The Covenant

"Sanguis et Imperium"

- faction motto """Chaos walks alongside Vampires. With that chaos brings devastation, death, and malady. It is the Covenant's job to keep that chaos in check. To ensure the protection of the Vampire world by all means. No exceptions."

- Caius """The Covenant isn't our adversaries. On the contrary, they are the people that protect us from our real foes. However, don't get me wrong, the power they hold is great and ravaged by corruption and degradation. That's one thing our world shares with the human world. They are the grounds of our peace and civilization. As well as our greatest impediment."

- Stephen

The Covenant is the most powerful and largest vampire coven. They seized control of the vampire world after acquiring prominence in the late 16th century, and now operate as an enforcer of rules and wield strong authority over the vampire inhabitants across the entire world. The Covenant is the official oligarchic government in the vampire world, and they are a powerful and feared coven. Many vampires dread them, and no one dares to challenge their rule. The Covenant serves as a gatekeeper, keeping the secret vampire society hidden from the human world when necessary. They frequently dispatch agents from their North American headquarters in Seattle to prevent overzealous covens from disclosing vampires by mass elimination of all vampires (and humans) present. The coven has been around for centuries and is still growing.

Though they are seen as the Vampire world's ruling authority, their power is limited, and they frequently rely on fearmongering and forced allegiance. Once a vampire is born or formed, they are obliged to display their allegiance and devotion to the group by acquiring a position in the government or being assigned a mission to fulfill. The Covenant frequently makes examples of "disloyaltists" or traitors by public death and/or punishment in order to maintain authority and keep acts of rebellion in line. This hasn't stopped dissident factions like the Anarch group and the Unseen from springing up and fighting the Covenant.

Vampires have been known to humans for ages, and as a result, they have been persecuted and imprisoned. Vampirism is banned in several nations, including the United States, and is punished by death. As a result, the Covenant's primary mission is to safeguard the vampire world from destruction and anarchy. The Covenant has intentionally disguised itself in plain sight in the human world to protect their safety, even forming a division tasked with infiltrating a country's administration for intelligence. They also impose incredibly stringent regulations on vampires, such as the Masquerade. This legislation ensures that the vampire world remains concealed and that vampire-human interactions are regulated and limited. The Masquerade is a vital part of vampire survival; without it, human governments would rise up and exterminate all vampires.

The Covenant is led by the Circle, an oligarchical body made up of powerful vampires from key countries all around the world. The Circle is a powerful body in the vampire world, possessing the ability to enact and repeal vampire laws, as well as acting as though they are immune to them. The Circle has thirteen seats, each of which is frequently owned by a dynasty that oversees and administers a country. The Circle is the supreme authority in the vampire underworld, and everyone, even Stephen, fears and respects it. The Adjudicator is the Circle's principal agent and enforcer, with the power to judge and harm anybody who dares to question it.

