(Please read +news theme/anarchs)

Since the 1920's, there have been      
vampires in Los Angeles who find the Traditions stifling, oppressive, or simply 
inconvenient. The cleverest of these are elders in their own right, and find    
ways of twisting and subverting the Traditions to their own ends. But the       
majority is neonates, perhaps ancillae, whose only hope for autonomy lies in    
rebellion. These neonates walk a thin line between rebellion and destruction. To
push to far, too fast, is to invite retribution. The history of the anarchs is  
one of constant balance and adjustment. Sometimes things swing too far to one   
end, and you get the Watts Riots. Sometimes they swing to the other end, and you
get Emerson and Elaine's purges of the 1970's.
                              

The anarch movement in Los Angeles began in the 1920's, when a nucleus of Brujah
and several hangers-on began taking advantage of the libertine attitudes of the 
day to engage in reckless (by Traditional standards) behavior and indulgence.   
Hunting was done carelessly, and to excess. These young Gods went where they    
would, stilled by no elder, no authority.

This behavior was looked down  
upon, and discouraged by those elders close to the rebels, and on very rare     
occasions something would be done about it. But for the most part, Rodrigo was  
partial to his clan, and allowed a certain latitude in the young. Later, they   
would find a similar attitude on the part of Julian Fletcher. This open, if     
soft, rebellion, continued for several decades. Alvin Forrester and Markham of  
clan Nosferatu would eventually come to symbolize this rebel spirit.            

In 1957, all the vampires of the city - whether they supported the Traditions or
no - rallied to defend against the Sabbat. As is often the case with external   
threats, the next few years saw a much closer accord between the elder and rebel
factions in the city.

It should be noted that at no time was this ever a 
state of open warfare. The "anarchs" have never been organized, and   
have never referred to themselves as a unifed group. What followed was a period 
where most everyone agreed that there was safety in numbers, and that the way to
accomplish this was, at least to some extent, under the rule of Prince          
Rodrigo.

By the early 1960's, however, the neonates with the least power,
particularly those in South Central and other poor neighborhoods, were growing  
restless. The pulse of dissent in the mortal world was leaking into vampire     
society. And in 1965, the dam burst. (see +news watts riots)
                

Under the Treaty of La Cienega, the young vampires who would dismiss the        
Traditions find themselves with a unique opportunity to play one Prince off     
against the others. This is something they have adopted with relish. The climate
is something like it was in the 1920's once more: the young vampires are heady  
with their own power. The Ancillae, such as Forrester, consider themselves above
the Traditions, and worship will and strength and freedom. It is not all noble, 
and it is not all for the greater good. But South Central (as well as parts of  
the Valley) is a place of fierce pride and independence. Seeral different       
factions and coteries wield power, holding their territory in what is part      
Domain, part Confederation. At the same time, however, the mortal squalor       
attempts to drive aspirations from the residents, and crush both vision and     
individuality under a blanket of despair and ennui.                             

The history of Los Angeles under the Camarilla is relatively short, Los Angeles 
being as young as it is. What is generally known is that sometime prior to 1800,
a Brujah named Rodrigo Guillermo Domingo entered the area. It was, at the time, 
an unremarkable place. Rodrigo was "Prince" of the city only insofar  
as there were no other vampires in the area. Transients paid respect to Rodrigo 
(and his considerable personal power) on their way through, but there simply    
were not enough people to support a large base of undead predators. In the      
middle of the nineteenth century, the other great elder of Los Angeles history, 
Diego Montera of clan Gangrel, entered the city. The city would continue to grow
through the early twentieth century, with elders beginning to partition the     
Greater Los Angeles area in the 1920's, under Prince Rodrigo's rule. That rule  
would preside over Los Angeles' golden age, through a vicious and violent period
in 1957, right up until 1965. Prince Rodrigo was deposed and went missing in    
1965. Prince Emerson of clan Malkavian rose in his place, pulling himself to the
top of a crowded field of ambitious elders. Those elders realized their         
ambitions in 1984, when a Conclave split the city into eight domains, each under
a separate prince. The document governing this confederated arrangement is the  
Treaty of La Cienega. (+news undead/Treaty) The Eight Princes now rule          
independently, with the majority of unrest by the younger vampires centered in  
the domain of South Central.                                                    

Each Prince rules their domain differently, although the Treaty sets certain    
guidelines. Most have a council of advisors, and some - such as Prince McQueen  
of Torrance - flirt with an almost democratic process. Ultimately, though, in a 
city as large as Los Angeles, some delegation is necessary. The Princes, again, 
each in their own style, divide and keep watch on their rivals within the domain
by granting Domain over large portions of the city. (Prince Emerson, for        
example, has turned the supervision of Pasadena over entirely to a Toreador.)   
Although the various holdings in a domain are united under the rule of that     
domain's Prince, the Princes continue to be separate - constantly seeking       
advantage over or alliance with one another. The glory days of the city, united 
under Rodrigo's rule, have passed. While all still fear and respect Emerson, the
city has become a factionalized place where every vampire constantly needs watch
their political footing, taking care with whom they are aligned, with whom they 
associate, and whom they turn into enemies.                                     

This is a simple, rough timeline of the Vampiric world of Los Angeles. The dates
are not all precise, but it should give a sense of when different things        
occurred, and perhaps how the city got to be where it is.

1781: Los      
Angeles Pueblo established with 44 settlers.

1800: Prince Rodrigo claims 
control of the area.

1821: Mexican Independence.

1848: Treaty of  
Guadalupe Hidalgo; Diego Montera enters the city.

1850: California       
becomes a state.

1900: Harrison Mayfair begins to make a name for        
himself.
                                                                    

1918: Julian Fletcher settles in what will become known as the              
Valley.

