Occult Ambassadors
From Circle Of The Crone
Overview
Circle coteries often find themselves on the outskirts of vampire society, not exactly ostracised, but not exactly accepted, either. This leaves them vulnerable to not only other Kindred, but to the other "things" that go bump in the night. In typical adapt-or-die fashion, however, such coteries have developed a rapport with the other supernatural powers of the land. Some coteries have even managed strong enough relationships with the neighbors to meet sporadically with Lupine agents and be welcomed at meetings of mages. Some Acolytes' studies of the occult lead them to deal with ghosts, self-proclaimed "demons" and things even less identifiable with meager human words.
These are the Circle's occult ambassadors.
This is an incredibly important niche not just for the Circle of the Crone, but also for many cities. A coterie with the right connections in the arcane underworld is invaluable to Princes and Prisci alike, though this leaves the coterie in the unenviable position of attempting to balance loyalties. Occult ambassadors must be dedicated first and foremost to the Circle of the Crone or they risk losing their credibility. After loyalty, such ambassadors must be concerned with their allies who aren't vampires, for such allies are the most difficult for any vampire to replace.
Coteries that act as occult ambassadors can be comprised of those with good standing in the larger world, or even dedicated scholars and diplomats who train for just this purpose. The Circle needs Acolytes who are diplomatic enough to coax new information from the other occult powers of the world so that the covenant's spiritual horizons can continue to grow. Due to this mission, such coteries often become somemthing like supernatural anthropologists of the old school: the type who wear finger bones at tribal festivals or eat with the cannibals. Other coteries may become hubs in the black market of magic - sort of one-stop-shops, trading looted artifacts for artifacts the Circle wants.
