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Vampirism is a huge and enduring metaphor, and they have been been part of mythology for thousands of years. The noble/elite aspect is only one facet of a far richer and diverse range of source material. Many people find vampirism intriguing and interesting, but have no desire to play a well-behaved noble who adheres to peerage. What if we want to play a feral hunter who stalks the night? What about a blood-junkie? What about an Empusa-esque take, working down at the Fling? There are so many different potential aspects you can take on as a vampire, but if you want to be in a House and stay in the loop and not be scorned and spurned as a rogue, you need to learn tons of titles and rules and history and call yourself a noble and even memorize made up languages, which simply doesn't appeal to everyone interested in vampirism.
The edicts also are frustrating. They seem partially to be a way to try to squash out snuggly RP, but that also undercuts a huge, potent pool of RP potential - in so many aspects of vampire mythos, it is the loved ones and the families who are the targets, which is part of why the metaphor is so chilling. Lucy in Dracula is so much more terrifying, terrible and tragic because they know her - that connection is what makes defeating her so much more emotionally complex.
An evil lurking beneath the form of something we know and love, an evil that feeds on our very life force, an evil that is seductive, offering us something tempting if we only would endure the pain - that's what vampirism is about. Yes, on the surface level it's a revenant that drinks blood. But part of what has made the notion of vampirism resonate so much culturally is that it's a metaphor that goes beyond the trappings each story ties to it.
Beyond this, the edicts also make you abandon RP ties and identity you've created for your character. Moi is a vampire, but she's still got that history and backstory I've spent years creating of the Seirath family. It really chafes that I arbitrarily have to just pretend that's all gone. Moi's still the woman who birthed her children, even if she can't make more, and I find her own internal struggle over whether to turn her children to be far more engaging than simply going "Peace, bye, sever bloodline."
Vampire RP, culture and interaction is tied very heavily to Houses and the Dominion - it would be one thing if the noble aspect, with all its rules and etiquette, were one facet you could choose from, but it's really the ONLY thing offered right now, which is why it feels stifling that it comes with random rules attached to it.
Beyond that, if you visit BL, it's AAAALLL about the Dominion. There's no alternate sorts of portrayals of vampire RP. @Aldric and I tried starting up a clan to have an alternative style of vampire RP, and I was thinking maybe Spinesreach could offer the more out-of-the-box take on vampires (you can do a lot just with buildings!), but I've lost steam on that, as it's a lot of work and the whole minor house stuff has been axed.
Remember, the Dominion/Abhorash stuff is a fairly recent change. Houses used to be all over the place and that was bad for membership numbers, but they also offered a much wider range of styles.
The one I see most-oft complained about, mostly just means that all this surname-vampname stuff isn't allowed anymore and neither is publically visible clan membership. No one ever said you couldn't RP with people in the Seirath clan. Technically you're supposed to cut ties, but do you think the houseleaders actually stalk all their members to make sure every interaction that folk have with a 'former' relation is kosher, so-to-speak?
Frankly, while I wish it hadn't cost me Aldric's membership in 'kahi, I generally -like- the edict in this regard, if only because I can defer blame as to why this nonsense isn't allowed.
The struggles you mention, @Moirean, are RP related things that you have to take into consideration when choosing to become a Vampire. Yes, there is a norm and as a base it might be shallow, but I'd think it opens up for a lot of personal RP opportunities.
Have previous life and family and still want to go Vampire? Well, it's up to you to RP out that struggle of cutting ties. Doesn't have to be instantaneous. As long as Houses don't kick people out without any form of RP and an opportunity for the player to play out the struggle of choosing.
Back on topic though, I'm very sad that I couldn't get in to the little area where the Gaes are for potential RP. I mean... it's quite obvious Teani is on their side, of course she wants to talk to them and see if they need support. However, I suppose this was Admin's way of locking up the event and preventing it from straying in a different direction than intended.
I find it hard to believe that every single person playing a vampire in aetolia wants the Anne rice snooty nobility take.
