The Traditions are the fundamental laws of Kindred society, supposedly handed down by Caine himself.
Overview
Here is the basic breakdown of the six traditions:
- Masquerade: Hide the existence of vampires.
- Domain: A kindred's hunting ground is his own territory, and he rules it absolutely.
- Progeny: Sire only with permission of one's elders.
- Accounting: Until childer are released, their actions are the responsibility of their sire.
- Hospitality: Honor the domains of others, and present oneself to the ruler of any domain you visit.
- Destruction: The right to kill Kindred is reserved for the Elder of a community. Only an elder may call a Blood Hunt.
The Traditions form the legal backbone of Camarilla society, although in modern nights, the Prince fulfills the Elder role outlined in the traditions. Most vampiric culture springs from the Traditions – presentation is outlined in the Tradition of Hospitality, the Blood Hunt in the Tradition of Destruction and the parceling of land in the Tradition of Domain.
The Traditions
First Tradition: The Masquerade
Thou shall not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood.
Doing such shall renounce thy claims of Blood.
Second Tradition: The Domain
Thy domain is thine own concern.
All others owe thee respect while in it.
None may challenge thy word while in thy domain.
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.
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.
The Fifth Tradition: The Hospitality
Honor one another's domain.
When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there.
Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing.
Sixth Tradition: The 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.
Vampire: the Dark Ages
In Vampire: The Dark Ages, the order is Legacy, Destruction, Progeny, Accounting, Domain, and Masquerade. Legacy refers to Cainites accepting their state as the dead, and replaces the Hospitality tradition (VTDA merges hospitality and domain).
References
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