1925: Elaine Pruitt and Emory Masterson present themselves to    
Rodrigo.

1932: Clan Tremere enters the city.

1933: Emerson the    
Malkavian presents himself to Rodrigo.

1957: Sabbat Incursion (see +news 
undead/sabbat).

1960: Prince Rodrigo calls for a census; vampire         
population is roughly 60.

1964: Prince Rodrigo issues Declaration of San 
Pedro to deal with
 overcrowding.

1965: Watts Riots; Prince Rodrigo   
disappears; interregnum period ensues.

1966: Prince Emerson ascends to   
Praxis.

1979: Height of Emerson's purges; some rioting.

1984:     
Conclave held; Treaty of La Cienega adopted.                                    

Although each clan has its own traditions, areas of influence in the city, and  
places of power, clan in Los Angeles matters far less than it does in other     
cities of the world. The elder vampires of Los Angeles tend to be more concerned
with individual advancement, and alliances based on personality and history     
rather than blood. This attitude filters down to the ancillae and neonates, who 
form coteries, informal pacts, and mutual admiration societies outside of clan. 
With the exception of the Tremere, no clan in Los Angeles is fully united under 
a single ruler, and no clan is known to have any sort of formal clan structure  
binding all of its adherents.

At the same time, it is a mistake to       
completely ignore the ties of the Blood. Vampires are what the Blood makes them,
and even the most powerful of elders cannot deny this. Each clan, taken as a    
whole, does have its own intangible set of collective interests, its own goals. 
What follow are gross generalizations, surely, but as with all stereotypes,     
there is a certain kernel of truth to them.
                                 

There is no mistaking the two most powerful clans in the city, in terms of      
status and influence. Power yields its own unique type of status, and the       
collective might of four Ventrue elders, three of whom are Princes, simply      
cannot be denied. The Ventrue are firmly engaged in Camarilla society, and this 
benefit flows up and down the line to elders and ancillae                       
alike.

Likewise, the Malkavians of Los Angeles, despite their ultimate   
insanity, are backed by the power of Prince Emerson and his brood. Their        
involvement in politics and influence finds them close to the top of the status 
heap as well.

The Toreador are well-entrenched in Los Angeles, but       
whereas throughout the rest of the world they hold a large number of Praxes, in 
Los Angeles they are usually more interested in status than power, and it tends 
to give the Toreador a ceiling past which they cannot ascend.
               

The Brujah and the Nosferatu hold, as clans, an uncertain position in the Los   
Angeles hierarchy. Certainly the Brujah have their luminaries: Prince Julian    
Fletcher of the Valley, and Frederico Montoya, childe of old Prince Rodrigo. But
the Brujah line is also the most pronounced in Los Angeles' anarch society. If  
one viewed the Brujah as two separate clans, the more Traditional vampires would
be the equal of the Toreador. Such a division can only be a mental exercise,    
however, for the Blood is thick. The Nosferatu are not polarized as the Brujah  
are, but simply do not have the pretty faces needed for major social            
advancement. While far more involved in the mortal world than their counterparts
in other cities, Los Angeles' Nosferatu are still in the middle in terms of clan
status.

The Tremere are at least as powerful as the Malkavians, taken as 
a whole. But the vampires of Los Angeles seem more willing to put their trust in
the insane than they are to embrace a coven of incestuous wizards. Certainly the
Regents (all three of them) are figures to be feared and respected, but they do 
not command the same sort of approval from Vampiric Society that their more     
flexible brethren in other bloodlines do. It is, ultimately, Tremere unity that 
gives them their power, and isolates them from the rest of the                  
city.

Finally, the Gangrel. The Gangrel clan, with their quite deserved  
"loner" mystique and their tendency to view Vampire Society as a silly
game, do not by and large receive a warm welcome from the Elysium Harpies. Some 
individual Gangrel might gain respect, even a little admiration and power, but  
they are traditionally on the fringes, and Los Angeles is no exception to this  
tradition. It does not help the clan that a large number of their number are    
anarchs.
                                                                    

The Brujah of Los Angeles were once the ruling clan, melding idealism,          
personality, and practicality into a system of Tradition and Order that         
resembled the L.A. "Hat Squad." It was a rule of favor and favoritism,
guided by Rodrigo's immense personal charisma. But things change, and as the old
Prince disappeared and Emerson rose in his place, the Brujah image of Los       
Angeles faded. The Clan is divided now, with so-called 'anarchs' gaining ground 
in South Central while the Clan's elders consort with the Ventrue in Santa      
Monica and wield a vicious praxis over the Valley. The gangs and criminal groups
of the city are predominantly tied to the Brujah, and the clan's members were at
the heart of the Watts Riots, the 1992 Rodney King Riots, and other periods of  
unrest.

As with all other clans, blood seems to matter less in Los       
Angeles than in other areas. An individual Brujah is just that, free to make his
own alliances with whomever he or she chooses. The most powerful Brujah in the  
city are split between the anarchs and the Camarilla. Prince Chance and Prince  
Julian of the Valley enforce the Traditions, while Alvin Forrester, Randall     
Sheridan, and other anarch in South Central work to subvert them. Standing apart
from this -- or taking both sides, depending on one's point of view -- is       
Frederico Montoya, childe of Prince Rodrigo and perhaps the most powerful Brujah
in the city. He has a small following of Camarilla neonate and ancillae whose   
respect for the Traditions is perhaps less than that of his host, Prince Acton, 
would like, but which never descends into outright violation. The power of the  
Brujah is primarily in criminal enterprises and the high technology sector, with
vast influence among the street gangs of South Central.                         