Ve'kahi is decidedly -not- about civility and being nobility. We have a couple people who wear Blood Rank, but they're all remnants of Voltaire/Lunare and no one addresses them by it. It's absolutely meaningless in Ve'kahi. I can't speak as much for the non Ve'kahi houses, but I know for a fact Ve'kahi is nothing like the other ones in mentality--I'm always butting heads with certain members of Bahir'an for use of the word Vampire vs Consanguine, so it's possible to differentiate within the system. It's just not in-character for them to do it as dramatically, possibly. I mean. D'baen is the house that hammers traditions as its central theme--it can't exactly drop all of the old ways in the process. They're still capable of being interesting and dynamic and fun.
Also, interested to see what happens to the House that kills the least of the bad Gaes (energy puns), any ideas? I tried to get some but some people were doing a good job camping and really, I have funner things to do with my time lol.
In regards to the vampire v Consanguine words. I find the term vampire to be a more derogatory term, and use it as such, because to me, anyone can be a vampire. You are undead, you drink blood, you are vampire. You have no morals, you don't particularly adhere to the laws of the Consanguine and generally place yourself as better than everyone with full disregard to peerage, even to those who are higher placed than you in bloodline. To me, you are vampire and rp that as such. There have been a few people who I will call 'vampire' instead of Consanguine. The name 'Consanguine' defines a vampire who sticks to traditions, laws, rules, proper peerage, knows their place, etc. It gives the person more respect, a better tone. And I don't think I'm the only one who uses the difference in tone when talking about people. Now, in essence, they are both one and the same, but its the essence that makes one different from another.
I'm not sure if Bahir'an applies the same standards I do, but I would not be surprised if they did. So while its great to debate the definition between the two, I think it comes back to the aforementioned paragraph.
Edit: @Riluo, really loved the talk with you about Vinessa's words and what exactly truly defined a rogue. Though I can't feel we got a bit ripped off by not being able to do anything about our own feelings on the definition of the term 'rogue' without causing some sort of huge tidal wave.
Indeed this concept of the classic 'cookie cutter Houses' is not correct, we pride ourselves on redefining beauty through self mutilation long before the embrace. Look @Yarel he has peeled back flesh on his face, steel rods and chains embedded in his body, or Riluo who is a wraith and is merely skin and bone. So we are not all Anne Rice clones thankfully with frilly shirts and perfect pulled back hair. However having said that we do still follow the edicts, respect the use of peerage and teach it to our new members before the embrace as a way of understanding that the Consanguine Empire is still based upon it and to use it as a sign of respect for your elders. We are also ethnocentric as hell insofar as we do not allow those outside our bloodline to join, you either get re-embraced or we kill you. We do still use peerage in public Dominion meetings, otherwise it is just Dominus, sir or to those who have earned the right it is merely Riluo. In the House no one pulls Blood rank or we kill them on the spot, the only rank used is by those who earn it through bloodshed and savagery.
This whole thing has derailed the mini event I think and might need moved if possible to another thread.
Abhorash says, "Ve'kahi has proved that even bastards can earn their place."
Also wish they hadn't made the edict exception--it's dumb and it makes no sense as an exception.
The goal was not to provide roles that fit the current theme of the House precisely. The goal was to give the Houses themes that are most likely to make them identifiable and interesting to vampire players.
Ve'kahi will be the informers of the Dominion. Their status allows them to mingle more freely and unrestrainedly amongst mortals and those of lesser stature. They will be watchers, reporting their findings to the Council.
This is what I'm grumbling about. I'm not hugely flipping tables or anything, I just don't see how this has anything to do with Ve'kahi.
ETA: Apparently, it doesn't auto-censor that. >.>
I can totally understand if you disagree with the value of the end result. I just don't want you to misinterpret the intentions.
As far as setting the "roles" of the Houses, this has pretty much always been the case and I think a great tool for those who are new to the game in deciding which to join, depending on their preference in RP. There are certainly always exceptions in every House, but I think it is an important aspect of the game to "loosely" define the characteristics of each.