The Promise of 1528

The Original Statement:

The Giovanni Family shall not involve themselves in the Politics of the Camarilla. The Camarilla, likewise, will not involve itself in the Affairs of the Giovanni.

Clarification of the Promise of 1528 (2002)

Terms Giovanni – Includes embraced members of Clan Giovanni, as well as any mortal member of the extended families of the Giovanni (inc. Milliner, Dunsirn, etc), Giovanni ghouls, and mortal business associates, alive or dead. Camarilla Member – Any acknowledged member of the Camarilla, and including also kindred under the accounting of acknowledged Camarilla members, and their ghouls, and mortal business associates.

Interfere – To intervene unasked in the affairs of others and often in an impudent or indiscreet manner. Interfere implies action that seriously hampers, hinders, or frustrates.

Points The Giovanni are free to reside wherever they see fit. They may buy a house anywhere, and live in it, without needing approval from a Prince. It is often considered polite to inform the Prince that you are in their city, and this is often a prerequisite for being invited to Court. A Prince cannot demand that Giovanni leave their city - this interferes in the Giovanni's affairs. They can demand that no Giovanni may attend their court. The Giovanni are free to conduct their businesses as they see fit. They may buy companies and run them, without needing approval. The Giovanni are permitted to attend Court, and other Camarilla events, if invited. Intruding without invitation could be considered interference. It should be noted that "Court" is the event, and "Elysium" is a place. Court is frequently held in Elysium, but this is not a requirement. The Giovanni are free to conduct business and make deals with other Kindred. They are free to both give and receive boons. Note, such deals cannot be directed against the Camarilla, or its members. It is ok to make a deal to take over a company together. It is not ok to make a deal to kill someone, or put someone in the Prince position. The Giovanni are free to conduct their own affairs, as long as those affairs do not interfere with the Camarilla. Breaking the Masquerade, by definition, interferes with the Camarilla's primary purpose. A family member destroying another family member does not, nor does a family member embracing a family member. (I.E. - Giovanni need not get "Right of Destruction", or "Right of Progeny" for their own family, these are Giovanni affairs.) The Giovanni may enter into deals with non-Camarilla kindred, as long as such deals are not directed at or against the Camarilla, or its members. The Camarilla is free to uphold the social and political institutions of Kindred, enforcing their traditions to the extent that they do not interfere with the affairs of the Giovanni. The Camarilla cannot be held responsible for violations of the Promise if they are unaware that a Giovanni was involved. Any Giovanni who chooses not to notify a Prince that they're visiting a domain does so at their own risk, and with no protection from the scourge of the domain. Telling a Camarilla member who wanders into Giovanni territory that they can no longer claim their status, or that the Giovanni have right of destruction over them is just as much a violation of their rights as it is for them to claim destruction over the Giovanni, or to tell the Giovanni that you may not claim their Family name in their domain. Violations of this promise should be handled by the authorities of the sect/family whose member violated the promise. Giovanni are to be brought to their Don for punishment, Camarilla members to their Prince. In the case of a Don/Prince breaking the promise, the matter should be escalated to the Director/Archon level, or higher. Repeat transgressions by a member can be considered evidence that a good-faith effort to punish the transgressor has not occurred, and should also be escalated

The Sabbat The Sabbat has no such non-involvement treaty with the Giovanni. They have never promised to stay out of Giovanni affairs, nor the Giovanni to stay out of theirs. The Giovanni are free to conduct business with the Sabbat at their own risk. Flaunting this to Camarilla authorities isn't smart.

Conclusion The Giovanni have certain long-term plans that are facilitated by avoiding other kindred, who would certainly attempt to stop them if they knew. Venice is in Europe, which is a highly Camarilla area of the world. It should go without saying that while Giovanni strive to maintain neutrality, the Camarilla are a little more favored in dealings than the Sabbat. In the Clanbooks and White Wolf history, during the War for New York, the Giovanni helped the Camarilla take the City.

Footnotes The Camarilla bases boons on Status, while boons predate the Camarilla. Giovanni can accept any boons offered too them, the more, the better. Giovanni can offer boons, but, as they do not hold status, many Camarilla members will not accept a boon from a Giovanni. The Family elders will not be too happy with a member of the family who gets themselves into excessive boon-debt. While Giovanni don't need permission from any Prince to embrace or destroy members of their own Family, they should probably talk to their Don about these things before taking them into their own hands.