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The Justicars are the most powerful visible component of the Camarilla's government, charged with adjudicating matters of the Traditions on a wide scale and acting as the eyes, ears, and hands of the Inner Circle. There is one justicar for each clan of the Camarilla, and each is served by several handpicked archons who act as their spies, enforcers, and representatives around the world.

Overview

In a world of hunters, leopards, and jackals, few try to control the undying appetite. When hunter turns on hunter, however, all are at risk. Those who dare to hunt cannibal Kindred are the Justicars. Justicars are usually of great age and power, and their ferocity is unparalleled. Few can stand against them and fewer still would dare to try.

There were seven Justicars (six with the departure of Xaviar) and they cannot be everywhere at once. True, the Justicars have many servants. However, many more vampires seek to violate the Masquerade – or worse, slay another vampire and drink her blood. The only way for the Justicars to stem the rising tide of diablerie is to stop these crimes before they happen. The way they achieve this is through fear.

The Justicars cultivate terror. They wield it as a weapon and few vampires are more adroit in its use. The coming of a Justicar is a great event. The prince must quickly patch up all of his quarrels with the elders and prepare. The elders must hide all of their little indiscretions. Before a Justicar arrives, all those mortals in the city who know of the Kindred are often slain, thus giving the Justicar no excuse to enforce the First Tradition. Even as the elders hide their minor crimes, the anarchs prepare for war. Few anarchs have not committed some crime against the Camarilla and few are willing to cower and beg forgiveness.

Frequently, the Justicar has come for but a single vampire or single coterie, and has no interest in any other crimes. The Justicar's servants, the Archons, are often enough to handle the breaking of a Tradition. The mere threat of a Justicar's personal intervention can make even a prince mend his ways. A Justicar cannot waste her time with every little infraction of the rules; only capital crimes are worthy of her attention.

Relationship with the Inner Circle

The first Justicars were the Founders of the Camarilla, who went on to form the Inner Circle in 1504 CE when they held the first meeting to appoint their successor Justicars. The Justicars are the voice of the Inner Circle and their actions can only be challenged by another Justicar, granting them nearly unlimited power to do as they see fit. A Justicar can seize whatever resources are required, rearrange offices with impunity, and even depose of princes if they so desire. And though most Justicars are prudent enough to consider their actions when dealing with other highly influential Kindred, such abuses of power earn them a great deal of resentment from vampires of all ages. More commonly they spend their time calling conclaves to judge disputes and crimes, or simply to encourage social gatherings within the Camarilla, and oversee the war against the Sabbat.

Justicars are chosen by the Inner Circle every 13 years during the Camarilla conclave in Venice. Appointments are an intense, drawn out process as each clan attempts to elevate its most talented members and likewise limit the power of the other clans. This politicking often results in compromise candidates and new rivalries, but in the end the Inner Circle decides on its own, and over the centuries several unexpected choices have been made. Justicars hold their position for 13 years, although a Justicar may be chosen for consecutive terms.

Justicars in the Modern Nights

The first full set of contemporary Justicars was described in Children of the Night. These Justicars were named at a Conclave in 1998. Those appointed there were:

Xaviar was the last of the Gangrel to hold the office of Justicar before the clan's departure from the Camarilla under his leadership in 1999. V20 later implies that the the clan has retained or resumed its role in the Camarilla to the extent that another Gangrel Justicar would be appointed.

According to Clan Novel Trilogy Brujah 3: The Puppet Masters, in 2003 Maris Streck was executed by her fellow Justicars for her allegiance to a network of Kindred slave traders and diablerists.

V20 Justicars

Since V20 presents a metaplot-agnostic setting, the next Conclave on 2011 elected new Justicars. The Justicars appointed there include a Gangrel Justicar, the first since Xaviar. In the case that the events from Revised Edition are used, the Assamite Schismatics have the possibility to be the first Clan since the founding of the sect to be represented by a new Justicar.[1]

The appointed Justicars are:

And in addition:

V5 Justicars

As of 5th edition, the same Justicars are active that were appointed in the V20 timeline, except that the Brujah and Gangrel clans no longer have their Justicar representatives. With only five Justicars, each takes on more responsibility and more power.

