Please bear in mind that these are still early notes and are not set in stone, especially as more setting information becomes available from White Wolf. However, we do not anticipate deviating from these notes drastically when we run Dark Metropolis.
“An investment in the Invictus is an investment in your Requiem.”
Mask: Meritocracy of the elite, guiding the city through a golden age
Dirge: Backstabbing elders, mismanaging power-hungry neonates
What Do They Want?
There are two things that members of the Invictus want: power and the maintenance of the society they have built. Woe betide the Kindred who obtains the former at the expense of the latter.
The Invictus are aware that their society can only function if Covenants co-operate - the more important Covenants, anyway - and so it is natural to want to keep close ties with the other power blocks of the city. In practice, this ends up meaning the Lancea Sanctum first and foremost, the Ordo Dracul with their unpredictable, experimental ways coming in second, and the Circle of the Crone and Carthians further behind.
What Do They Do?
The Invictus may present a unified front, calm and in control of both themselves and the city at large, but the truth is behind the scenes there’s backstabbing betrayals and vicious conflict, Elders trying to vie for more respect or resources, or the younger members trying to eke out what little patronage they can. A typical Invictus is always looking to climb to the next rung of the ladder while keeping those below them down where they belong.
Beyond that, any single Invictus is expected to pursue their own path. Some might be surprised at how understanding an Invictus Elder can be of a respectable ancilla pursuing an odd, modern interest, but the only thing that matters is success. Power and control. Whatever you do as an Invictus, whether that’s maintaining territory, beating in Carthian heads, preserving the Masquerade, involving yourself in Kine business, being a teacher or mercenary for a particular skillset - you’re simply expected to be very, very good at it, and preferably the best.
Of course, loyalty and fealty are familiar concepts to some Invictus (no matter what the Carthians may say), and if a member of the First Estate has loyal allies then the whole bloc can end up a force to be reckoned with. Knightly Orders, Guilds and other social groups within the Invictus advertise themselves as almost safe havens from the politicking and paranoia - though in practice there’s almost as much vicious ambition within their walls.
The bottom line for Invictus Elders is that they need Neonates - both to oppose the Carthians and to act on their behalf, whether in the Low Court, in the daytime, or with people the Elders just don’t particularly want to work with. They give the spiel of rising through the ranks, many pointing to themselves (and Prince Lockwood) as self-made-Kindred, but they try to keep secret the true nature of the Invictus: a pyramid scheme. Rising through the ranks isn’t an option for many if those above you are paranoid, powerful, long-lived and very, very territorial about what they have carved out for themselves.
Not all higher-status Invictus view the Neonates as simple cannon fodder and foot soldiers. The Invictus have organised patronages, where higher status members sponsor promising young blood and formally support them, often in pursuing a specific role, skill or title that is related to the higher-status Invictus. Part apprenticeship, part servitude, part public quasi-adoption, these patronages can be pursued by the younger or elder Invictus, but most often a patron will announce their availability and let the masses of prospective apprentices fight over who will be chosen. This way they expend the least effort, they get the best apprentice, and they get all the bribes and favours along the way.
Development Notes
We specifically chose for the Norwich Metropolis to be an Invictus Fief, as we wanted the familiarity and easy-access of such a Fief. Many people know what to expect from an Invictus Fief! However, we wanted to play around with the idea that all Invictus are old-money aristocrats from a forgotten age, with dusty frock coats, et cetera - and also the idea that they’re all businesspeople in the meeting room.
Our Invictus are successful in the modern, fast-moving Metropolis and by necessity have to be more than just a bunch of old nobility. We want to emphasise how many Invictus have made themselves what they are now - whether they’re Elders, Ancillae or Neonates - and we want to explore how these achievements affect someone’s mindset, especially when there’s so much fresh blood knocking on the door and demanding their fair share.
Questions to think about with Invictus characters
Were you specifically chosen by an Invictus Kindred as someone to be Embraced and brought into the fold? If so, what made you special?
Do you have a patron, and if so how respected are they within the Invictus and wider Court? What do you do for them?
If you don’t have a patron, how are you looking for one? Or why do you not want one?
What do you really think of the Invictus? Is it all a scam, or does everyone have the same opportunities to make someone of themselves?
Dirge: Backstabbing elders, mismanaging power-hungry neonates
Who Are They?
The Invictus are the ones in charge; they’re the ones who keep Kindred society orderly and stable and they’re very much aware of that fact. Without them to keep the Traditions and laws of the city it wouldn’t be long before the Beast that lurks in every Kindred came to the fore and with it the downfall of Kindred society as a whole. Or at least that’s what they say. Besides, who else are you going to trust to keep a city the size of Norwich under control? The Carthians?
Of course not.
Kindred need leaders who have proven ability to actually lead. This isn’t about antiquated notions like “a divine right to rule,” it’s simply a matter of capability. The Invictus have ‘friends’ among the Kine government, emergency services, major corporations and anywhere else that’s useful. Their ranks are filled with people from these backgrounds, people who demonstrated that they have the necessary drive to make their mark on the world and exercise their will upon it.
Where Did They Come From?
The Invictus have existed for centuries; some say they’ve been around for almost as long as Kindred themselves. Empires have risen and fallen, with or without their help. Other Covenants have come and gone and they’ve survived it all. Unbowed. Unbroken. Undefeated.
