Path of the Vizier
Introduction: Not all who rule do so from the throne. Oftentimes they rule from the steps of the throne, or from the shadows behind it. Such is the philosophy of the Path of the Vizier. For the counselors, power is a subtle game best played away from prying eyes. Where other Scions seek glory and adulation, Counselors work in the shadows, puling strings to make things happen. To the Counselors, the ideal is to hold power without anyone knowing it, since Cainites perceive anyone in power as a potential threat. Some Counselors are known to be powerful, even as true powers behind the throne, but thinking one knows the true measure of a Counselor's power is usually a fatal mistake.
The Beast is the ultimate threat to a Counselor's plans because it is anything but subtle. Every Counselor knows that the seeds of defeat and failure lie buried deep within and so struggles to keep the Beast caged. Knowledge, cunning and influence are the Counselor's weapons. Where a Scion may excel on the battlefield or in the council chamber, a Counselor excels in study, writing, sage advice, and building networks of informants and allies. Through this subtle web, the Counselor rules from behind the scenes.
Practices: The Path of the Vizier draws more scholarly Scions, those not suited to ruling openly, but clever and learned enough to make rulers dependent upon their advice and wisdom, and not only Cainite rulers. Where most Scions seek their own domains in vampire society, Counselor's often exert as much - if not more - over mortal kingdoms. Many a monarch, baron, or prince entertains nightly visits from a mysterious advisor who offers wise counsel (and perhaps a dose of vitae to keep the ruler strong and vital, and in the Counselor's thrall).
Counselors are also commonly found in the ranks of the Church, where it is difficult to seize power openly. They thrive in an environment of learning and scholarly debate, where they can move key pieces about like a chess match. Although outnumbered by Cainites on the Road of Heaven, Counselors have the advantage of keen intellect, unencumbered by religious zeal, to see their plans to fruition.
Ethics of Counsel
Those seen to have power are the targets of those who wish to seize power.
Those seen to grant power are the allies of those who wish to seize power.
Gather power subtly, use it wisely. Be seen as an ally, rather than as a rival.
Consuasor Virtues: Conviction & Self-Control
Aura: A Councillor's Aura affects his attempts to convince others of the virtue of his council.
Hierarchy of Sins against Counsel
10 - Neglecting your duty. (Those who fail in their responsibilities often lose them.)
9 - Treating a peer with disrespect. (A leader earns respect by acting respectfully.)
8 - Openly usurping power. (The shadows are your protection.)
7 - Breaking your word to a peer. (Trust is earned by being trustworthy.)
6 - Behaving shamefully before your peers. (Honor and reputation are everything.)
5 - Showing a lack of knowledge in front of inferiors. (Knowledge (or at least the appearance of it) is strength.)
4 - Failing to answer a challenge to your knowledge or integrity. (These are the basis of your strength; guard them well.)
3 - Treating a superior with disrespect. (Superiors must be given the respect they are due.)
2 - Breaking your word to your superiors. (Your word is your bond. If your word is worthless, then so are you.)
1 - Breaking a sworn oath. (Oaths of fealty hold the world together.)
