Laws of the Above

Binding and Governing Agreement Between the Vampires of San Francisco

All Vampires in the San Francisco area will abide by the following Agreement.

The First Directive.

All possessions, talents, skills, and influences shall be used for the benefit of the Community of Kindred in San Francisco. To fail to bolster the Community through the wise use of all you have and all you are is to forfeit your possessions and influences to the Community for redistribution that will benefit the Community. The Prince shall be the final judge on matters of The First Directive, and will direct the redistribution of assets seized under this Directive.

I. Offices:

A. Prince - The Office of Prince shall be voted upon when the position becomes vacant. The Prince?s term of rule shall be until resignation, final death, or impeachment by a tribunal made up of The Primogen Council, and one Representative from each of the five clans, or Ten Years. His decrees are law, subject to the limitations of this Agreement, and in no way may his decrees supersede or amend any portion of this Agreement. Portions of this Agreement may be suspended for a reasonable amount of time only by the unanimous vote of the Prince and the Primogen Council.

B. The Council of Primogen - Members of the council of Primogen shall be determined by each recognized Covenant in accordance with its own dictates. There shall be one member from each Covenant on the Council of Primogen. The Primogen Council shall advise the Prince and have power to do all other things enumerated or implied in this Agreement.

C. Archons - The decrees, welfare, and safety of the Community shall be enforced by Archons, who are agents of the Community appointed by The Prince. At no time may the number of active Archons exceed one fifth of the recognized kindred population of the Community.

D. Regents ? Regents are governors who serve the Community through administration of various neighborhoods as recognized and agreed upon by the Prince and the Council of Primogen. It is their duty to oversee the implementation of The First Directive within their domains and to ensure that this Agreement is followed by all members of the Community who reside or sojourn within their neighborhoods. Regents serve at the sufferance of the Prince, who may strip Regency status whenever He has determined that a Regent has not fulfilled his obligations to the Community.

II. Determination of Guilt or Innocence:

The question of guilt or innocence for any crime enumerated below will be determined by the Judiciary.

Punishments for violating this Agreement shall be decided by the Judiciary and based upon the severity of the infraction, the deportment of the guilty, and, most importantly, the Welfare of the Community. However, only the Prince may decree the destruction of any Vampire, and under no circumstances may the Judiciary decree final death as a punishment without the expressed and unequivocal word of the Prince.

Charges of violating this Agreement may be brought by the The Prince, The Primogen, or the Archons. After a charge is levied, the individual so charged will be brought before the Judiciary to undergo examination and determination. The Judiciary, either in its person or through proxies, may use any means available to arrive at the Truth of any situation. There shall be no appeal, save to the mercy of the Prince, once sentence is passed.

The Prince may offer mercy at his discretion. Should he grant mercy, no sentence or retribution may be carried out against the individual to whom mercy has been granted.

III. Prohibitions:

A. No Kindred may kill except in cases of self-defense or under the auspices of the decree of the Prince, or when necessary to comply with other provisions of this Agreement. This prohibition applies to humans as well as Vampires.

B. No Kindred may knowingly endanger the masquerade by action or omission or inaction.

C. No Kindred under any circumstances may commit diablerie.

D. All kindred may defend themselves and their interests, except when in conflict with the decrees of the Prince, the Primogen Council, or this Agreement. These exclusions are collective as applied to the Primogen, and only actions taken in formal Council benefit from this exclusion.

E. No kindred may seek to take the life or property of any other kindred except under the auspices of a decree of the Primogen council, or the Prince.

F. No blood bonds shall be forced on any kindred, except under the auspices of a decree from the Judiciary, the Primogen council, or the Prince.

G. Every member of the Community is responsible for his or her behavior. No vampire will be made to pay for the misdeeds of any other vampire.

H. Creating a vampire is an act, and the sire shall be responsible for properly initiating his progeny into the Community of San Francisco.

I. No kindred may enter the haven of any other vampire unless specifically invited by that haven?s owner, or under extreme exigency, or by mistake, or under the auspices of a decree from the council of judges, the Primogen council, or the Prince.

J. The Community of San Francisco does not tolerate treason in any form. Final Death is the punishment for violation of this portion of the Agreement.

