History Main / CouncilOfVampires

* The Vampiric Council in ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'' consists of high-level vampire aristocracy and [[LivingADoubleLife celebrity actors who play vampires in media,]] each of whom are actually vampires, including Creator/DannyTrejo from ''Film/FromDuskTillDawn'' and Creator/WesleySnipes of the ''Film/Blade'' series.

* In ''{{Film/Underworld}}'', vampires are ruled by an elite council formed by the [[VampireMonarch Elders]], who presides over them and are responsible for deciding laws and political matters, as well as passing judgement on Vampires who have broken the Coven's laws. The Elders are the most powerful members of their race, and by their law, only one of them can rule for a period of time while the other two are asleep. Over the course of the series, [[spoiler:the Elders are killed off, but the council manage to reorganize themselves without them. By the latest movie, Selene and her allies David and Lena have become the newest Elders]].

* The Ascalon Club in ''VideoGame/Vampyr2018'' is an elite group formed by the richest and most powerful vampires in Britain that not only embody vampire law but also influence the British Empire. Curiously, not all of their highest ranked members are vampires, but humans can also be part of it so long as they have wealth and influence too, and if they serve their roles well they can be [[VampireVannabe rewarded with immortality]].

* ''VideoGame/Castlevania2017'': In Season 2, Dracula assembles a war council with vampire generals from all over the world. Unusually, he places [[TokenHuman two humans]] of trust in charge of the council as his [[CoDragons most trusted followers]].

* In ''ComicBook/AmericanVampire'', the Carpathian bloodline is organized into several covens composed by bankers, rich tycoons and Hollywood actors and they pretty much control all the rest of the vampirekind since they drove all other subspecies to near extinction. They don't don't have an absolute leader since their progenitor {{Dracula}} was locked up by the [[VampireHunter Vassals of the Morning Sun]] and they tend to rule themselves in separate mobs with each having their different agendas.

** ''[[TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' contains a subversion; the count of Skingrad is a vampire, but absolutely detests them.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'':
*** It's an OpenSecret that the court mage of Solitude is a vampire, but she's a textbook BoomerangBigot.
*** The [[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Laid_to_Rest "Laid to Rest" quest]] deals with a plot to turn the entire town of Morthal into this trope (with everyone in the town either becoming a vampire or a SycophanticServant/Cattle).
*** ''Dawnguard'', the first DLC expansion, has the Volikhar Clan of Vampire Lords as a faction you can join or fight against, who are organized as a [[MonsterLord noble council]] with Lord Harkon as their leader.

* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls'':
** A Medieval/Steampunk example happens in ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'' where there are three clans of vampires (Aundae, Berne & Quarra), at war with each other. Yes, you can join one of them in their fight.
** One of the in-game books (Surfeit of Thieves) tells the story of a thief who was unlucky enough to end up [[MuggingTheMonster trying to rob a meeting of one of these]]. Another of the books (Immortal Blood) tells the story of a vampire hunter who sought out vampires and was eventually sent after this sort of trope by his contact...who turned out to be a member and promptly fed on him ( he appears as a vampire lord in ''VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}'', indicating that he was turned and became a vampire for at least a few hundred years.).

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
*** It's an OpenSecret that the court mage of Solutide is a vampire, but she's a textbook BoomerangBigot.
*** [[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Laid_to_Rest One quest]] deals with a plot to turn the entire town of Morthal into this trope (with everyone in the town either becoming a vampire or a SycophanticServant/Cattle).

* The Nine Lords of Night in ''Series/FromDuskTillDawn'' are the elite of vampire hierarchy and the first of their kind. For centuries they ruled over the ''culebras'' (Mexican vampires) and Season 1's Big Bad Santanico Pandemonium served as their underling until she decided to break away from their control. To handle any unruly vampires, their leader Lord Amancio Malvado unleashes his Regulators - superpowered vampire warriors - to enforce his will.

* In ''ComicBook/AmericanVampire'', the Carpathian bloodline is organized into several covens composed by bankers, rich tycoons and Hollywood actors and they pretty much control all the rest of the vampirekind since they drove all other subspecies to near extinction. They don't don't have an absolute leader since their progenitor {{Dracula}} was locked up by the Vassals of the Morning Sun and they tend to rule themselves in separate mobs with each having their different agendas.

* The Vampire Nation in ''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'' is governed by [[ComicBook/TombOfDracula Count Dracula]] and they are composed by several sects that once in a century gather in a meeting to discuss. This concept is relatively new as vampires have been part of Marvel for decades and having even fought with superheroes such as the X-Men and Captain America, but they never established a society of their own. This was retconned in 2010, which showed Dracula had ruled over a secret vampire kingdom with its own laws and customs that was heavily influenced by the ''Film/BladeTrilogy''.

