Krewe Information Document

What is a Krewe?
A Krewe is religious cult of Sin Eaters that range in size from small gangs to groups that
encompass entire regions or even the entire world. Being a Founder of a Krewe is like
being a ground floor High Priest of a religion of your own devising.

Krewes are also stories - archetypal stories that crown the series of archetypes that define
Geist. A Krewe, with its Mythology and Ethos is a self contained story unit. The Ban and
Duty contribute to the introduction and rising action, while the Destiny informs the
climax and denouement.

Am I required to join a Krewe?

No. There is no supernatural compulsion or law to join a Krewe. You do get nifty
benefits if you are part of one though. In fact, while you may be guilted, connived, or
deceived into joining a Krewe, you can not be supernaturally compelled to join a Krewe.

What is needed to create a Krewe?

At minimum you need 3 Bound to create a basic Krewe. You need a Haunt, as well as
someone capable of performing the Krewe-binding ceremony.

Who creates the Krewe?

From an IC perspective, a Krewe is an amalgamation of the Sin Eaters and their Geists.
From an OOC perspective, the Storyteller and the players work together to establish the
Mythology and Ethos behind the Krewe. There should always be an eye towards
fostering some conflict within the Krewe itself.

Can I join an established Krewe?

Yes. Anyone can join an established Krewe by claiming its Channel and participating in a
Krewe binding ceremony.

How is a Krewe established?

This one is going to take a bit more explanation. The entire process is a journey that the
players of the Krewe undertake with their storytellers. Please note: All

Krewes are established from the bottom up! This means that while you can later
establish an outward facing theme for your group to help recruit new characters, the
internal and true Krewe is established from the characters first then into the Krewe itself.

Please do not form an idea for a Krewe, then force fit characters to it. The binding
ceremony establishes what is known as the Channel. The Channel has two parts, one of
which is the Mythology, and the other is the Ethos. It is important to note that the
revelation of the Channel is not decided on by the characters, it is revealed to them. To
give a simple explanation, the Mythology of the Krewe establishes the system of belief,
while the Ethos establishes the goals of the Krewe.

Creating the Mythology

Mythology is based around the various beliefs that each member holds. Whether they
believe in God, science, Man or nature, this is the focal aspect of the beginning of a
combined mythology. These beliefs are the character’s true beliefs, whether or not they
admit them to themselves. This can result in conflict (always a good thing!) when the
Channel does not become what was expected. Channels are never perfect - the influence
of Death and the Geist’s own desires influence the Channel itself. There are four main
steps to consider when establishing the Mythology for your Krewe.

1. The first aspect is the Creation Myth - it is the various cultural and social aspects that
your character views as “truth”. How does your Sin Eater view the nature of death,
afterlife, denizens of the Underworld, and the Underworld itself? How do you explain the
dawn of the world? The rise of Death? The creation of the Underworld? Does she believe
in the Greek Myths that Death is another existence overseen by a single entity, and the
denizens that serve him? Perhaps your character believes that Piers Anthony had it right,
and Death is one of many incarnations that ferries souls for judgment and weighs them
against the scales of good and evil. The Afterlife is determined by the state of one's soul -
those in balance remain in purgatory until there is no longer any balance and rise or fall
depending on such.

2. There second aspect is the Metaphysical aspect. Now that you have defined what death
is, what does your PC think Geists are? What are the Deathlords and ghosts? What is a
soul? How does your PC view the supernatural world? These help to place a very
personal touch to a creation myth. These will never contradict those things known to a
vast majority of the Bound (ie: what’s in the book), but if massaged correctly, a surprising
number of things can be true.

3. The third aspect of Mythology is to define exactly "what" your Geist is - providing it a
personality from the archetypes they uphold. This takes the step of personalization one
step further, and creates your Geist in the image of what the Sin Eater believes in - giving
it an Aspect identity. For example, a Sin Eater who follows a Native faith, who sees
Geists as totem spirits of sort, may view his or her Geist as an aspect of the Wolf, a
creature of strength and wisdom, while an individual who follows an Egyptian pantheon
may believe that Geists are reincarnated pharaohs, and their Geist in particular is one of
the aspects of Akenaten. This, again, is part of the revelation, not something your
character chooses.