The history of the Gangrel in Los Angeles is the history of a clan never large  
in numbers, never united in goals. The Gangrel are, true to their reputation,   
solitary. Their influence has come individually, through the application of     
personal power. Chief among the architects of Rodrigo's long rule was the mighty
Ranchero, Diego Montera. Very few other Gangrel figure directly into the city's 
development, and none have had such an impact. Unfortunately for the clan, Diego
fell with his Prince in 1965. Since that time, Gangrel have come to the city one
at a time, keeping to themselves for the most part, coming to the political fore
when matters concern them, keeping to the background when they do not. Every    
Gangrel is different, and in this way they represent the city itself - a        
patchwork of individuals each seeking their own destiny, whether it be riches,  
power, stardom, or simple survival. The Gangrel are, however, more prominent in 
the so-called "anarch" arenas of South Central than in most other     
areas. There are two or three Gangrel elders in the city, at least one of whom  
is rumoured to be exceptionally dangerous and violent. Because of their natures,
the Gangrel have not had the hand in mortal society that so many other clans    
have. Theirs is a road of personal interaction rather than the wielding of      
power.                                                                          

What history of Los Angeles could leave out Emerson and his childer? Emerson,   
eldest of all in the city, at one time Prince of the entire region. The         
Malkavian influence on the city is felt everywhere: the apparent contradictions 
of fame and success in Hollywood, the frustration of the traffic, the bizarre   
incongruities in the landscape and architecture. Emerson and his clan have      
guided the city almost from the beginning, filling in and corrupting the psychic
mortar of civilization. As in many cities, there is substantial Malkavian       
influence in Health and Mental services. But in Los Angeles there is also an    
exceptional Malkavian influence in the courts, in politics, and in the financial
world - particularly real estate. It is rumoured that Emerson owns some four    
percent of the commercial property in the city, but this is probably both just a
rumor and vastly overstated. Law Enforcement also has heavy Malkavian influence,
as do many local city and neighborhood councils. When your clan elder is the    
most powerful vampire in the city there are perks. With the exception of the    
Ventrue domains, Malkavian influence is felt nearly everywhere, though the      
Downtown core of the city is obviously the focus of the clan's power.           

Perhaps it is the arrogance of the other clans that gives rise to the popular   
notion that the Nosferatu do not enjoy power and influence. In Los Angeles, as  
with every other city in the world, this is patently false. But in Los Angeles, 
the other clans are more aware of that power. The difference is that in Los     
Angeles, the Nosferatu are more involved with mortal affairs than is typical,   
and they do wield power. Although there are no Nosferatu Princes, one of the    
most feared vampires in the city - a Primogen in Downtown - is a Nosferatu. The 
Nosferatu were at the forefront of the city's defense against the Sabbat in     
1957, and even earned a clanwide boon from Prince Rodrigo for their service. (A 
boon that obviously will never be repaid.)

The Nosferatu are everywhere, 
with their fingers in a bit of every dish. As a new city, Los Angeles does not  
have the grand, arching sewers of Prague or Vienna or even New York, so the     
Nosferatu are forced to the surface. They move among the mortals, cloaked and   
disguised. Nosferatu influence can be found in transportation and other civil   
works, and even in city bureaucracies.                                          

Image is Everything. Thirst? Well, it needs be quenched to stave off the Beast. 
But one should still look good while drinking.

The Toreador of Los       
Angeles are intimately wrapped up with the style and image of the city.         
Hollywood, television studios, and much of the world's fashion comes out of Los 
Angeles. The Oscars are here. The Toreador have been influencing the movie      
business since the beginning, and Hollywood is, to a great degree, a Toreador   
creation. By contrast, they have taken a surprisingly small role in the goings  
on of vampiric society, preferring to attend to their own interests. There is   
only one Toreador Prince: Gillian Ventriss rules South Orange County. Hollywood 
and Newport Beach are the centers of Toreador Influence, but the clan's members 
can most often be found in Los Angeles' famous museums, particularly the Getty  
Center and LACMA. Even outside the clan's strongholds, however, they wield a    
great deal of influence through mortal artists, agents, artisans, and           
visionaries.                                                                    

The Tremere presence in Los Angeles has grown since 1932, when the first chantry
was established. That location has since moved to Orange county, but the last   
forty years has seen a remarkable rise in the Clan's presence, with another     
chantry being opened in Malibu in 1962, and still another in Hollywood in 1995. 
The Tremere are behind a great deal of the mysticism and many of the freakish   
cults which spring up in the city. Los Angeles is a place where people will     
believe in anything, from crystals, to past lives, to space aliens; and the     
Tremere have taken, and will continue to take, advantage of it, finding         
disciples, acolytes, and pawns in those who seek a path to greater              
power.

In vampiric society, the Tremere of Los Angeles have taken a      
secondary role, acting as advisors and assistants to those in power. The obvious
exception to this is Prince Davidoff of North Orange County, Regent and Prince, 
and Prince Pyotr Lobachevsky, who claimed Praxis in Torrance in Year-6 and is   
not associated publicly with any chantry.

There has been, historically,  
some degree of cooperation between the Tremere and the Ventrue, with the        
Malkavians and the Nosferatu standing somewhat in opposition to that alignment  
of interest. This is painting the picture with an extraordinarily broad brush,  
and it would be foolish to think that there was any sort of formal enmity or    
alliance.