Leaders

 * The Elder Kings: Also known as the Vampire Elders or the Three Kings, are the three leaders and rulers of the entire vampire population and the most powerful of their kind. They are the oldest vampires in exitances, being said to be around 3000 years old and originate from ancient Greece. Because of this they are the only vampires in the world that can be accurately labelled as Anbloods and were also blessed with mutated genetics that allowed them use special abnormal powers. Each Elder having their own abilities and each equally shrouded in mystery in its description. The original Elders are the three oldest known Vampires are all related. These three Vampires are Aramastus (the oldest), Marcellus (the middle), and Demetrius (the youngest). After the first Blood War the Elders established the Covenant as the ruling government of the vampire underworld. They ruled over the vampire world as kings until the late 1700s when they gave control over the Circle and decided to sleep for the rest of eternity. They're whereabouts are shrouded in mystery and their existences are often played off as legends or even bed time stories for more younger vampires. It is also rumored that their place of eternal slumber is located under the Red Tower of somewhere in Transylvania or that there bodies are all hidden in different places. The only person in communication with the Elders and have knowledge of their locations is the Adjudicator.
 * Caius-letter.gifThe Circle: The Circle, the Covenant's current ruling body, is an oligarchical body comprised of powerful and elderly vampires from a number of significant locations throughout the world where the vampire population is thick. Following the Elder Kings' retirement, they were given power and authority over the vampire underworld. They have the ability to adopt and abolish vampire laws, as well as seeming to be immune to them. The Circle holds trials for vampires accused of committing atrocities against the Accords, such as violating the Masquerade or murdering other vampires. Because the seats of the Circle are filled by elections and voting, this new system is a little more democratic than the previous one. However, this method is prone to corruption and rigged elections in order to get a desired result. The Circle's members all have the same level of power, although some have more influence and authority over others. One great example of this is Caius, who originally only represented the United States but is now also representing Canada. He also has several other Circle members under his control, which is beneficial when it comes to passing laws and Accords that he desires. He has caused the vampire world to undergo a major social and cultural transformation as a result of his influence, making them less migratory and more collective. As of 2030 the current Circle members include: Caius (representative of the USA and Canada), Azazel (representative of Japan), Vladimir (representative of Russia), Stefan (representative Germany), Apolline (representative of France), Helena (representative of the British Isles), Enzo (representative of Italy), Baltasar (representative of Iberian Peninsula), Ulysses (representative of Greece and the Balkans), Cassian (representative of India and South Asia), Amon (representative of Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries), Marcelo (representative of Brazil and other South American countries), Madam Gao (representative of China), Mattias (representative of Nordic countries), Alvaro (representative of Mexico and many other Central American countries), Anansi (representative of Nigeria and other African countries), Dracul (representative of Romania and Eastern Europe). Enzo is the latest Circle member to the be placed. Members of the Circle are often referred to as a Councilor of Representative.


 * Elektra-in-a-car.gifThe Adjudicator: The Adjudicator, who was personally created by Marcellus, the oldest of the Elder Kings, works as a natural bridge between the Circle and the rest of the vampire underworld, acting as the chief investigator, judge, and executioner for those who break the Masquerade. All cases where the Masquerade has been broken are taken over by them. They also have control over the Guard and the services they require as a result of this power. Those assigned to this post are responsible for ensuring the vampire world's stability and ensuring that the Circle is doing its duties properly. Many of the Accords provide them immunity. Their status in the government has been questioned, and it has often hinged on the person in charge at the moment. When Ransley held the role, for example, he was susceptible to manipulation by various Circle members. The Adjudicator is the only entity that knows where the Elder Kings are, and he takes orders from them. Serena was the Adjudicator during the Hansee Hall Attack and had held the office since the early 1920s when Vladimir killed him and blamed it on the Anarch in order to ignite another Blood War. Elektra took over his post almost quickly.

Divisions

 * Gun-loading.gifThe Guard: They are a group of powerful vampires who serve as Covenant subordinates and are also known as the Covenant guard. While the majority of guards are tasked with protecting notable members and acting as bodyguards or simple security, others are tasked with additional useful responsibilities. The Covenant has been shown to invite mostly vampires with extremely powerful Disciplines, which the founders believe will help them maintain their dominance over other covens. Those who master these skills are promoted to lieutenant in the Guard or serve as personal bodyguards for Circle members. The Covenant would endeavor to recruit a vampire with discipline to replace the member, or at the very least to join the organization, if they found one. If a guard member is fired, he is either released or disposed of, depending on the threat he would provide if he joined another coven. Vampire guards who lack discipline are often seen in formal all-black uniforms with crimson gloves, ties, and handkerchiefs. They spawn a high-combat SWAT-like tactical gear during fights. These regular vampire guards are also given firearms and assault rifles loaded with Cruor-carrying bullets. During cases where the Masquerade had been breached, their services are transferred over to the Adjudicator.