4. The fourth aspect of creating the Mythology of the group is to create Symbols. Not
only should the symbols be something to represent each founding Aspect, as well as the
group as a whole. The Symbols created should mix all aspects of the Krewe together.
This is VERY IMPORTANT, especially in the Camarilla, as it will appear in costuming
and other places as well. Also, they help bind the Founders to their faith, as the Symbols
appear EVERYWHERE, burning with mystical significance.

The Krewe Mythology

The Krewe mythology is a journey undertaken between the players of a Krewe, and their
Storyteller. For one, no two people should have the same beliefs. It rarely, if ever happens
in real life, and in the game world, the differences in beliefs are even more pronounced. It
is entirely possible for a Muslim, a Satanist, and a right-wing Christian conservative to all
be part of the same Krewe. The differences should create a dissension; this is a major part
of the game. The dissension and conflicts are important to creating a single group belief.
Not to mention, these beliefs help to create external conflict with other Sin Eaters, and
eventually, other rival Krewes.

All players and storytellers should work to incorporate one of the Premiere Archetypes
into the Krewe’s Mythology. It does not have to be a direct reference, but should infuse
the Krewe in some way. This will guarantee that the Krewe and its players will have a
link to the Global game and both the stories and metaplot. Please note that characters do
NOT have a natural understanding of these Premiere Archetypes as they influence their
Krewes, nor these names for them. Their descriptions show up in signs and portents, in
dreams and Symbols. The associated Keys are commonly manifested by the Krewes who
incorporate that Premiere Archetype.

The Premiere Archetypes

• The Mother of All – A silent and marginalized figure, who weeps for her
children.
• The Forgotten Darkness – He who dwells at the bottom of caves and wells.
• The Dead Giant – The fearsome creature who died before any other being was
born.
• The Shrouded Lord – Being of immense power and immeasurable size, the
Shrouded Lord claims to be the rock on which the entire Underworld is borne.
(The Grave-Dirt Key)
• The Mad Knight – A crazed being of both insight and rage, the Mad Knight is
both an oracle of great power and a force of destruction, and utterly
unpredictable. (The Pyre-Flame Key)
• The Winged Vengeance – This renowned and terrible warrior sweeps down upon
her enemies to exact terrible revenge for real or imagined transgressions. (The
Cold-Wind Key)
• The Keeper of Lore – The one true master of the rivers of the Underworld, the
Keeper of Lore is the master of all paths and pathways, and knows all that
traverses the realms below. (The Tear-Stained Key)
• The Iron Queen – Unrelenting in her dispassionate rule over the dead, the Iron
Queen keeps perfect order in her realm, with no exceptions. (The Stigmata Key) •
The Lurker at the Crossroads – Unseen but generally thought to be female, the
Lurker at the Crossroads keeps watch on obedient travelers, and pounces on
those who stray from the path. (The Stillness Key)
• The Keen-Eyed Fop – This fat and frivolous man is renowned for his parties and
joviality, but the terrible price that he demands after his revels is the story of
legend (The Phantasmal Key)
• The Red-Eyed Wolf – This wolf has never claimed any territory, but instead
dwells in all realms at once, renowned for her ability as a hunter and feared for
her choice of prey. (The Primeval Key)
• The Torch Bearer – This artificer has three faces, representing the past, the
future, and the present; and with his torch he can see all three. (The Industrial
Key)
• The Traitor – What can be said of the lord of tricks and treachery, who controls
the balance of power and truly serves no side but his own. (The Passion Key)

The Ethos
The Ethos is the set of beliefs that guide the actions of the Krewe. To the Founders, these
are relatively inviolate - they form the core of the faith. However, not everyone believes
them and some may not follow them closely - but they are there, and those who choose to
adhere to them gain Supernatural benefits. The Ethos is the "meat" of the Mythology – it
builds hooks for the story from the framework that the cultural views each of the Sin
Eaters and Geists create as part of their Mythology. Essentially, creating goals and stories
for the group are all part of establishing the ethos for the Krewe. There are three primary
questions that must be answered as part of establishing the Ethos.