K. All Vampires have three nights during which to seek recognition of their lawful presence within the San Francisco area. This recognition may be sought from the Prince or any Titled government official within the community. Said official must then report the granting of Lawful Presence Status to the Prince within 24 hours of the grant of said status.

L. Any vampire wishing to remain in the city for more than one calendar month must seek permission from the Prince. The Prince will grant permission or will deny permission within three days of receiving such a petition. If permission is denied, the supplicant may seek permission for resident status from the Primogen council. The Prince, personally or by proxy, may present his case as to why the individual is not worthy of resident status.

M. No vampire may feed upon servants of the mortal government, including (but not limited to) police officers, fire fighters, and elected officials, nor shall they feed upon the immediate family members of such people.

N. There is to be no violence in Elysium, nor any use of powers of the blood except as necessary to enforce other elements of this Agreement.

O. No Vampire save for the Prince and the Master of Elysium are allowed to feed on living human vessels within a radius of two city blocks of any Elysium.

P. Only the Prince has the power to call for the destruction of any Vampire.

Laws of the Below

The Laws of The Refugee City of San Francisco, also known as The Undercity, also known as The Vagabond City, also named The Hidden City, and often called simply 'The Below', as written by His Majesty, Prince Killian McDonagh of the Clan Mekhet.

1. Uphold the Traditions in their Entirety

A. The First Tradition of The Masquerade: Do not reveal your nature to those not of the blood. To do so forfeits your right to the blood.

By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, should any Kindred reveal his nature to those not of the blood, that Kindred will suffer the full measure of His Majesty's Displeasure, up to and including a decree of Final Death. Should a bonded servant reveal the nature of Kindred to those not of the blood, both the Kindred and the servant will suffer the full measure of His Majesty's Displeasure.

B. The Second Tradition of Progeny: Sire another at the peril of both yourself and your progeny. If you create a childe, the weight is your own to bear.

By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, should a Kindred wish to sire a childe, permission must be sought from His Majesty prior to the Embrace. Should a childe be created without permission, the sire will suffer the full measure of His Majesty's Displeasure, and the Childe will be fostered to one suitable, pending review of the childe's worth and discretion.

C. The Third Tradition of Amaranth: You are forbidden from devouring the Hearts-Blood of another of your kind. If you violate this commandment, The Beast calls to your own Blood. By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, Diablerie is forbidden. Any Kindred found to have committed this act within the Undercity will be exiled from The Undercity. A Blood-Hunt may be called if said Kindred is seen within the The Undercity after their exile.

2. Deference

By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, any UnPresented Kindred entering the Undercity through any means other than the approved entrances will be at the Mercy of His Majesty's Hounds, who have the Right of Destruction in these instances. Those who enter through approved means, or with the escort of one of the Prince's Agents, will be escorted to His Majesty or one of His Majesty's Court Officers immediately upon arrival.

3. Rights of Kindred Under The Rule of Prince Killian McDonagh

A. Right of Domain: A Kindred's Haven is his own Domain, so far as his laws do not conflict with the Laws of the Undercity, or disrespect His Majesty or His Majesty's Representatives.

B. The Right of Transit: Any Kindred or Ghoul who travel on official business of His Majesty or The Court of the Undercity may cross borders without risk, threat, or hinderance of any kind. To break this Law will be inviting a corresponding measure of His Majesty's Displeasure.

4. Lextalionis

By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, only the Prince may call a Blood Hunt upon a Kindred outlaw. Upon the Hunt being called, it is expected for all Kindred of the domain to actively participate until a satisfactory conclusion has been reached.

By Order of the Prince of the Undercity, only The Prince may confer the Right of Destruction. Any unsanctioned, intentional, or maliciously reckless act resulting in the Final Death, incapacitation, or abduction of another Kindred or the destruction, incapacitation, or abduction of a Kindred's unabandoned, fully bonded Ghoul is a criminal offense, and will result in a measure of his Majesty's Displeasure, up to and including Final Death.

5. Elysia

Restrictions for any Elysium: Due to the unique nature of The Refugee City of San Francisco, His Majesty and his Appointed Master of Elysia reserve the right to declare any meeting place Elysia at any given time. No Kindred or Ghoul shall feed, commit an act of violence or civil disorder, or make use of Vampiric Gifts within the Elysium Walls. Those in breach of this Commandment shall suffer His Majesty's Displeasure.