* In ''{{Film/Underworld}}'', vampires are ruled by an elite council formed by the [[VampireMonarch Elders]], who presides over them and are responsible for deciding laws and political matters, as well as passing judgement on Vampires who have broken the Coven's laws. The Elders are the most powerful members of their race, and by their law, only one of them can rule for a period of time while the other two are asleep. Over the course of the series, [[spoiler:the Elders are killed off, but the councils manage to reorganize themselves without their guidance. By the latest movie, Selene and her allies David and Lena have become the newest Elders]].

** The various vampire "Houses". The antagonist of the first ''Film/{{Blade}}'', Deacon Frost, clashes with the House of Elbus over its allegiances with mankind. Frost suspects he's not the first vampire to question the status quo, just the loudest. He's overruled by the other members, who look down on him for not being pure-blood vampire.

!!Examples

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Film/BladeTrilogy''

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* ''Literature/{{Twilight}}''
** The Volturi are especially zealous and have adopted a [[LeaveNoSurvivors salt the earth]] approach to maintaining secrecy. They often send agents to destroy renegade covens and eradicate ''all'' vampires and humans on the scene.
* In S. Lukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatch'' series, Watches also keep the vampires in check (by means of EquivalentExchange, though).
* V. Panov's ''Secret City'' - since his Masan are an almost literal {{Expy}} of ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', their Camarilla fits the idea.
* Y. Nabokova's series of vampire novels (think Russian mash-up of anything vampire and urban from Creator/AnneRice to ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'') - same idea.
* Whitley Streiber's ''Literature/TheHunger'' and its sequels has the concept of a Vampire Parliament, where the world's vamps get together to discuss things like territories and breeding rights (breeding humans, that is).

[[AC:TabletopGames]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrolls''

** ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim''

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[caption-width-right:350:WesternAnimation/CountDuckula couldn't make it.]]
[-[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://warbrown.deviantart.com/art/Vampire-Club-Meeting-168930018 Image]] by [[http://warbrown.deviantart.com/ WarBrown]]]]-]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[http://warbrown.deviantart.com/art/Vampire-Club-Meeting-168930018 Image]] by [[http://warbrown.deviantart.com/ WarBrown]]]]

** S. Luk'yanenko's Watches also keep the vampires in check (by means of EquivalentExchange, though).

By the end of the 20th Century, the standard horror tropes of lone, disorganized vampires didn't make much sense. The rise of telecommunications and computers also coincided with the vampires getting their act together and forming tight-nit societies, often European in origin. They serve as a kind of a ruling organ which operates mostly behind the scenes, sometimes in conjunction with human agents or other vampire clans. With so many vampires cooperating with one another, the likelihood of [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] is increasingly obligatory; yet Vampire councils are uniformly against taking such action. As a consequence, there is often ''one'' council member who objects to all the secrecy, only to be swiftly slapped down.

*** ''Dawnguard'', the first DLC expansion, will have this as a major faction which you can join or fight against. The trailer also hints that the bloodlines from ''VideoGame/{{Morrowind}}'' will be making a return.

(Originally titled Vampire Mafia, phrase borrowed from the [[TheNostalgiaChick Chiclets]].)

** The various vampire "Houses". The antagonist of the first ''Film/{{Blade}}'', Deacon Frost, clashes with the House of Elbus over its allegiances with mankind. Frost suspects he\'s not the first vampire to question the status quo, just the loudest. He's overruled by the other members, who look down on him for not being pure-blood vampire.

* The Vampire Authority in \'\'Series/TrueBlood\'\' is the ultimate authority over all vampires and has spent many centuries working to monitor the whole race. Using [[StateSec state-of-the-art technology and a secret police]], the Authority controls every aspect of vampire society by setting law and settling disputes. Defying the Authority is punishable by death; most vampires fear it, though Russell Edgington mocks the idea.
* \'\'Series/ForeverKnight\'\' has The Enforcers. We don\'t see too much of them, but they keep tabs on the other vampires and do what it takes to keep the Masquerade intact. The gentlest means they employ is hypnotizing humans to forget. Enforcers aren\'t as soft on other vampires, who face death for breaking the code of silence.
* {{Discussed|Trope}} in \'\'Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer\'\'.
** The Order of Aurelius, led by TheMaster, pride themselves on being wholly divorced from the \"human pestilence\"; so much so, that Angelus mocks them for living in a sewer when they could be enjoying the finery of upper-crust England.
** Similarly, DragonInChief Mr. Trick keeps trying to interest his boss Kakistos -- an old-school vampire of Greek origin -- in the virtues of technology, such as ordering human dinners over the internet in the same manner as pizza. He eventually grows frustrated with Kakisto\'s lack of innovation and leaves him to be slain by Buffy.