The Tremere are the great exception to the general rule that   
clan matters less in Los Angeles than power and personality. They present a     
unified front, and act as one. Usually.                                         

The Ventrue are likely the most powerful clan in Los Angeles. This statement is 
not all it seems, however. Clan allegiances are less binding in Los Angeles than
in many other parts of the world, and while clan Ventrue claims several powerful
elders in its ranks, none of them can match the personal power of Prince        
Emerson. The oldest resident Ventrue is Prince Acton of Santa Monica. Between   
his influence, and Prince Elaine Pruitt's control of the Port of Los Angeles and
Long Beach Harbor, the Ventrue have integrated themselves with commerce and     
finance in the city. Los Angeles is a major commercial hub, with as much        
manufacturing as some countries, and it has granted the Ventrue corresponding   
power. Long Beach and Santa Monica, as well as the coastal areas in between such
as Palos Verdes and "the Beaches" are the areas of Ventrue control.   
During the rule of Prince Rodrigo, the Ventrue were left to their own devices.  
The clan quietly went about its business, amassing financial and commercial     
influence. Now that has changed - but for the better. The clan has domains it   
rules directly to add to its power. The Ventrue of Los Angeles wield less       
political influence than in most cities, but are in fact wealthier than most of 
their East Coast counterparts.

The Ventrue have had a recent setback when
Prince Elaine had to destroy Prince Andrew McQueen of Torrance, a Ventrue       
Ancilla, for collaboration with the Sabbat. Nonetheless, Prince Acton and Prince
Elaine continue to represent a considerable bloc of power in contrast to Prince 
Emerson of Downtown.                                                            

Los Angeles is, in some ways, terribly gauche and tasteless, particularly   
when it comes to celebrity fashion. But it is also a vital hub of the arts in   
the United States, and while it hardly has the historical or academic pedigree  
of Paris, or even New York, it has many places which the Princes and Primogen,  
for one reason or another, see fit to protect as Elysium. The scope of range of 
Elysia in the city is as wide ranging and diverse as the vampires who inhabit   
it.

Chief among these is the city's largest and most prestigious art     
museum: LACMA, the L.A. County Museum of Art. Rodrigo established this Elysium, 
and Emerson has maintained it, appointing various keepers from time to time. Not
terribly much to look at from the outside, it is accessed from a sculpture      
garden that is kept open into the evening. Notwithstanding the intermittent     
mortal gala party, the Elysium is open every evening to vampires from all over  
the city - whether Prince Emerson has accepted them in his Domain or not.       
Vampires who have been barred from Emerson's territories, however, trespass at  
their own risk. Although they are not declared Elysium, all vampires are aware  
that Prince Emerson frowns on any actions that could be considered disrespectful
to churches, mosques, synogogues, or the like. A small, rarified group of       
ancillae and neo-elders does occasionally meet at Saint Vibiana's Cathedral.    
Violence is also prohibited at the Music Center downtown, and all vampires not  
banned from the domain are invited to attend the various musicals and symphonies
and operas.                                                                     

Los Angeles, like many cities, relies a great deal on private patronage for 
some of its most spectacular Elysia. Henry E. Huntington established the vast   
and beautiful Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, which includes a lush   
Chinese garden, a quiet duck pond with koi, plants and trees from all over the  
world, and one of the most spectacular collections of old and rare books in the 
country. J. Paul Getty, an oil magnate, left moneys to establish the most       
important Elysium of the domain of Santa Monica: The Getty Center in the        
Sepulveda Pass, which is a popular meeting place for high society vampires.     
Though the Prince of Santa Monica more often holds court at a prominent club on 
the Third Street Promenade.
                                                 

Finally, in South Central, the large expanse of Exposition Park, while often    
ridden with crime, has been declared by Prince Cora and many other elder and    
influential Brujah to be Elysium. The park consists of two museums -- the       
Natural History Museum of L.A. County with its famous Rose Garden, and the Air  
and Space Gallery - as well as the Memorial Coliseum, which while nominally     
Elysium, is seldom visited by vampires.

One thing to keep in mind in Los 
Angeles is the degree of autonomy granted to those who wield power under the    
Second Tradition. If a Primogen wishes to establish Elysium, and they have the  
power to enforce it, then it is Elysium in every way that matters.
          

Under the treaty of La Cienega (+news undead/treaty) the city of Los Angeles has
been split into eight domains, each with its own sovereign Prince. (See also    
+news domains) Each has a separate Prince wielding praxis in his or her own     
fashion. The Princes rule by virtue of the Second Tradition, and the Fifth      
Tradition is enforced in all domains, to one extent or another. Thus, crossing  
from Domain to Domain can be dangerous business.

Freeways are an integral
part of what Los Angeles is, and vampiric custom has adapted to account for     
their ubiquitous presence. By and large freeways are a sort of informal Elysium.
Vampires are allowed by city tradition to use the freeways to cross through a   
Domain to get somewhere else. The Fifth Tradition would only apply if the       
vampire in question left the freeway for the surface streets. To warrant        
punishment for crossing a domain on the freeways, you would have had to have    
made an true enemy, indeed, of that domain's Prince. It is not unheard of for a 
vampire to believe that he was simply passing through on his way to his haven,  
only to find himself stuck in traffic near dawn and, ultimately, having to put  
himself in prestation debt to the Prince for having to leave the freeway to take
shelter from the sun without first presenting himself.                          

(Please read +news theme/ghouls)

It is a cautious path one must tread as 
a ghoul, whether Camarilla or outlaw. In the eyes of most vampires, ghouls exist
as nothing more than property, at best having the status one would accrue to a  
favorite pet. Their knowledge is often woefully incomplete, but those that have 
been taught of the Sixth Tradition of the Camarilla are made aware of a chilling
fact: it does not apply to them. This is what makes a ghoul's position so       
precarious, even moreso perhaps than that of a newly sired vampiric Childe.     
Technically speaking, a ghoul can be killed at any time, for any reason, and    
most vampires would not look upon this as murder, any more than most of         
humankind would consider killing an animal to be murder. 