--The Sealed Subway Station beneath Russian Hill is hereby declared His Majesty's Elysium.

--Minor Elyia: The area beneath Mision San Francisco de Asis, The Sewers beneath New Addiction Tattoos in Chinatown, The Sewers Beneath the Civic Center and the War Memorial Opera House of San Francisco, and any other area added by His Majesty or His Majesty's chosen Master of Elysia.

6. The Prince's Court shall comprise a specific number of officers and meet at a time, place, and frequency of His Majesty's discretion. There, by his Majesty's invitation and subject to His Pleasure or Displeasure, they shall advise His Majesty in matters related to the City.

The Seneschal: The Prince's right hand, the Seneschal is responsible for many of the night-to-night details of running a government. While the Prince concerns himself with conflict in the city and making certain the Masquerade goes unbroken, the Seneschal makes sure that things run smoothly in the government itself. He is responsible for keeping track of the Prince's assets [and possibly those of the other ruling bodies]. He makes schedules and appointments and handles the many logistics required so that no elder feels that another is given preferential treatment. The Seneschal holds substantial power in the domain, for he often decides whose petitions society of the damned are passed on to the Prince, who receives a court audience, and in what order.

The Herald: The Herald is the Prince's Mouthpiece. When the Prince makes a decree, the Herald's job is to make sure that all of the city's Kindred hear of it [assuming it's meant for all ears...]. When the Prince convenes an unscheduled court, the Herald is responsible for alerting those who must attend. The Herald hands down judgement, represents the Prince in proxy when he can not [or will not] make a personal appearance, and otherwise serves as something of a "secretary of state". The Herald is assumed to speak with the Prince's Voice at all times.

The Sheriff: A combination of police investigator, enforcer, and inquisitor, the Sheriff is responsible for enforcing the Prince's laws and dictates, for bringing outlaws before The Prince for judgement and--at times--for carrying out sentences. Some Sheriffs truly believe in the rule of law and believe that they serve their society and fellow Kindred by keeping the city as orderly as possible. Others love the position for the power it offers, as they are permitted to bully and push around other vampires, even those who would normally be far to dangerous to touch. Some Sheriffs are clever, subtle investigators, while others are little more than bruisers with rank.

The Sheriff may appoint deputies to assist them in his tasks. These deputies may also be appointed or dischaged by His Majesty. An uncoerced spoken or written statement made to the Sheriff or the Sheriff's Deputies may be introduced as sworn testimony before the Prince.

His Majesty's Hounds: Quite simply, a Hound is the Prince's muscle. If the Sheriff is a policeman, the Hound is an assassin or a leg-breaker. He doesn't investigate. He doesn't question. His job is to punish anyone he's told to punish. In some instances, the Hounds and the Sheriff are at odds due to their overlapping responsibilities. In other cities, the two are combined into a single position. While the Hounds might be asked to carry out the official and public chastisement of a lawbreaker, that duty more often falls to the Sheriff. THe Hound is normally employed when the Prince wishes to skip over normal [and possibly public] procedure.

6. Required Etiquette for All Kindred: No Kindred shall harass the Prince at any time.
--An exception: If the Prince is under duress, any available Kindred are expected to defend the Prince. --If a Kindred finds themselves within His Majesty's vicinity, they will keep a respectful distance, and not approach unless welcomed.
--All petitions, requests for audience, favors, etc. must be submitted to His Majesty's Sensechal for approval and calendaring. Those who are unfaithful to this procedure risk the Displeasure of His Majesty's Seneschal. Those who are approached by directly by The Prince are exempt from this protocol.

7.Treason: Treason shall be defined thusly and is subject to His Majesty's Displeasure, which will likely entail Final Death:

Violation of Allegiance toward his Majesty, His Property, or His Will, especially in the acts of waging war, actively or passively, or by consciously and purposely acting to aid His Enemies.

Treason to the Undercity is also defined as any Kindred or Ghoul giving away the existence of the Undercity to those of the 'Above' City of San Francisco, thusly endangering the entirety of the Undercity and His Majesty's Domain. Those shall be Blood Hunted and shall enjoy the Full Measure of His Majesty's Displeasure, regardless of station, relationship, or alliances made with those denizens of the Undercity.

I, Prince Killian McDonagh, set by my hand these laws the 8th Night of April, 1947. They will be obeyed.