* \'\'Literature/{{Twilight}}\'\'
** The Volturi are especially zealous and have adopted a [[LeaveNoSurvivors salt the earth]] approach to maintaining secrecy. They often send agents to destroy renegade covens and eradicate \'\'all\'\' vampires and humans on the scene.
** S. Luk\'yanenko\'s Watches also keep the vampires in check (by means of EquivalentExchange, though).
* V. Panov\'s \'\'Secret City\'\' - since his Masan are an almost literal {{Expy}} of \'\'TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade\'\', their Camarilla fits the idea.
* Y. Nabokova\'s series of vampire novels (think Russian mash-up of anything vampire and urban from Creator/AnneRice to \'\'Literature/{{Twilight}}\'\') - same idea.
* Whitley Streiber\'s \'\'Literature/TheHunger\'\' and its sequels has the concept of a Vampire Parliament, where the world\'s vamps get together to discuss things like territories and breeding rights (breeding humans, that is).

** The Camarilla (particularly the Elders among them). They\'re the ones responsible for the Six Traditions (especially the Masquerade), have quite the established hierarchy stretching back centuries, and deal harshly with those that break the Masquerade and the other Traditions.
** The Sabbat, though they\'re a bit less concerned with maintaining the masquerade than the Camarilla, and the independent clan Giovanni, who draw their membership from one ancient inbred Venetian family and act like TheMafia.
* The ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'''s \"successor\" game \'\'TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem\'\' has the five Covenants.

** One of the in-game books (Surfeit of Thieves) tells the story of a thief who was unlucky enough to end up [[MuggingTheMonster trying to rob a meeting of one of these]]. Another of the books (Immortal Blood) tells the story of a vampire hunter who sought out vampires and was eventually sent after this sort of trope by his contact...who turned out to be a member and promptly fed on him ( he appears as a vampire lord in \'\'VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}\'\', indicating that he was turned and became a vampire for at least a few hundred years.).
** \'\'[[TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]\'\' contains a subversion; the count of Skingrad is a vampire, but absolutely detests them.
** \'\'VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim\'\'
*** It\'s an OpenSecret that the court mage of Solutide is a vampire, but she's a textbook BoomerangBigot.

By the end of the 20th Century, the standard horror tropes of lone, disorganized vampires didn\'t make much sense. The rise of telecommunications and computers also coincided with the vampires getting their act together and forming tight-nit societies, often European in origin. They serve as a kind of a ruling organ which operates mostly behind the scenes, sometimes in conjunction with human agents or other vampire clans. With so many vampires cooperating with one another, the likelihood of [[TakeOverTheWorld world domination]] is increasingly obligatory; yet Vampire councils are uniformly against taking such action. As a consequence, there is often \'\'one\'\' council member who objects to all the secrecy, only to be swiftly slapped down.

* \'\'Film/BladeTrilogy\'\'
** The various vampire \"Houses\". The antagonist of the first \'\'Film/{{Blade}}\'\', Deacon Frost, clashes with the House of Elbus over its allegiances with mankind. Frost suspects he\'s not the first vampire to question the status quo, just the loudest. He\'s overruled by the other members, who look down on him for not being pure-blood vampire.
** In \'\'Film/BladeII\'\' another coven enlists the help of Blade through their human (\"Barely -- [[EvilLawyerJoke I\'m their lawyer]]\") agent, Karel Kounan, to stamp out a mutagen known as the \"Reaper virus.\" It turns out the virus was accidentally created by the coven\'s leader, Damaskinos, while experimenting with replicating Blade\'s immunity to sunlight.

* \'\'TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade\'\'

* The \'\'TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade\'\'\'s \"successor\" game \'\'TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem\'\' has the five Covenants.

* \'\'VideoGame/TheElderScrolls\'\'
** A Medieval/Steampunk example happens in \'\'VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind\'\' where there are three clans of vampires (Aundae, Berne & Quarra), at war with each other. Yes, you can join one of them in their fight.

*** It\'s an OpenSecret that the court mage of Solutide is a vampire, but she\'s a textbook BoomerangBigot.

*** \'\'Dawnguard\'\', the first DLC expansion, will have this as a major faction which you can join or fight against. The trailer also hints that the bloodlines from \'\'VideoGame/{{Morrowind}}\'\' will be making a return.