It is, however,
considered to be "bad form" to slaughter another's ghoul, especially  
out of hand. The offending party is usually expected to offer some form of      
reimbursement for the loss, in the form of public apologies, boons to the       
regnant, and/or other compensation, depending on the importance of the ghoul in 
question. A fine racehorse can be worth quite a sum, after all. The offender    
might also see a drop in status should they refuse adequate compensation, or the
killing is thought particularly senseless, but if a ghoul has a reputation for  
being belligerent towards its "betters", the killer's status might    
actually rise as a result of the powers that be considering the ghoul's death to
be good riddance.
                                                           

Naturally, the Princes of the Los Angeles Domains reserve the right to      
destroy ghouls without compensation in the same way they may destroy vampires,  
and it is also not unknown for a vampire of high status and standing to refuse  
reimbursement to one lower on the totem pole, without major                     
consequence.

Therefore, it is more than simple politeness or             
obsequiousness that keeps wise ghouls waiting to speak until spoken to, deferent
to those of standing and status, and otherwise on their best behavior in public.
It is a matter of survival. Even if a ghoul manages to avoid physical harm for  
speaking or acting out above their place, their regnant's status may well suffer
as they are criticized for keeping "too loose a leash" on those they  
are responsible for. When a ghoul's regnant suffers, it is almost assured that  
the ghoul will suffer in turn. And of course, regnants are certainly free to    
destroy their own thralls.
                                                  

To be a ghoul, especially a player character ghoul, is to walk a tightrope  
between the oblivion that is loss of self-identity, and the more physical       
oblivion that awaits should your regnant or another vampire decide that you're  
quite literally "more trouble than you're worth". Some vampires are   
more enlightened and forgiving than others; in particular, it is said that      
Prince Cora and her ilk refused to hold to the traditional models of how ghouls 
are treated, which have such a ring of old-time slavery to them. But even she   
cannot publicly call for the death of a vampire in response to the slaying of a 
mere retainer; and regardless, it does little in the way of bringing the dead   
one back to life.
                                                           

Los Angeles is a rather young city by vampiric standards, and as a result   
there simply aren't the long and glorious histories that are found in many other
cities on the planet. There are really but four defining events for the vampires
of El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles. (Players be sure to account for your   
characters' whereabouts and activities during these events!)

(1) Right   
around 1800, Los Angeles, itself only a small village, received its first       
Prince: Rodrigo Guillermo Domingo. His vision of what the future could hold     
helped guide the city from its humble origins into the sprawling megalopolis    
that it is today. Even now, after his supposed death, Rodrigo's influence can be
felt throughout the city.
                                                   

(2) The second event of import is the Sabbat Incursion of 1957. The Sabbat  
swarmed up from San Diego, attempting to take the city by force. In a sentence: 
They came; they saw; they got their asses handed to them. Few vampires now worry
about another direct assault.

(3) The third event of import is the Watts 
Riots of 1965. This was a brief period of open violence between the elders and  
the anarchs. Prince Rodrigo, who had guided and ruled the city practically since
its inception, disappeared and was presumed killed. After a brief period of     
strife, Prince Emerson of Clan Malkavian took the throne.

(4) In 1984,   
under cover of the Olympics, several elders of the city arranged for a conclave 
to discuss the future of the city and the merits of Emerson's rule. The end     
result, in a compromise brokered by the presiding Justicar, was for the city to 
be split into eight autonomous domains. Emerson remained Prince, but of a domain
a fraction of the size of what he previously enjoyed. Where there had been one  
Prince, now there were eight.                                                   

The vampire world of Los Angeles functions on a very strict, traditional    
interpretation of the Traditions. In theory.

As the Second Tradition has 
gained in power during the last century in the rest of the world, so too here. A
Prince wields Praxis, and enforces the Traditions, through an application of the
Second Tradition to an entire city or region. The Prince's authority is then    
directed through grants or acknowledgments of Domain in smaller subsections of  
the greater Domain. Thus, the Primogen of Pasadena, for example, wields the     
power of the Traditions within his or her domain, subject to the greater,       
overarching rule of Prince Emerson. The one power usually not granted to anyone 
of a rank less than a Prince is the right of Destruction under the 6th          
Tradition. Princes jealously guard this power.

Vampires with standing are
expected to enforce the Traditions within their Domains, and to punish          
violators. Failure to do so will usually result in punishment or demotion for   
the overly permissive vampire. At the very least, it can cause a loss of status.
There are, of course, ways and ways of doing things. The power to enforce is,   
naturally, limited by the power of the enforcer. But vampires should bear in    
mind that, ultimately, though the vampire exercising Domain may be your         
inferior, his Standing is granted him by a Prince of the Blood who may take ill 
to your disregarding his subordinates.                                          

A very important reminder to all characters:

NPCs and Feature PCs    
should be expected to follow the dictates of this news file. If your character  
is violating the Traditions, and word reaches back to a Prince or a powerful    
Primogen, your character should not expect mercy. They should not expect succor.
Your characters should have stark fear of the consequences of their IC          
violations of the Traditions. They may be destroyed. Please read +news          
theme/face the music.                                                           

In 1957, the Sabbat of San Diego thought that the time had come to pluck out
the gem of Los Angeles from the Camarilla Crown. Whether it was a matter of     
fate, of tactics, or whether the Sabbat made a severe miscalculation of the     
power the elders of Los Angeles were able to bring to bear, the incursion was   
defeated soundly, with minimal losses to the defending vampires.

