcing and promulgating the Masquerade. It is currently composed of six clans, though officially it considers all Kindred under its purview and welcomes any that obey its laws. In addition to preventing the growing mortals masses from discovering the existence of vampires, the Camarilla aims to maintain the status quo of Kindred society; as such, much of its structure and traditions mirror that of Cainite society in Europe in the dark ages, and places it at odds with the agenda of the Sabbat and Anarchs.
The Camarilla is a global organization that maintains and oversees a collection of feudal domains, particularly in North America and Europe. It is a loose alliance lacking a strong central authority or standing military.[6] Individual Camarilla cities are almost always ruled by a prince with the assistance of the primogen, which either acts as a council of advisers or holds its own measure of power. Other offices of a city include the harpy, Keeper of Elysium, seneschal, sheriff, and scourge.
Most Camarilla cities are fairly autonomous, and the broader Camarilla authority usually only becomes involved when there are concerns of a large Sabbat incursion, significant breaches of the Masquerade, or conflicts between a city's elders that could cause greater instability. In such cases one or more archons are dispatched to look into the matter and either resolve the matter or report back to their respective justicar. Whereas there are any number of archons that have been enlisted to serve the sect's leaders, there is only one justicar for each official clan in the Camarilla. These influential vampires represent the highest visible authority of the Camarilla and hold tremendous power to enforce the sect's precepts and call on its resources. They answer only to the Inner Circle, a secretive body of the Camarilla's eldest members that determines the sect's direction and policies.
Sabbat
In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Sabbat is a loose organization of cainites who reject the Traditions. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat believes in the Antediluvians and Caine. Also known as the Sword of Caine, as they believe they will be the army Caine will use to destroy the Antediluvians once Gehenna arrives.
The Sabbat sees itself as the army of Caine, and consequently is tightly organized, far more than the relatively anarchic Camarilla. The Sabbat consists mainly of Clans Tzimisce and Lasombra, and numerous antitribu from Clans normally independent or associated with the Camarilla.
The cornerstone of Sabbat organization is the pack; Sabbat packs are organizations of 3-10 vampires mutually bound through the standard blood-sharing rites of the cult. Packs have a ductus, who is the pack's warleader, and a pack priest who reminds the pack of its responsibilities to Caine. In addition, pack members are mutually bound in a vinculum — a sort of communal blood bond — created by the blood-sharing ceremonies. Packs generally occupy communal havens; given the Sabbat's rejection of human mores and its use of artificial loyalties enforced by the vinculum, there is less need for privacy.
Above the pack is a set of hierarchical titles specifically mocking the titles of the Catholic Church. Bishops oversee multiple packs and may also have a specific portfolio; overseeing Bishops are Archbishops, generally holding a position analagous to Prince for a city. Above the Archbishops are the Prisci, who oversee large geographic regions (such as Canada, or the Eastern Seaboard). Above this level are the Cardinals, a circle of advisors to the Sabbat's nominal leader, the Regent. The higher ranks of the Sabbat enforce their will through agents commonly called Templars.
These titles are formally recognized, but also generally involve a certain degree of self-selection. The Sabbat has a formal rite for recognizing Bishop and higher ranks, but any Sabbat may claim a title and try to defend it. However, the higher the rank claimed, the more likely the claimant will meet a gruesome end. The Priscus, in particular, are selected only by other Prisci.
In addition to this structure, two parallel organizations exist within the Sabbat. The Sabbat Inquisition investigates vampires within the Sabbat for any signs of demon worship. In addition, the Black Hand is a sect within the sect, and operates semi-independently from the Sabbat that it predates.
As with all Vampiric organizations, organization eventually bows to the demands of power. While most Sabbat belong to packs, elder Sabbat are more likely to live and work without packmates. At the higher levels of the organization, the difference between Camarilla and Sabbat elders is negligible, regardless of how different it may appear in the trenches.
Anarch
Anarchs are vampires who reject the status quo of vampire society. They especially resent the privileged status held by Elders within the Camarilla and other vampire organisations; when the eldest hold the most power in a society of immortals, the lot of Neonates is not a happy one.
Anarchs are often targeted for recruitment by the Sabbat, but most respect the Masquerade and some of the other Traditions, even if they do not respect the vampires who enforce them. Anarchs, like all vampires, are considered members of the Camarilla by default, but unlike the Sabbat they are tolerated, as per the terms of the Convention of Thorns.
The Anarch's historical origins lie in the Anarch Revolt which birthed the Sabbat, but in the modern nights they are mostly an unorganised rabble of younger vampires and Caitiff. "Anarch" was originally a name imposed upon them by Camarilla Elders, since they sought to overthrow the leadership structures of Cainite society, but while many new Anarchs are indeed anarchists, the more traditional desire has been to bring democracy (or at least meritocracy) to Kindred society.