#coteries

You cannot get rid of everyone that gets into your way, and even if you could, that wouldn't be smart. No, it's best to beat your enemy without firing a single shot. This means you have to beat him with legal or at least semi-legal means. [. . .] Through demoralisation, subversion and infiltration. This means you need to undermine the morale of your opponent by spreading defeatism. For example, by saying this doesn't make any sense, this doesn't lead anywhere, just leave it. Ideally, in combination with smear, for instance by claiming that you work for the enemy. Then of course denigration, so that everything will be questioned, picked to pieces and decried. You sow discontent, impatience and doubt about the leadership. The word for this assault tactic is 'constructive criticism', a concept of the Frankfurt School. Then you try to pit members against one another, stir up disputes, create coteries, promote traitors and expel loyalists. Install levers to influence everything in your interest, outsource relevant structures, etc. And of course, spying, disinformation, lies, smear – the entire set of approaches. These are the tactics and mechanisms to sabotage and destroy a movement.

                   i am born of death.

    𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 realise that the Blood is your master. You are being consumed from within. You won’t feel it at first, but then, slowly, you will realise that humanity is a distant memory. You will know that you lived as them, but it will fade like a dream. You will only have the memory of a memory, until you are a slipshod effigy of who you were. The Beast within will wear your skinn as long as it gets fed. 

                  you will not annul me.

     𝐂𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊 is a Discord skeleton RPG based on 5th edition Vampire: the Masquerade. It’s a supernatural horror that focuses on two groups of vampires of opposing factions that patrol the nights of New York City to ward against supernatural entities that threaten their way of life… and deny immortality to each other. 

Hello and thank you for that! I’m glad you enjoy this nonsense, haha. 

There are actually several types of “gatherings” in this universe! They all consist of cats meeting together, obviously, but they each have different purposes:

Casual gatherings are just called “gatherings”. They’re relaxed, loose events mostly made for the fun of seeing friends from other places and chatting with your neighbors. These are barely ever organized beyond a simple invitation or word through the grapevine that cats might be hanging out in a big group on a certain day.  

Gatherings with a capital G, called “The Gathering”, are several-day events where cats from all over come to meet and exchange news. The leaders or high deputies can be expected to be seen on at least one of these days. This is considered more official and serious than “gatherings”, and a lot more cats tend to show up. 

Coterie gatherings, called “Coterie” for short, are gatherings hosted by the different minor groups in the Clan. Wares are hawked, stories are performed, history lessons are given, so on and so forth. The point is to showcase what each group specializes in and hopefully educate and entertain the masses enough that someone may ask to join one of the gangs. The Larrikins and Storm members, of course, are not invited. 

There are other types of gatherings not specifically called such. There are “meetings”, which are meant to share important news and settle disputes; “assemblies”, which consist of naming apprentices and kits, retiring elders, and changing ranks and names as needed (these tend to happen in bulk and are planned in advance); and “councils”, of which cats of a specific rank all gather for a private talk for business too serious or undisclosed for a random warrior to walk in and listen. All of the ranks between leader and healer have their own type of council gathering, and the minor groups occasionally have councils as well (excluding the Larrikins and Storm Society, obviously). 

All eyes might be on Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 but it's not due for release until next year. There is, however, something very closely related you can snack on before then - a new game called Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York.