1. Ban: What is forbidden? What actions does your Krewe consider to be "bad" or
"immoral"? You should design anywhere between 1-3 things that are priorities for your
group. It's important to be somewhat vague here, as the rough edges provide for
interesting stories. You’re aiming for controversy!
2. Duty: What does your Krewe feel compelled to do? What causes does your Krewe
support? How do those contrast or conflict with the bans you have chosen? Pick
anywhere from 1 -3 examples.
3. Destiny: The final aspect is to create the destiny for your Krewe. Keep in mind that
fate is fickle, and not all destinies are written in stone. Just as there is a perfect eternal
goal for your Krewe, there is always a horrific drawback that can destroy your Krewe and
shatter their faith. This is the destiny and the banes that are always hand and hand when
karma is wreaking havoc. One of the best ways to define Destiny is to think of music or
poetry that inspires. Frost, Blake and Milton are fantastic examples. This is the theme for
the Krewe’s stories.

The Benefits of being in a Krewe

There are a number of benefits for being in a Krewe. Not only do you have the
companionship of your fellow Krewe, but you also have a support network in place.
Beyond the emotional aspects, there are certain temporal and supernatural benefits to
founding and being part of a Krewe. It is important to note that it can be more beneficial
to create smaller Krewes so that all members receive Founding benefits, as no Sin Eater
can learn Founding Benefits from more than one Krewe, and the benefits are necessarily
limited. However, there is a cost - one can never be a Founder of more than one Krewe.

Scale
Tier One - Cult: This has a minimum of 3 members, and generally does not exceed 10
ceremonially inducted members or twice the number of Founders.
Tier Two - Faction: This encompasses a minimum of two cities, or most, if not all of the
Bound in a single city, and has two or more "cliques" or internal divisions within the
group. The internal divisions have their own autonomy and are Cult sized. This is an
opportunity for minor schisms between cliques - think of the differences between
Protestant Christian sects.
Tier Three - Conspiracy: A Conspiracy is rumored to be a group of 100 or more
members with multiple internal factions divided into individual cults, spread over two or
more continents. This is an opportunity for larger schisms between factions - like the
difference between Protestants and Catholics.
Determining Krewe Benefits
Krewe Benefits are purchased individually. This deviates from the book as we are unable
at this time to track Krewe Experience.
Succession in a Krewe
It is important to note that a founder can never be forced to leave a Krewe. They can
choose a successor by selecting an individual and sacrificing a dot of psyche (or multiple
dots if there are more than one successor - this generally creates a line of succession).

Upon the death of the founder, the chosen sin-eater automatically gains access to the
Founding benefits, as well as the Supernatural Benefits whether they are a recognized
member or not. They also gain all of the weight of the Channel - immediately. This is
seared into their mind by the transition of the Founder’s Geist’s Aspect to the successor's
Geist. Most Founders prepare their successors for this eventuality, as it can be quite mind
rending.

Becoming named a successor is not the only way for someone to end up in the line of
succession for a Krewe. In some cases, a Founder may bestow the role of successor upon
mortals, which ensures that they will become Sin-Eaters. In addition, it is possible to
engage in a hostile takeover of a Krewe, by devouring the flesh of the Founder in a
ritualistic and cannibalistic manner - an act that is almost universally thought of as evil, if
not one that you would be destroyed for.
Finally, a Founder that dies without naming a successor generally results in the Geist
roaming free and either rarely choosing to bond with a new Sin-Eater, or disappearing
into the Underworld, perhaps becoming powerful enough to become a new Deathlord
.
Steps for Creating a Krewe in the Camarilla

Step 1: Fill out Krewe Player Worksheet for Players

The Krewe Player Worksheet (KPW) for Players is a series of 10 questions, designed to
help you think about your character’s true beliefs about the way the world works. This
will be combined with other Founder’s KPWs in the next step.

Step 2: Turn sheets into ST

Your ST has a document of their own - it helps them unify the questions that you and
your fellow Founders answered and to come up with a sketch of a design for the Krewe’s
Mythology and Ethos. This happens at each stage up the chain - the STs simply share
their sketch up the chain, and the higher level STs work on it as well.

Step 3: Discuss the Channel with your ST

At this stage, the highest level ST required for your Krewe approval will present their
initial view of the Channel of your new Krewe. Now, you work together with this ST to
create an OOCly palatable Krewe design. Remember, no Krewe is without conflict, and
no Channel is perfectly aligned with the characters in the Krewe.

Congratulations! You are now a Founder of your very own Krewe.