 * The Eyes: The Eyes are secret vampire agents who are responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign and domestic intelligence and counterintelligence purposes, and are officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the human world, primarily through the Covenant's most important division. The Eyes are also in charge of safeguarding the Covenant communications and information systems. To carry on its objective, The Eyes use a number of methods, the majority of which are classified. There are vocations that are considered the most dangerous and crucial since acquiring information about the human world aids the vampire world in better defending itself. There is very little information about their workplace, and even less information about their jobs. Employees in this division were not allowed to talk about their jobs or provide any information about their department.
 * The Stiffs: The Stiffs are typical employees whose jobs vary based on location and status. They are often referred to as the Covenant's "little workers." You have workers who work in Continental Towers as accountants, managers, and office workers; you have doctors and physicians who are considered to be the most important members of the Stiffs; and you have clean up crews who are primarily used by powerful covens to dispose of bodies and clean up messy crime scenes for vampires. This section of the Stiffs is mostly used by the Covenant to clean up the aftermath of a vampire execution in order to avoid human examination. The Stiffs are the Covenant's largest section, but also its weakest, and they are subjected to the Covenant's horrors of corruption. The majority of vampires in the underworld seek jobs in this category since it is the easiest to obtain, the safest, and does not involve a lot of work. However, unlike the Guard and the Eyes position, which provides members with access to luxurious apartments, unlimited blood supply, and around-the-clock protection, the job does not come with the best benefits.

Ideology
Though the Covenant's governance over the vampire underworld varies from country to country and from leader to leader, the overall government system is very much authoritarian in its practices. It is a oppressive oligarchical government run by a group called the Circle who's members are selected by society's most powerful and elite. Its form of government characterized by the rejection of political plurality, the use of a strong central power to preserve the political status quo, and reductions in the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voting. The Covenant is a principle of blind submission to authority. It is opposed to individual freedom of thought and action and believe that is may lead to chaos and the dismantling of the of vampire world. However, in certain countries where vampires have gain much control over human society (such as the case in the Middle East) or in countries where the vampire population is on par with the human (such as the case in Russia) vampire individual freedom is more present. The Covenant holds absolute power over the entire vampire underworld and their leadership often times go unquestioned. The Covenants has proven many times that to break one of their sacred Accords could prove costly and because of this they are feared by the majority of the vampire world, to a point that family members would often times betray and turn in other family members who have broken laws in order to save themselves and/or the rest of the family from punishment. Though the Covenant and has installed fear into the overall vampire population, their iron and tight hold over the vampire underworld has also caused much pushed back from revolutionary and radical vampires' of wish not only to be free from the Covenants rule but also human oppression as well. One major group who carries these view is the secretive and dangerous coven known as the Anarch. Though the Covenant has always tried to crush uprising and small rebellions before they can gain traction, the Anarch has managed to gain much support over the years and has been the Covenants biggest opposition.

Laws
Throughout the centuries, the Covenant has established and enforced a number of laws that all vampires are expected to obey on pain of death. These laws are referred to as Accords that were created many years ago by members of the Monarch but were given control to the Covenant after their establishment in hopes of keeping order in the vampire underworld. These laws are enforced by the Guard, a subdivision of the Covenant, who is tasked with serving harsh punishment to those who break the accords. Only leaders of the Covenant has the authority to make new accords and remove accords, however, they are not above the law and the Accords applies to them as well.