Vampires
who were in the city those evenings remember, though, the danger in the streets,
groups of Sabbat vampires striking at havens and Elysia. But ultimately, the    
Sabbat were defeated by intelligence: The Camarilla seemed to know where they   
would strike and when, and at least three large groups of Sabbat walked into    
ambushes. The names of several vampires gained in stature in these nights: Emory
Masterson of Clan Nosferatu, his childe Dominiani, Emerson of Clan Malkavian    
(who would later become Prince of Los Angeles), and Elaine Pruitt of clan       
Ventrue were at the fore of the defense.                                        

The most significant events of 1957 were the ambush at Harrison Mayfair's       
estate, and the battle at MGM Studios. In both cases, the Sabbat were lured in  
through false intelligence. Prince Rodrigo himself, together with Mayfair and   
Diego Montera, wiped out the attackers in the first ambush, high above the city 
in the Hollywood Hills. It is rumoured that there were prisoners                
taken.

The battle at MGM was less one-sided, and involved nearly         
thirty-five vampires and ghouls raining machine gun and pistol fire on each     
other. In the center of it were the Nosferatu of Los Angeles, led by Emory      
Masterson. This battle earned the clan a boon from the Prince - a boon that was 
soon to be extinguished, along with Prince Rodrigo's rule.                      

One of the most striking features of the Sabbat incursion dealt not with what   
happened, but what did not. Acton, Ventrue of Santa Monica, played little role  
in the defense of the city. A few teams of ghouls perhaps, but nothing more.    
Many, even to this day, suspect that Acton has some connection with the Sabbat. 
Perhaps it is only vicious rumor.                                               

In 1964, Prince Rodrigo issued the Declaration of San Pedro. The city was   
faced with overcrowding, the vampire population of the city having nearly       
doubled in only four years. There was fighting over hunting grounds, and the    
anarch population was growing faster than any other group. The Declaration      
mandated that every vampire account for themselves at the Los Angeles County    
Museum of Art, identify themselves, and pledge loyalty to the Traditions. Those 
that did not do so were to be considered under a blanket Lextalionis. Dozens of 
vampires were destroyed as a result of this sweeping edict, and it caused       
tensions to rise throughout the city.

The Declaration also placed a ban  
on creation of new vampires within the city. Vampires have spent countless hours
debating whether the Declaration was a necessary reaction to an untenable       
situation, or whether it was Prince Rodrigo's greatest error, the catalyst for  
his being deposed. Perhaps it was both, perhaps the city was simply too much to 
control.                                                                        

The vampiric Traditions are fundamental rules of conduct, akin to the mortals'  
Ten Commandments. Their origins are shrouded in mystery, but they were passed   
down from antiquity, and when the Camarilla was formed, the Traditions were     
codified and set into law. The Traditions are:

The 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.

The Second Tradition: 
The Domain
 Thy domain is thy own concern. All others owe thee respect while 
in it.
 None may challenge thy word while in thy domain.

The 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.

Copyright White Wolf 1992 - all      
rights acknowledged. (see +news policies/legal)                                 

The 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:     
Hospitality
 Honour 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.

The Sixth Tradition: Destruction

Thou are 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.

Copyright White Wolf 1992 - all rights acknowledged. (see    
+news policies/legal)                                                           

How the Traditions are interpreted, and how strictly they are enforced, depends 
on who is interpreting or enforcing. In Santa Monica or Long Beach, a vampire   
can expect each and every Tradition to be scrupulously followed, with a complex 
set of protocols on how one Releases progeny, Presents oneself to the elder of  
the domain, and requests permission to sire. The punishments can be severe, and 
they are strictly enforced. Downtown, or in the Valley, the substance of the    
Traditions is honoured more than the words, and from time to time a lapse may be
ignored. However, both Emerson and Prince Fletcher, when they are called upon to
enforce the Traditions, are merciless, even cruel. South Central and,           
surprisingly, Torrance, take the most flexible view of the Traditions. One      
should not take a reputation for flexibility as carte blanche to break the most 
sacred of vampiric laws, however.

In all cases, while knowing and        
purposeful violations of Tradition are certainly punished more severely,        
ignorance is no excuse. One's station and status /may/ help ameliorate the      
punishment one receives, but there are no guarantees.

What follows is a  
quick overview of how each Tradition is viewed in Los Angeles. So-called        
"anarchs" wishing to know more about the Traditions are encouraged to 
study the ways of the Camarilla.                                                

Masquerade: this Tradition is enforced ruthlessly. The only way to avoid a      
sentence of death is to fix the "breach", as violations of this       
Tradition are commonly called, before the Prince of the Domain gets involved.   
Even controlled breaches of Masquerade will often be punished with a loss of    
Standing, physical chastisement, or worse. Ghouling without permission is       
usually considered a controlled breach of Masquerade.

Domain:This        
Tradition is the basis for the power structure in Los Angeles. Although every   
vampire is nominally "lord" of their domain, usually this consists of 
a single house. The eldest or most powerful of vampires claim Domain over vast  
stretches of city. The Princes have their Domain delineated by the Treaty of La 
Cienega. It is through the Second Tradition that Standing is granted, and       
control over territory bequeathed. It is through the Second Tradition that      
vampires of Standing are able to fashion rules for their domains, so long as    
they do not conflict with the rules of those who hold Domain over               
them.

Progeny: Creating a childe without permission is usually a death   
sentence for the child, and often for the sire as well. At the very least a sire
can expect demotion in Standing or loss of status. But permission can,          
particularly for the powerful and influential, be obtained after the fact. On   
occasion, a more lenient Prince may even look the other way and simply accept   
the childe when he or she is presented. Wise vampires do not gamble their       
unlives on this sort of rare generosity of spirit, however.

