Invictus Titles

Introduction

<Invictus Title of Tribute or Esteem; Alder appends> <Name>, <Clan/Covenant Descriptor>, <Title of Function>, <City title/s>, Lineage

Modes of Address

Invictus titles are somewhat more complicated than those of other covenants, because the Invictus use five distinct modes of address.

Formal address is the default: <Esteem> <Function> when talking to someone, and <Esteem> <Surname> when talking about them. This is the equivalent of "Mister President" when talking to Jed Bartlett, but "Mister Bartlett" when talking about him. ("Madame Chairperson" is another good example.)

Familiar address is for coterie-mates, close friends, and family members. <Esteem> <First name>, whether talking to or about them. "Mister Jed," for example. 

Intimate address is for those you are or have been intimate with, usually lovers. <First name>

Submissive address is used for those you are trying to flatter, impress, apologize to, or those who are flat-out higher status than you in such a way as it would not be appropriate to treat them as equals. Most <Adjective> <Tribute> <Surname>. If there is no Title of Tribute, it is instead Most <Adjective> <Esteem> <Surname>. Get creative with the adjectives!

Disparaging address is used when you are actively seeking to insult, though it is designed such that anyone not of the Invictus would not notice. My <Adjective (optional)> <Tribute> <Surname>. The difference between 'Most' and 'My' is frequently subtle, and choosing an unwise adjective for the Submissive voice can turn the phrase mocking. For example, "My Aspiring Mister Rival" sounds polite, but Invictus will recognize it as a sharp smackdown to someone who is acting above their station.

Titles of Esteem

All Invictus have a Title of Esteem, often the most visible distinction between members of the Conspiracy and other Kindred.

Miss or Master for paiges;

Mister or Madam for full members;

Alder for elders (generally 150+ years old, or of blood potency high enough that they can no longer feed on human blood). Appends to any title of Tribute. 

Sir or Dame for sworn Knights (see Titles of Function).

Meister for Meisters (see Titles of Function).

Titles of Tribute

Titles of Tribute are considerably rarer. It is relatively unusual for an Invictus with less than Status 3 to have one. It is extraordinarily rare for a Kindred who has achieved a title of Tribute to move away from the city in which it was awarded.

Lord/Lady, bestowed for an achievement of significant merit.

Baron/Baronness, bestowed for honor and valor above and beyond the call of duty. 

(The Good) Viscount/Viscountess of <Domain>, bestowed for extraordinary service rewarded with permanent domain. 

(The Honorable) Earl/Countess of <Domain>, bestowed for conquering a domain and earning the right to rule it in perpetuity.

(The Right Honorable) Marquis/Marquise of <City>, bestowed on an Invictus awarded a permanent place on the Inner Circle, usually for clearly altering the course of history in the city to the Invictus' advantage, and without whom all would have been lost. 

(His/Her Grace the) Duke/Duchess of <City>, bestowed on an Invictus who conquers a city and establishes a basis for long-lasting Invictus rule. Rarely awarded more than once in a city's entire history, and accords both permanent domain and a permanent place on the Inner Circle.

