France
THE TOREADOR HEGEMONY
Born from the idea that the other Clan would only be in the way, Villon and Beatrix imagined the Toreador Hegemony: France would become the new birthplace of Art, and would only remain so if untouched by the other Clans: The Ventrue and the Lasombra were too much concerned about ruling to promote the Arts. The Brujah were still to much bitter about their Carthage, and would only destroy the Toreador dream. The other Clans were of no interest, and no one wanted the usurpers (The Tremere and the Giovanni) to put their dirty diabolist hands on the pure Toreador project.
The Toreador Hegemony principles were simple: The Prince of Paris must be Toreador (thus the center would be controlled); the Princes of France would be submitted to the Prince of Paris (thus buffer domains would protect Paris); the Toreador Clan was to prosper and increase in numbers while the other Bloodlines were to stagnate (thus the Toreador increased naturally their power over France).
The use of the armies of Louis the 14th, as well as the guerilla-oriented cotterie of Villon (dating from the Anarch years) helped subjugate the french Kindred, as well as protect France from other country's intervention, intrigued by the outraged Clans.
The 1789 Revolution was a hard hit against the Toreador Hegemony, but again, without Beatrix, Villon was able, with the help of his Toreador clanmates (Ivan, Lazlo and Alexis) to take back the control of France.
Since then, no one succeeded in undermining the power of Villon. He was the absolute master of France, extending his power of Prince in all the country, and controlling it with the help of his Kindred Police, the Masques.
Of course, there were incidents that attracted the attention of the Camarilla Inner Circle. Justicars from all the Clans studied France for the error that would be the end of Villon's mad dream. But his influence, the power of a whole Clan united behind him, the support of the Toreador Justicar as well as the protection of the Masquerade by the Masques was too much. The fact that the Kindred population of Paris were beyond the accepted limits, and still, that the Masquerade was protected even better than in most U.S. cities was all the argument Villon needed.
He is, now, unchallenged. Some whispers the European Community will end this. Perhaps. Perhaps not. No one can say... But remember the U.N.E.S.C.O., whose H.Q. are in Paris... Remember the temples of Abou Simbel... The Toreador Hegemony in France works too well to be officially challenged, and the Clan Toreador of France is too powerful to be challenged...
- -- Lyon -- City of the Lion.
- -- Marseille -- France's most southern city and port.
- -- Paris -- La Ville Lumiere
- -- Strasbourg -- The capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament.