Accounting:  
The sins of the childe are indeed visited on the father. Until the childe is    
presented to the Prince, recognized, and released, a ritual that varies in      
substance from Prince to Prince, the sire is held responsible for everything the
childe does; both may be punished. Twisting the rule around, many times the     
sire's enemies will visit their disfavor on the childe. There is no recourse for
the childe, for one not released has no standing to complain to the powers that 
be.                                                                             

Hospitality: Los Angeles is a very fluid city when it comes to getting around.  
People drive everywhere. So it's theoretically possible to go from Domain to    
Domain, or even to hunt or engage in business, without presenting yourself to   
the Prince (or at least receiving permission beforehand). It is not, however,   
advisable. Each Prince has a different method for accepting residents and       
transients, and each Prince punishes trespassers differently. (Emerson, for     
example, often requires notification rather than actual permission, but has been
known to destroy trespassers outright.) Note that in conjunction with the Second
Tradition, one wielding Domain over a place may bar another vampire from        
entering that place.

Also bear in mind that the worst offense under this 
Tradition is hunting in another's domain without permission. Vampires are       
extremely territorial, particularly about their food.

Destruction: The   
Princes of Los Angeles jealously guard their monopoly on lethal force. It is    
almost a universally accepted rule that one who violates this Tradition is      
themselves destroyed. It was a violation of this Tradition that ignited the     
Watts Riots. As with all Traditions, it is only a crime if you get              
caught
(see also: +news theme/face the music)                                

In 1984, there was called a conclave to address what many saw as Emerson's      
inability to control the entire domain of Greater Los Angeles. After several    
nights of negotiations, and even more nights of secret deals no doubt, what     
emerged was a "treaty" between Emerson and those who would oppose his 
rule. That treaty split the city into its current constituent eight domains. The
text of the treaty, together with all of the provisions, obligations, and       
regulations, can be found in the rest of this news file.
                    

WITNESSES HERETO, THE ASSEMBLED VAMPIRES, CITIZENS OF THE DOMAIN OF LOS     
ANGELES BROUGHT UNTO CONCLAVE BY THE DUTIFULLY APPOINTED JUSTICAR OF CLAN       
GANGREL, JEREMIAH MILLER, DO CERTIFY THE FOLLOWING:

THAT the Traditions  
of our kind have been endangered throughout this domain over the last           
decade.

THAT the efforts of our Prince, Emerson of Clan Malkavian, have  
been earnest and well-intentioned, but ultimately insufficient for enforcing the
Traditions over the entire Domain.

THAT several elders of the city have  
demonstrated time and again their leadership and devotion to the Traditions in  
the service of Prince Emerson, as well as Prince Rodrigo before                 
him.

THEREFORE, IN LIGHT OF THE FOREGOING, THE CONCLAVE DULY ASSEMBLED   
UNDER THE TRADITIONS DOES RESOLVE THE FOLLOWING, ATTESTED TO BY ALL THOSE       
PRESENT:
                                                                    

I. Effective as of midnight on September 1st, in the year 1984 A.D., Prince 
Emerson of Clan Malkavian is hereby stripped of his powers and privileges as    
Prince of Los Angeles. All prior enactments, rulings, decrees, and lextaliona   
are rendered as of that date null and void. All station, rank, authority,       
privileges or position granted to other vampires by His Excellency are, as of   
that date, stripped.

II. Effective as of midnight on September 1st, in   
the year 1984 A.D., the domain of Los Angeles is hereby dissolved as a          
recognized entity under the Traditions.

III. Effective as of midnight on 
September 1st, in the year 1984 A.D., the following domains are established upon
the situs formerly known as the Domain of Los Angeles, under the authority of   
the duly approved Princes described herein:
                                 

THE TERRITORY stretching from Malibu in the north, to the Marina in the     
South, and extended Eastward to the edge of the City of West Hollywood, south   
Santa Monica Mountains, shall be recognized as the Domain of Santa Monica. The  
Ventrue Elder, Acton Chardess, shall assume total Praxis over this Domain       
immediately upon its formation, subject to the obligations and limitations      
necessary to ensure the orderly administration of the Traditions, described     
herein.

THE TERRITORY stretching from Simi Valley and Pleasant Valley    
Road to the West, to Burbank and Glendale to the East, up to but not including  
Santa Clarita, shall be recognized as the Domain of the Valley. The Brujah      
Elder, Julian Fletcher, shall assume total Praxis over this Domain immediately  
upon its formation, subject to the obligations and limitations necessary to     
ensure the orderly administration of the Traditions, described                  
herein.

THE TERRITORY situated in the area bounded by the 405 freeway to 
the west, the 10 freeway to the north, the 710 freeway to the east, and Imperial
Highway to the south, as well as the cities of Compton, Paramount, and their    
immediate environs, shall be recognized as the Domain of South Central. Cora    
Fleece of clan Brujah shall assume total Praxis over this Domain immediately    
upon its formation, subject to the obligations and limitations necessary to     
ensure the orderly administration of the Traditions, described herein.          

THE TERRITORY in and around the City of Long Beach, stretching north to the 
91 freeway, and west to the Harbor, shall be recognized as the Domain of Long   
Beach. The Ventrue Elder, Elaine Pruitt, shall assume total Praxis over this    
Domain immediately upon its formation, subject to the obligations and           
limitations necessary to ensure the orderly administration of the Traditions,   
described herein.

THE TERRITORY in the County of Orange, from Diamond Bar
in the North to Santa Ana in the South, shall be recognized as the Domain of    
North Orange County. The Tremere Regent, Caulden Davidoff, shall assume total   
Praxis over this Domain immediately upon its formation, subject to the          
obligations and limitations necessary to ensure the orderly administration of   
the Traditions, described herein.

