The Traditions according to Davy Howard

And how to do what you like without breaking them...

Ok. There's a lot of people out there who say that the traditions are just another way for the Elders to clamp down on us free spirits. I'm here to tell you that that ain't necessarily so. Some of 'em are survival, some of 'em are common sense, but more importantly, some of them can be interpreted to our advantage...

THE MASQUERADE: Thou shall not reveal thy true nature to those not of the blood. Doing such shall renounce thy claims of blood.

Simple enough. Do you really want to have the inquisition on your doorstep? These guys have gone up to date, and won't be carrying Garlic and Crosses - more like Combat Shotguns and Phosphorous Grenades. And think about it - Mortals outnumber us about a million or so to one, and have the big advantage of getting to play in the sunlight.

"But" I hear you say, "I was attacked and had to use my full powers to escape." Stop whining! If you were attacked by another kindred, fair enough - and the breach is their fault, not yours. But if you were, say mugged coming out of a nightclub, are you really telling me you couldn't handle yourself without blowing your cover? What are you, a wimp or an idiot?

DOMAIN: Thy Domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thy Domain.

So, this means do whatever the Prince tells you, right? WRONG! Nowhere does it say the word Prince, or even Elder. It says "Thy". That means YOU!
What it says is, that if you are strong enough to hold a piece of turf, what you say goes! Generally, the Prince claims an entire city, but do you really think he has the time (or strength, in the Allied Domains) to come and kick you out if you say "This Street is MINE"? Especially when you can count on the backing of the clan. Its common sense, really - if you are in the home of someone more powerful than yourself, you don't take the piss out of his wallpaper...
You want proof? I hold a not insignficant piece of Portsmouth all to myself. I've held it longer than any single prince has held Portsmouth. I won't say its a prime site, but I like it - it has everything I need.

PROGENY: Thou shall only Sire another with the permission of thine elder. If thou createst another without thine Elders leave, both thou and thy Progeny shall be slain.

A quick point here - I'm not a great fan of embracing innocent mortals. In fact, if you embrace someone without a damn good reason for it, I'll take it personally, and the Traditions will be the least of your worries. That aside, sometimes it is the only way short of killing them, and perhaps yourself as well.
But consider the practical side as well. It's already getting a little hard to feed round here - another mouth to feed may not be a good thing. Plus remember the hassle you once gave your sire? Are you prepared to be on the receiving end of that? Anyway...
So who exactly is "Thine Elder"? It doesn't say Prince, does it? Seems to me Elder is highly open to interpretation. Usually, Elder refers to low generation - and in these parts, I'm at least as low generation wise as any Prince. Or perhaps it means your Sire? Well, if your sire refuses you permision, he probably has a good reason, and is probably much more powerful than you, so listen to him. Or finally, maybe it means your clan head? Hell, come to me with a damn good reason why you should embrace someone, and if I agree, do it.
And if your prince does think he has the right to stop you procreating, just make sure that the whole clan is there when you introduce your sprog to the Prince. After all, you are both Brujah, and both have the right to call the clan to your defence.

THE ACCOUNTING: Those thou create are thine own children.. Until thy Progeny shall be released, thou shall command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

Think about it. We've already decided that breaking the Masquerade is a BAD thing. But you can't expect a new born kid to understand the difference between right and wrong. You've gone to all this trouble to create progeny - do you really want your flesh and blood (well blood, anyway) getting into trouble just because he didn't know the rules?
So it's in both your interests to keep an eye on the newly created, but only until such time as they've proved they can handle themselves. After that, cut 'em loose - Congratulations! It's a Brujah!

HOSPITALITY: Honour one anothers Domain. When thou comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there. Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing. Gangrel, are by unspoken agreement,exempt from having to Present themselves. You may not feed in anothers city without specific permission.

This is just the flip side of the Domain law, and all the same stuff applies. It's just simple politeness. After all, after travelling a long, long way, you may as well go in and tell the Prince what you think of him. In short, this one is so easy to keep that you'd be stupid not to, unless you are up to no good - in which case, this is pretty low on your list of priorities.

And besides, if you don't say hi to the Prince, then you aren't protected by the traditions - one of your enemies might try to get rid of you permanently... and whilst you might be great and powerful, some of your fellow Brujah aren't, so keep the Princes sweet and this petty curtesy will protect your weaker fellows when you can't.

DESTRUCTION: Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind. The right of destruction belongeth only to thine Elder. Only the Eldest among thee shall call the Blood Hunt.

For sake of completeness, I'll point out the same problems with definition of Elder as there are in the Progeny tradition. But get this straight - I am opposed to all killing. There is ALWAYS an alternative. Try to take down anyone where I can stop you, and I will. Even if I have to fight you all, dammit.
THERE IS ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE. And if you can't think of one, bring it to the Clan's attention. If its just a personal insult, having the whole of clan Brujah spending the next year harrasing your every move can be far, far more punative than a quick death. And if its some traditional enemy like the Sabbat, there is always a non-fatal means of keeping them out of trouble - and they can prove very useful at times.
And finally, think of your own safety. If it becomes known that you kill without a second thought, the same will happen to you - it's what happened to Bleys, and he was immensely mean in a fight, so don't thing your speed and strength will protect you. And think of the insidious creep of the beast within. If you kill someone, the beast just loves it. It grows stronger, and gains more and more control. Kill your enemies on a regular basis, and you will find, one day, that the beast has killed your friends, and their blood will be on your hands - literally.

The Rules of Elysium

Well, this one is a bit tricky for most of us, I know. But try not to be tempted. Its simple enough to wait until your enemy is no longer within the Elysium. After all, we all need somewhere we can relax, so don't diss the Elysium.
Of course, often other clans take advantage of our volatile reputation to play with our minds in one way or another. If you think this may be the case, you can resist it at least once, then make sure a couple of your mates are around to calm you down (or hold you down) the next time. If we police ourselves, we can keep the princes off our backs.
Saying that, I've never seen a prince dare to kill a Brujah for a violent outburst. They know we need a little leeway, and also know that if they really pissed off the majority of the clan, their life expectancy would plummet.

There shall be no destruction of art on pain of Final Death

Is this really a problem? Anything that keeps the Toreador all looking at the pretty pictures instead of getting in our hair has to be a good thing.

The destruction of property and the offensive use of disciplines are also banned during Elysium events

Well, the destruction of property is a moot point. If some arrogant Ventrue is prodding you in the chest with his walking stick, it's very tempting to take it and break it.
But its far more entertaining perhaps, to remind them that the Elysium doesn't extend everywhere, and that if he doesn't stop you'll follow him out and stick that cane where the sun doesn't shine. The threat should be enough - watch him round up all his friends as bodyguards for when he leaves the building, then laugh at him as he runs for it.
And as for offensive Disciplines - the only one that isn't already covered by the anti-violence rule is Presence. Summon is only offensive if you hit them on arrival - so thats covered. Majesty is defensive only. The average Ventrue or Toreador Prince isn't going to claim Entrancement is offensive - after all. it breaks as soon as you give genuine offence. So that leaves Dread Gaze. What kind of Brujah are you if you have to rely on this petty power to get rid of someone? Just call them every name under the sun, shout at them, tower over them, until they either leave, or try something on you. Then you have the laws on your side...