Status
____Vampires are very hierarchical creatures. The vampires of the Camarilla, in particular, have created an elaborate structure to ensure order among the undead.
____Vampiric territory (generally consisting of cities and outlying suburbs) is divided into fiefdoms. Each fiefdom is ruled by a prince, a mighty vampire elder. This figure may grant lesser vampires hunting territories within his (or her; "prince" is used unisexually) fiefdom; these territories are referred to as domains.

The Prince
____The ruling vampire of a Camarilla-held territory is called the prince. This powerful vampire is usually of Clan Ventrue or Toreador; however, Brujah, Nosferatu or even Malkavian princes are not unknown. The prince has absolute power to establish, grant or strip domains, and to declare certain areas off limits for hunting. The prince may declare certain areas as Elysium (neutral ground where violence is prohibited), and may call blood hunts on rebels and malcontents who violate the Six Traditions.
____Princes tend to control city-sized regions; thus, there is a Prince of Paris, a Prince of Chicago, a Prince of Atlanta, etc. Because a city's prince has often lived in the area for centuries, she has had ample time to build a power structure, and usually knows far more about the workings of "her" city than rebellious anarchs give her credit for.

The Primogen
____The prince is often served by a council of advisors chosen from powerful elders of the various clans. These elders are collectively called primogen. Though, in theory, a prince's rule is absolute, a prince who fails to heed her primogen often finds herself deposed or killed in short order. The primogen are formidable forces in their own right, and ceaselessly intrigue against each other and the prince.
The Elders
____Elders are vampires who have existed for 300 or more years. They have mastered many magical powers during this time; most elders are deadly and formidable creatures. Elders tend to be scheming, ruthless and paranoid beings; they will do anything to hold onto their power structures, oppress or manipulate the younger "upstart" vampires, and destroy their rivals.
The Ancillae
____Below the elders are the ancillae. Ancillae are most often vampires who have lived from 100 to 300 years of unlife, though certain ambitious younglings may achieve the rank

prematurely. As their name suggests, ancillae often serve as aides and agents for elders or the court; they usually play their own power-games as well, though these are of lesser consequence than the manipulations of the elders.
The Neonates
____Lowest in rank are the neonates, those vampires created less than a century ago. Though occasionally cherished, neonates are often deployed as pawns by scheming elders. This callous treatment, combined with the value recent generations place on individuality, often causes neonates to resent their elders. After all, when one came of age during the Summer of Love, it is hard to empathize with a reactionary old tyrant who grew up amid feudal oaths and Divine Rights.
____Most beginning characters are presumed to be neonates. Vampire elders are usually far more powerful than the characters created through the rules in this kit.

Character Creation

Now that you know a little bit about the world of the undead, it is time to create a character. Character creation consists of three basic choices: choice of clan, ranking of Traits, and choice of Disciplines. Additionally, every vampire starts with 10 Blood Levels and seven Health Levels; Blood and Health Levels can increase or decrease as the character injures or heals herself, feeds or grows hungry.
____Creating a character is easy, involving just a few simple choices. It is a good idea to have a general concept of what you want your vampire to be like (Was he a gangbanger abducted off the street? A rich boy chosen at a society ball? A computer specialist picked for expedience by an ancient vampire who knows nothing about "those infernal contraptions"?). Even this is not necessary, however; a concept can be created as you go.
____The first thing to do is pick the character's clan; this provides a lot of details about the character's strengths, weaknesses and general outlook on existence. Do you want to be an angry Brujah punk? A loathsome, sewer-creeping Nosferatu? A gorgeous, immaculate Toreador? Once a clan is chosen, write down the listed Aptitude, Advantage and Weakness. Make a note of the Disciplines as well, so you'll have them handy during the Discipline-choosing phase.|
Next, you get to decide your character's Trait levels. Characters have four Traits: Physical, Mental, Social and