Throughout it all, it has been the Invictus who kept the Traditions; who managed, through fair means and foul, to keep the Kine from realising that monsters lurk in their midst. Even at their lowest point in recent years, when the worst excesses of Prince Sebastian Cheverton became almost too much to conceal, they maintained their hold over the Kindred. This is, of course, due in part to the swift action of Prince Lockwood following the bombing raid that sent her predecessor to his Final Death.
The Invictus are the ones in charge; they’re the ones who keep Kindred society orderly and stable and they’re very much aware of that fact. Without them to keep the Traditions and laws of the city it wouldn’t be long before the Beast that lurks in every Kindred came to the fore and with it the downfall of Kindred society as a whole. Or at least that’s what they say. Besides, who else are you going to trust to keep a city the size of Norwich under control? The Carthians?
Of course not.
Kindred need leaders who have proven ability to actually lead. This isn’t about antiquated notions like “a divine right to rule,” it’s simply a matter of capability. The Invictus have ‘friends’ among the Kine government, emergency services, major corporations and anywhere else that’s useful. Their ranks are filled with people from these backgrounds, people who demonstrated that they have the necessary drive to make their mark on the world and exercise their will upon it.
The Invictus have existed for centuries; some say they’ve been around for almost as long as Kindred themselves. Empires have risen and fallen, with or without their help. Other Covenants have come and gone and they’ve survived it all. Unbowed. Unbroken. Undefeated.
Throughout it all, it has been the Invictus who kept the Traditions; who managed, through fair means and foul, to keep the Kine from realising that monsters lurk in their midst. Even at their lowest point in recent years, when the worst excesses of Prince Sebastian Cheverton became almost too much to conceal, they maintained their hold over the Kindred. This is, of course, due in part to the swift action of Prince Lockwood following the bombing raid that sent her predecessor to his Final Death.
What Do They Want?
There are two things that members of the Invictus want: power and the maintenance of the society they have built. Woe betide the Kindred who obtains the former at the expense of the latter.
The Invictus are aware that their society can only function if Covenants co-operate - the more important Covenants, anyway - and so it is natural to want to keep close ties with the other power blocks of the city. In practice, this ends up meaning the Lancea Sanctum first and foremost, the Ordo Dracul with their unpredictable, experimental ways coming in second, and the Circle of the Crone and Carthians further behind.
What Do They Do?
The Invictus may present a unified front, calm and in control of both themselves and the city at large, but the truth is behind the scenes there’s backstabbing betrayals and vicious conflict, Elders trying to vie for more respect or resources, or the younger members trying to eke out what little patronage they can. A typical Invictus is always looking to climb to the next rung of the ladder while keeping those below them down where they belong.
Of course, loyalty and fealty are familiar concepts to some Invictus (no matter what the Carthians may say), and if a member of the First Estate has loyal allies then the whole bloc can end up a force to be reckoned with. Knightly Orders, Guilds and other social groups within the Invictus advertise themselves as almost safe havens from the politicking and paranoia - though in practice there’s almost as much vicious ambition within their walls.
The bottom line for Invictus Elders is that they need Neonates - both to oppose the Carthians and to act on their behalf, whether in the Low Court, in the daytime, or with people the Elders just don’t particularly want to work with. They give the spiel of rising through the ranks, many pointing to themselves (and Prince Lockwood) as self-made-Kindred, but they try to keep secret the true nature of the Invictus: a pyramid scheme. Rising through the ranks isn’t an option for many if those above you are paranoid, powerful, long-lived and very, very territorial about what they have carved out for themselves.
Not all higher-status Invictus view the Neonates as simple cannon fodder and foot soldiers. The Invictus have organised patronages, where higher status members sponsor promising young blood and formally support them, often in pursuing a specific role, skill or title that is related to the higher-status Invictus. Part apprenticeship, part servitude, part public quasi-adoption, these patronages can be pursued by the younger or elder Invictus, but most often a patron will announce their availability and let the masses of prospective apprentices fight over who will be chosen. This way they expend the least effort, they get the best apprentice, and they get all the bribes and favours along the way.
Development Notes
We specifically chose for the Norwich Metropolis to be an Invictus Fief, as we wanted the familiarity and easy-access of such a Fief. Many people know what to expect from an Invictus Fief! However, we wanted to play around with the idea that all Invictus are old-money aristocrats from a forgotten age, with dusty frock coats, et cetera - and also the idea that they’re all businesspeople in the meeting room.
Our Invictus are successful in the modern, fast-moving Metropolis and by necessity have to be more than just a bunch of old nobility. We want to emphasise how many Invictus have made themselves what they are now - whether they’re Elders, Ancillae or Neonates - and we want to explore how these achievements affect someone’s mindset, especially when there’s so much fresh blood knocking on the door and demanding their fair share.
Questions to think about with Invictus characters
Were you specifically chosen by an Invictus Kindred as someone to be Embraced and brought into the fold? If so, what made you special?
Do you have a patron, and if so how respected are they within the Invictus and wider Court? What do you do for them?
If you don’t have a patron, how are you looking for one? Or why do you not want one?
What do you really think of the Invictus? Is it all a scam, or does everyone have the same opportunities to make someone of themselves?
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