THE TERRITORY in the County of Orange, 
from Santa Ana in the North to the sea, shall be recognized as the Domain of    
South Orange County. The Toreador Elder, Gillian Ventriss, shall assume total   
Praxis over this Domain immediately upon its formation, subject to the          
obligations and limitations necessary to ensure the orderly administration of   
the Traditions, described herein.                                               

THE TERRITORY between the Domain of Santa Monica to the north, South Central
to the northeast, and Long Beach to the east, shall be recognized as the Domain 
of Torrance. Andrew McQueen of clan Ventrue shall assume total Praxis over this 
Domain immediately upon its formation, subject to the obligations and           
limitations necessary to ensure the orderly administration of the Traditions,   
described herein.

ALL REMAINING TERRITORY, between the Valley, Santa     
Monica, North Orange County, and South Central, shall be known as the Domain of 
Los Angeles. Emerson, elder of Clan Malkavian, shall re-assume praxis over this 
Domain immediately upon its formation, and shall carry out the additional duties
and responsibilities necessary for the orderly administration of the Traditions,
as described herein.                                                            

IV. THE PRINCE of the reconstituted Domain of Los Angeles shall have the    
following prerogatives and responsibilities vis a vis the other Domains created 
by this Conclave:

THAT HE SHALL be empowered to exercise the Third       
Tradition over the entire metropolitan area, denying any the ability to pass on 
the Gifts of the Blood.

THAT HE SHALL be empowered, alone among the      
Princes established herein, to call the Lextalionis for the entire metropolitan 
area, but only in the course of enforcing the Third Tradition, and THAT THIS    
SHALL NOT impair or impede the exercise of the Sixth Tradition and the          
Lextalionis by the other Princes within their own Domains.

THAT HE SHALL 
NOT be empowered to call the Lextalionis upon the Princes of the Other Domains  
in any instance, save with the assent of all the other Princes.

THAT HE  
SHALL be empowered to compel the attendance of the assembled Princes for a      
congregation once per year, for the purposes of furthering the safety, security 
and order of the city as a whole, and THAT HE SHALL also be empowered to assume 
temporary emergency powers over the entire metropolitan area in times of great  
crisis provided that at least FOUR other Domains' Princes do assent.

THAT
HE SHALL maintain and keep a central Elysium to which all vampires in the city  
may travel freely, without condition.                                           

V. EACH PRINCE SHALL be required as a condition of his rule to convene a    
council for purposes of advisement and consultation. These councils need not be 
given any power under the Traditions, but the Princes shall constitute and      
attend their meetings at least four times per year to hear petitions and pleas. 
EACH PRINCE SHALL ALSO be required to keep and maintain such Elysia as are      
necessary for the maintenance of order and peace throughout his domain.
eVI. 
EACH PRINCE SHALL be required to appoint an envoy or seneschal to act as his    
representative in the administration of the Domain. THE SENESCHAL SHALL make    
himself available from time to time in the various Elysia of the city, as is    
necessary for enforcement of the Traditions.                                    

 TO WHICH ALL OF THE ASSEMBLED VAMPIRES BEAR WITNESS, AND THE FUTURE PRINCES
OF LOS ANGELES SIGN THEIR HANDS.

Elaine Pruitt, Clan                     
Ventrue.

Acton, Clan Ventrue.

Andrew McQueen, Clan                
Ventrue.

Gillian Ventriss, Clan Toreador.

Cora Fleece, Clan       
Brujah.

Caulden Davidoff, Clan Tremere.

Julian Fletcher, Clan     
Brujah.

Emerson, Prince of Los Angeles, Clan Malkavian.
              

Most vampires are at least aware of the Watts Riots of 1965. For mortals, they  
are one of the enduring images of the 60's. But for the vampires, it was more   
than just a period of unrest - it was a period of revolution, violence, and     
murder. The Watts riots saw the Prince's rule fail, a new Prince ascend, and the
rebels crushed in response. 1965 saw the city's old order, based on personal    
favour, capricious justice, congeniality, power and indulgence, replaced by a   
strict regime dedicated to enforcing the Traditions. Where before the anarchs   
had been tolerated, even welcomed into vampire society, under Emerson they were 
hunted, destroyed, and converted. The new Prince proved far more dangerous than 
the old, far more adept at uncovering plots, schemes, and even havens. But the  
new Prince also faced greater resistance to his rule from the other elders. The 
Watts Riots, for vampires, marked the birth of the new Los Angeles: diverse,    
sprawling, decentralized, and filled with oppression, infighting, and conflict. 

Those who listen to the stories know that the riots started for vampires with an
argument between two ancillae. Tempers flared, and one was destroyed. The Prince
responded by calling down the Blood Hunt on the survivor, Alvin Forrester of    
clan Brujah. In response, Alvin and Markham, a Nosferatu anarch leader, rallied 
the neonates of South Central against the elders. Using their influence with    
mortals, they started a series of riots, using coincidental mortal events to fan
the flames of rebellion. Under cover of this anarchy, they moved.

The    
Elders moved back.

Markham was, it is rumoured, hunted down and          
destroyed. Nearly a dozen rebellious vampires were destroyed. But amidst the    
chaos and violence, the Prince was destroyed. Speculation abounds - some say it 
was Alvin, others say that it was one of the Prince's advisors. Still others say
that the Ventrue worked against him. Whoever it was, the city was alive with    
vampiric violence that evening. And when the sun set the next day, Los Angeles  
was headless and lost. It was a perfect time for another elder, Emerson to make 
his bid for the throne. The first 15 years of Emerson's rule would see the      
elders crushing those who would work against the Prince. Emerson and Elaine     
Pruitt, separately, would purge the ciy of so-called anarchs. In the end, the   
rebellion of 1965 would prove a bane rather than a boon for the anarch cause.