 * Accord I: The Masquerade is first and most important accord to established. It is in place to keep as much about the vampire world as secret. Though the existence of vampires' is universally known, everything about their world is shrouded in mystery thanks to the Masquerade. It is the cornerstone survival strategy for vampires, without it, it would place the entire vampire world at risk. The basics of the Masquerade are enforced through self-policing and harsh penalties. When a breach occurs, the methods of repairing may vary, but somebody is going to be punished—and while it would be nice for that somebody to be whoever caused the breach in the first place, Council members are known to prefer an early morning dusting over a long thorough search. Generally, a breach consists of any evidence of vampiric powers: feeding on blood, obvious use of Disciplines, regeneration in plain sight and the like. Vampires are taught to blend in and to cultivate their humanity in order to make imitating living people easier. However, when something severe happens, the Covenant usually calls on the Guard, who have made Masquerade-patching something of a practice. The Adjudicator will apply whatever resources are necessary—cash, torture, assassinations, threats, etc—to make the problem go away.
 * Accord II: Vampires' interaction with humans must not draw wide attention. Since many vampires have much knowledge of the vampire underworld, human awareness of a vampire can potentially put the vampire underworld at risk. If a human becomes aware of them, the vampire at fault would be responsible for silencing that human. This mostly leads to two options: make the human join the vampire world or silence that human permanently. As long as attention isn't drawn widely so that prompts the Covenant's involvement, they may never find out. Failure to silence a human who is aware of a vampire's identity is punishable by the 50 years in the Oubliette and/or the human being put to death and the vampire being Excommunicated.
 * Accord III: Loyalty and acknowledgment of the Covenant authority are absolute. All vampires have sworn devotion to the Covenant upon birth or creation. Any attempt of targeting or seeking to harm high ranking members of the Covenant is seen as especially heinous and punishable by death or 100 years in the Oubliette. All vampires is required to serve the Covenant by some means as proof of loyalty. Punishment for not displaying loyalty or having treasonous motives is grounds for the vampire being Excommunicated or put to death.
 * Accord IIV: Consuming and feeding off the blood of another Vampire is viewed as animalistic and barbaric and therefore, illegal. Such an act is viewed as a cannibalistic and a crime against the vampire world. Humans and animals are the only available food sources for vampires to feast on. If caught feasting on another vampire for food is grounds for the vampire in question to be punished with 10 years in the Oubliette or Excommunicated.
 * Accord V: Hunts must be inconspicuous, with victims unlikely to be missed; their remains must be disposed of and territory must be changed often. Vampires are also encouraged to don mask or any other face coverings to ensure their identity is unrevealed. The risk of being exposed or caught hunting can harm the vampire underworld and put other vampires at risk. If reckless hunting does happen the Covenant will have no choice but to step in in order to secure the safety of the vampire world. Failure to keep hunt inconspicuous is punishable by the vampire in question being excommunicated. Punishment for reckless hunting and mass killings is immediate death, excommunication, or a sentenced in the Oubliette.
 * Accord VI: Hunting and killing of any kind are forbidden on Covenant grounds. This is to prevent attention to certain where large numbers of vampires remain. Hunting animals is allowed but killing humans and other vampires are strictly forbidden. Breaking such rule result in the vampire being instantly Excommunicated, put to death, or a sentenced in the Oubliette.
 * Accord VII: Blood oaths are seen as sacred to the vampire world and must be respected once made. A blood oath, once sworn, must be carried out, or those who don't hold up their end of the deal will face the death penalty. Killing the holder of the blood oath is, of course, unacceptable, as well as running away.
 * Accord VIII: Excommunicated is a state of a former Covenant member after their privileges have been revoked due to a severe infraction of the rules. Helping or assisting excommunicated members is prohibited with harsh punishments ranging from being sent to the Oubliette or them being excommunicated themselves. When an individual is excommunicated, they lose all access to Covenant services, such as blood access, housing, jobs and money, and protection from other Covenant members. These individuals are to receive no assists of any kind from the Covenant or those who are loyal to it.
 * Accord IX: Malbloods are considered potential breaches of the Masquerade accord all the time therefore their existence are a threat to the entire vampire world. This Accord hereby views all Malbloods as criminals and breakers of the Masquerade accord. Therefore, all Malbloods shall be arrested and imprisoned for the overall safety of the vampire world. Harboring or protecting a Malbloods is also grounds for punishment. Malbloods are forbiddan from having positions in the Covenant or from creating covens themselves.
 * Accord X: No vampire will ever reveal his or her actual identity to a human and then let that human live. Vampires are not allowed to marry humans, and platonic interactions with humans must be kept to a minimum. No vampire should ever tell a human about vampire history and then let the human live. No vampire must commit to documenting the vampire's history or any genuine knowledge of vampires, lest such a history be discovered and believed by mortals. A vampire must never reveal the location of his or another vampire coven's lair to a human. Punishment for a vampire wedding a human will result in that human being discreetly killed and the vampire in question to be punished by 70 years in the Oubliette and/or excommunication from the Covenant. Punishment for a vampire who shares viable details and secrets about the vampire world to a human is the human being discreetly killed and the vampire in question to be punished by 50 years in the Oubliette and/or excommunication from the Covenant.
 * Accord XI: No vampire may ever destroy another vampire unless in self defense. Just like in the human world, murder in the vampire world doesn't go unpunished. The only to this law being coven leaders who has the power of life and death over all his flock. All murders undergo investigation and are personally over seen by the Covenant. If a vampire is accused of murder they will undergo investigation and be given a fair trial with a lawyer and jury of their peers. Witnesses can be called and evidence are used to help prove the vampire's innocence or guilt. If proven guilty a vampire can face up to 80 to 100 years in the Oubliette or even death.
 * Accord XII: Covens can only be formed by vampires that are at least 200 years old. A coven must have a leader and at least ten other members to be labeled a coven. All covens must be registered and under the Covenant's administration and oversight. Following that, the Covenant will grant the coven territory. If a coven member violates any of the vampire laws, the coven will be subjected to probation and investigation before being disbanded. If a coven is proved to be hiding or assisting in unlawful activity, the entire coven may face punishment.
 * Accord XIII: The development of Thinbloods is now prohibited. Following the King Street Station Massacres, the Circle has concluded that the generation of newborn vampires puts the vampire world in jeopardy. They are difficult to manage and readily anger due to their increased emotions. They'll probably slaughter each other to compete for blood. When they smell blood, their hunting instincts take over and obscure their ability to concentrate; the mere mention of the word "blood" is enough to quench their thirst. Because of the excruciating thirst in the first several months, most newborns are more animalistic and wild than their older counterparts. To ensure the safety of the vampire world, the Circle has deemed this reason sufficient to prohibit the generation of new vampires. A vampire that turns a human into a vampire will be slain, imprisoned in the Oubliette for 70 to 100 years, and/or excommunicated from the Covenant as a result of their actions. The newborn, whose very existence poses a threat to the vampire world, should be slain as soon as possible before they can cause any harm. Any form of probable penalty for the accused is based on harboring or supporting a Thinblood in any way.