The V5 Camarilla book also mentions a number of rumors:

  • Carmelita Neillson, Archeologist and Archivist of Clan Toreador claims: "Rumors abound of a neutral Kindred soon to be appointed as Justicar of Outsiders, representing antitribu and officially unafliated clans."
  • Ivy Reo, Oracle and Counsel to the Justicars, Clan Malkavian predicts: "The number of Justicars will again number seven...If we can't make pillars we must import them. From where? Egypt, perhaps? I know of at least one pillar in the dark. I know of a pillar drenched in blood. I know of a pillar once drawn by an architect, but it snapped in two in the builder's ropes."
     

Mind's Eye Theater Justicars

Mind's Eye Theatre version of VTM written by By Night Studios also presents another list of Justicars elected at the 2011 Conclave. In this timeline, the Gangrel have lost their right for a Justicar. [2]

The appointed Justicars are:

Known Justicars

Name Clan Generation Time Active Source(s)
Adana de Sforza Brujah 5th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Anachriss Nosferatu ? appointed in 1504
Anastasz di Zagreb Tremere 9th 1998-2011(?)
Anna Magdalena Nosferatu ? ?
Baylor Ventrue 6th circa 1860 to early 20th century
Camilla Banes Malkavian 6th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Carlak Brujah 8th 1972-1998
Castillo possibly Nosferatu ? 19th century
Cock Robin Nosferatu 7th 1998-2011(?)
Democritus Ventrue 6th appointed in 1504; active through at least the 16th century
Diana Iadanza Toreador ? 2011-present (V20)
Dmitra Ilyanova Brujah 7th circa 1800s-1972
Don Udolfo Cerro de Leon Brujah 8th appointed in 1959
Elijah Gangrel ? until ~1704
Gabrielle di Righetti Tremere ? circa 1987
Geoffrey Leigh (optionally) Gangrel 6th 2011-present (V20)
Godefroy Ventrue ? circa 1739 (until 1998?)
Griga Gangrel ? appointed in 1504
Hardestadt Ventrue 5th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Holtz Tremere ? appointed in 1504
Hoteph Ventrue 6th circa 1959-1972
Ian Carfax (a.k.a. Cartwright) Tremere 8th 2011-present (V20)
Jaroslav Pascek Brujah 7th 1998-2011(?)
Jean-Paul Pierre LaMont Toreador ? until 1595
Juliet Parr Malkavian 9th 2011-present (V20)
Josef von Bauren Nosferatu 6th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Karl Schrekt
(also spelled "Karl Schreckt")
Tremere 5th before 1575 -1998
Kasim Bayar (optionally) Assamite ? 2011-present (V20)
Kemintiri
(while masquerading as the Ventrue Justicar Michaelis)
Followers of Set 4th 1932-1937
Lenore Braundice Toreador ? appointed in 1504
Lethe Malkavian ? appointed in 1504
Luchenko Gangrel ? circa 1963-1968
Lucinde Ventrue 6th 1998-present
Madame Guil Toreador 6th circa 1993-2011(?)
Manuela Cardoso Pinto Brujah ? 2011-present (V20)
Maris Streck Malkavian 8th 1998-2003
Mary Anne Blaire Ventrue ? until 1724
Matthew Dresden Malkavian ? circa 1958
Michaelis Ventrue ? until 1932
Milov Petrenkov Gangrel 6th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Mistress Fanchon Tremere 5th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Molly MacDonald Nosferatu ? 2011-present (V20)
Montecalme Toreador ? Until late 20th century
Nastasio the Galician Ventrue 7th early in the sect, until the 1930s
Petrodon Nosferatu 6th (or 5th?) until 1997
Rafael de Corazon Toreador 5th Founder-Justicar until 1504
Severus Ventrue 5th circa 1656
Sterling Hayden Ventrue ? circa 1725
Targin Brujah ? appointed in 1504
Ulisyan Thracs ? ? until 1992
Violetta Toreador 6th circa 1666-1897
Xaviar Gangrel 7th circa 1711-1999

References

  1. V20: Dread Names, Red List, p. 17
  2. VTM: Mind's Eye Theater Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 368
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