The Severed Hand

When the decision to send an official expedition to the city of Montreal was made, both the Camarilla and Anarchs began working on assembling Coteries that would see to their sect's individual needs and ambitions. The Severed Hand would be born out of the Camarilla's efforts. The courts of Quebec City and Ottawa debated for many nights about which of the candidates would be best suited to take the lead of the Coterie, and in the hand, a controversial choice was made: Marie-Helene Dutois, a former member of Montreal's Sabbat for whom Prince Annabelle vouched herself. The Severed Hand was chosen as the name of the Coterie. It's significance was simple; they were to be the hand of the Camarilla, but now severed from their original homes of Quebec & Ottawa. It's symbol, the Hand of Glory, was picked for its ability to unlock every door, representing every opportunity.

The Coterie's purpose was to be twofold; First, to see that the ambitions and needs of the Camarilla are fulfilled. Secondly, to serve as the local Kindred society's political and legal arm. Unlike most of the other Coteries in Montreal, membership to The Severed Hand is exclusively reserved to members of the Camarilla. No Anarchs or Unbound are allowed.

Domains: Old Montreal, Financial District, Notre-Dame Island

Color: Blue

Symbol: Hand of Glory

Spheres of Influence: Finance, Legal, Politics, High Society.

Tenets: Never kill the innocent. - Be your own, never submit. - Without a cause, you are nothing.

Sect: Camarilla Only.

Clans: All Camarilla Clans ( Primarily Banu Haqim, Lasombra, Malkavian, Nosferatu, Toreador, Tremere, Ventrue. Some exceptions may be made for other Clans if aligned with the Camarilla. ).

Favored Candidates: Leaders, Politicians, Lawyers, Financiers, Tacticians, Philosophers, Mediators, Artists, Socialites, Nepo Babies.

Structure: The Severed Hand's structure is quite simple. Based on the principle of equality, each member of the Pack gets one vote when it comes to making administrative decisions, in the case of a tie, the Baron's vote will instead count for 2 votes to break the tie. Other positions in the pack are administrative in purpose, and each of them grants additional benefits;

The Keeper of Elysium is in charge of managing the city's official Elysium, there is always only one Keeper of Elysium at a time. The Keeper of Elysium benefits from 5 dots of resources independent from their own resources that should only be used to manage security and maintenance of the Elysium, as well as any supplies or entertainment costs it may incur. Also, within the halls of the Elysium, the words of the Keeper is law, kindred who disobey the laws of Elysium may see themselves permanently blocked access or even expelled from the city altogether.

The Heralds are responsible to not only ensure that important news and announcements make it to the rest of the local community, but they also manage the recording and trading of boons, they also handle litigious conflicts when it comes to Kindred trying to cash-in on said boons. While boon records are kept public, the Heralds are the only Kindred who may modify them. Due to the importance of their work, Heralds benefit from cyber protection provided by the Iris of the Eyes of Argus himself. Any attempts to hack or dig dirt on the Heralds are always made at +2 difficulty, even by members of the Eyes of Argus themselves.

Pre-Requisites: 2 dots in Retainer, see The Blood Provides under Rites.

The Blood Provides
As a form of initiation, each member of the Severed Hand is expected to provide what they call a Proxy. A proxy is a ghoul who has either a position of power or strategic authority/access within one of the Severed Hand's fields of influence ( Finance, Legal, Politics or Bureaucracy ). For example, an influential lawyer in one of the city's leading firms, a high ranking government employee with the clearance to expedite or approve immigration applications. A foreign diplomat or ambassador or the political deputy of a given district. This said Proxy must be gifted to the Severed Hand's collective Proxy pools in order to empower the pack's influence. Once per month, members of the pack must maintain the Proxy via the blood bond. ( Rouse the Blood once per month ). As an added bonus, the Sphere of Influence in which the character's Proxy operates grants them full access to the level 5 dots without the requirement for leadership clearance.

The Hand Provides
Full members of the Severed Hand benefit from extra resources and powers, as long as they remain as members of the Severed Hand, members benefit from the following; +1 to the Resources background ( Cannot take it over 5 ), and a full 2 dot Mask identity that grants them Diplomatic Immunity when faced with political or law related issues.

Giving Back
It is very important within the culture of the Severed Hand to remember to give back to the community in some way. Whether that is out of the kindness of their dead hearts, to atone for past sins, or to attempt to stave off the beast and cling to their fading humanity is unclear. Most of the members of the pack are expected to pick a cause to sponsor from the shadows. This is often achieved through political proxies, ensuring that their puppets cultivate a positive public image. In turn, these initiatives often help to cultivate the herds and influences of the pack.

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  Marie-Helene