Punishments

 * Oubliette: Also known as a the Black Cells, the Oubliette is a prison sector located in the underground basement of the Red Tower. The Oubliette was an underground dungeon that was created by the Covenant in order to punish vampires who commit crimes. It is used to hold political and other kinds of prisoners and was built particularly narrow and dark to increase the psychological damage. The Oubliette is a prison that was used by the Covenant to punish vampires who have broken his rules. All of the prisoners are place underground dungeon with access only through a trapdoor in its ceiling and left to desiccate for the duration of their sentences. The Oubliette can found of Floor 0 of the Red Tower and prisoners are immediately taken their after their sentencing.
 * Excommunicated: Excommunication is a state of a former Covenant member after their privileges have been revoked due to a severe infraction of the rules. When an individual is excommunicated, they lose all access to Covenant services, such regular blood supplies, housing, security, and including protection. Since the Covenant has their present critical to ensure the stability of the vampire world and have made all vampire completely dependent on them, life without their help is almost a death sentence for a vampire who must now feed for themselves. Often times the Covenant would turn in the excommunicated vampire over to human authorities, such as the DCV, in order to maintain any information of the vampire world from leaking out.
 * Death: If a vampire commits a serious act they are often sentenced to death. This is ether done by decapitation or heart extraction.
 * Torture: This tactic isn't really punishment but instead just used on criminals in order to extract information from the.

Headquarters

 * The-red-tower.gifThe Continental Towers: Also know as the Red Tower, the Continental Towers are a network of headquarters for The Covenant located in every control vampire territory in the world. Each tower is used as the residency for each Circle member North American headquarters was settled in Seattle after its headquarters was destroyed in Washington DC. Though there isn't a "official" headquarters for the Covenant since it's leader often moves around, many have claimed Seattle to be the unofficial vampire capital of the world