Titles of Function

• Advisor, a member of the Primogen council;
• Advocate, a public relations specialist;
• Almoner, who cares for the less fortunate;
• Amicus Curiae, a sort of archivist who makes formal record of important events, frequently serving as a sort of roving Notary-slash-Judex between multiple cities;
• Archon, a Hound;
• Au Pair, who trains neonates in necessary skills of etiquette and survival;
• Catechist, a member of the secret police (silent);
• Commissioner, a resource and investment manager;
• Councilor, a member of the city's Inner Circle (supersedes);
• Executor, a neutral party who travels to where the work is, to conduct important or controversial tasks such as overseeing Monomacy or preparing for a Grand Elysium;
• Glossator, a neonate who helps elders adjust to important changes in technology or thinking (silent);
• Groom, a keeper and trainer of herds, mortal or animal;
• Interpreter, a translator and subterfuge specialist;
• Judex, a judge and professional arbiter of disputes (supersedes; usually have prior experience as an Advocate, Interpreter, Notary, or Senator);
• Knight, a soldier sworn to an established Order of Knighthood;
• Librettist, a connoisseur of arts and entertainments, responsible for event planning or detecting forgeries;
• Meister, an acknowledged expert and instructor who oversees a Guild (appends to other titles of function, e.g. Meister Speaker);
• Minister, a Herald (supersedes; often trained as Interpreters or Speakers);
• Misericordia, a troubleshooter and cleaner who deals with major threats to the Invictus or the Traditions (silent);
• Notary, a professional witness who oversees oaths, oral journalists (requires the Notary Merit);
• Player, a professional artist or performer;
• Prince, the Kindred who holds Praxis;
• Priscus, the most respected member of a clan. Requires no training;
• Proctor, who enforces the will, decrees and orders of important Invictus throughout the covenant;
• Pursuivant, a bonded messenger;
• Reeve, a Sheriff (supersedes; usually trained as an Archon);
• Secretary, an administrator of Guilds at the city level, who advises Meisters in discipline and instruction and verifies any claim to a title of function;
• Senator, a philosopher and advisor, usually specializing in spiritual and occult matters;
• Seneschal, the second-in-command/major domo/grand vizier to the Prince (supersedes; usually trained as Speakers, Notaries, or Stewards);
• Soldier, a professional warrior, mercenary, or assassin;
• Speaker, a specialist in etiquette, diplomacy, and negotiation;
• Spy, reporting back inside information from every covenant, clan, bloodline, faction and court (silent);
• Steward, either a preserver of valuable artifacts, or a caretaker for elders in torpor;
• Technologist, a skilled investigator and occultist who studies vampiric capabilities;
• Vauntcourier, a nomadic role that acts like a grand-scale Harpy and Herald;
• Whip, who represents and motivates a clan (supersedes; often trained as Interpreters or Grooms).

When an individual holds more than one title of function, it is appropriate to use whichever title is relevant to your discussions at the time. An Invictus Priscus' own clan is more likely to address him as "Mister Priscus," for example, while others might default to "Mister Senator". There are two exceptions to this. First, Catechist, Misericordia, Glossator and Spy, are all 'silent' titles. Addressing someone as "Mister Spy" rather blows their cover, so these titles are very rarely acknowledged out loud, and never in casual conversation. Second, Councilor, Minister, Reeve, Seneschal, and Whip are all particularly respected positions. If an individual holds any of these, that title supersedes all others.

Examples

Baron Isaiah Cartwright, Lord of the Establishment, Councilor and Advisor, Regent of Derby; childe of the Good Alder Elizabeth Rachel Fullerton, Unconquered Lord of Lords, Viscountess of Harvard Square, Priscus, Judex and Notary; childe of Mister William Carter, Lord of the Conspiracy, Librettist and Patron of the Fireside Poets.

1. Baron means he has served the Invictus above and beyond the call of duty.
2. No Alder title means he is less than about 150 years old. "Mister" is his Title of Esteem.
3. Lord = Ventrue
4. of the Establishment = Invictus
5. Councilor = On the Inner Circle. This supersedes all others, so "Mister Councilor" is the appropriate way to address him.
6. Advisor = Also a Primogen. Mister/Baron/Councilor/Advisor = 4 titles, so he's /probably/ Status 3 or 4 Invictus.
7. Regent of Derby = Controls territory in that part of the city.
8. Childe of, childe of = Knows his sire and grandsire, both of whom were Invictus. Solid and respectable lineage.

Enough detail has been provided to also parse his sire:

1. The Good... Viscountess of Harvard Square = Rewarded for extraordinary service. Very respectable.
2. Alder = Survived at least 150 years, and therefore was almost certainly not an idiot.
3. Elizabeth Rachel Fullerton = Name.
4. Unconquered = Invictus
5. Lord of Lords = Ventrue Priscus
6. Priscus = Yes, again. Braggart.
7. Judex = Judge. Judge awarded the territory of Harvard University, what's more! This title supersedes all others, so the default address for her is "Alder Judex".
8. and Notary = Oversees oaths. Bound to extraordinarily high ethical standards, vital to the covenant, always at least Status 3.
9. Alder/Viscountess/Priscus/Judex/Notary = 5 titles, and several of them very impressive ones. Probably Status 5, possibly Status 4.

And /her/ sire...

1. Mister. Given that his childe is an Alder, he must have died before reaching 150 years.
2. No Title of Tribute, so the childe definitely outshone the sire.
3. William Carter = Name.
4. Lord = Ventrue
5. of the Conspiracy = Yet another way to say Invictus
6. Librettist = Patron of the Arts. Mister Librettist is his default address.
7. of the Fireside Poets = Who he specifically patronized. The fact that they're listed implies that they're considerably more important than he is.
8. Only two titles (Mister/Librettist) so he was probably only a Status 1 or Status 2 Invictus.