Praesidium

“	“Through the mastery of the Blood, we, though dead, have conquered death.”	”
	— from the correspondence of Meerlinda

The Praesidium is a militant sect of Clan Tremere, formed as a reaction to the destruction of the Vienna Chantry in 2008.

Overview

They view the Clan Tremere of the 20th century and prior as an ideal state, and aspire to emulate the clan prior to its joining the Camarilla, where they could experiment freely, make temporary pacts to organize defenses for themselves, and spend time building up their own forces of Blood Sorcery-forged bodyguards and shock troops.

In Camarilla courts, the Praesidium works to present themselves as an expert security detail. They accept blood contracts, monetary resources, boons, or other exchanges for protective work, occult consultation, or general thaumaturgical violence. At the same time, they also work to protect the clan, boasting that no Chantry defended by their cult has ever fallen. Secretly however, they work to undermine the Houses of Ipsissimus and Carna, and anyone else who stands in the way of rebuilding the Pyramid to an image other than that laid out by Tremere when the House and clan was first founded.

Goals

The cult has sent agents to inspect and catalogue the ruins of the Prime Chantry and locate any survivors. They hope to find out the fates of the members of the Council of Seven. Their current theory is that only one council member needed to die to create such a thaumaturgical backlash within the Warlocks’ blood. Out of all council members, they are most interested in Meerlinda, as she’s their preferred choice to lead the clan despite their devotion to the historic clan structure.

Aside from their goals of restoring the clan, they also conduct exploratory missions into former Sabbat territory to try to liberate any lost or stolen occult knowledge from House Goratrix before they flipped to the Camarilla. They have already made a handful of expeditions into Atlanta and discovered the abandoned Ponce de Leon Avenue Chantry.

Ranks

1. Praesitor
2. Praetorian
3. Prefect
4. Initiate

Known Members

• Praesitor Bashar Wellig
• Primus Dilyana Sandelgado
• Opal St. Claire

Description

You’re a Praepositor, one of the militant Tremere of the Praesidium, devoted to restoring the clan’s old power—by force, if necessary. This cult longs for the return of the Pyramid, the old system of authority and blood that once united Clan Tremere. However, the harsh realities of the modern nights demand adaptation. Praepositors have become eldritch soldiers of fortune, trading their expertise in magic and warfare for the resources needed to reinvigorate the clan.

Your allegiance to House and Clan Tremere drives your every move, and the cult demands unwavering loyalty. The Praesidium expects you to take contracts with the Camarilla, the Anarchs, or even Autarkis if it serves their larger purpose. Ultimately, their goal is the restoration of the Blood Bonds that once tied the Pyramid together—but until then, they expect devotion and swiftness as if those ties still existed.

Loresheet

• Chastise the Wayward: You embrace the Praesidium’s militant ideology, particularly against renegade Tremere. You may reroll a single die in any dice pool used to cause direct harm to another Tremere character if you believe them to be a traitor or renegade.
• Discreet Professionalism: Your work ensures the Praesidium’s survival through networks of allies and clients. Once per story, you may call in favors to acquire two dots of Status with any sect or clan for a single interaction. The leveraged individual will expect repayment during the next story or sooner.
• Guard the Clan: Your primary purpose is to rebuild and protect the Tremere. Whenever you Rouse the Blood to protect another Tremere, a clan secret, or a resource tied to the clan, you may roll two dice and use the higher result.
• Expert Security: You are one of the Praesidium’s elite in securing havens and protecting Tremere operations. Once per story, you can spend a scene establishing a safehouse or stronghold, granting you or another character up to five dots of Haven. This benefit lasts for the remainder of the scene but costs three dots of Resources for the rest of the story, requiring outside funding if you lack the necessary Resources.
• Blood Loyalty: Through experimentation, the Praesidium has developed a temporary substitute for the clan’s traditional Blood Bond. If you and another individual (mortal or vampire) sign a contract written with blood or vitae, you must make one Rouse Check per level of Blood Bond you intend to emulate. Once signed, the contract forces the co-signee to treat the service as if they were Blood Bound to it. To breach the contract, they must succeed in a contest of Resolve + Intelligence vs. the Bond Strength. When the contract is completed or destroyed, the simulated Blood Bond immediately ends.

References

• VTM: Forbidden Religions, p. 24-29, 92