Mawla

This Trait represents one or a group of Kindred who looks out for you, offering guidance, information, or aid once in a while. The word comes from medieval Arabic, meaning different things from “a trusted one” to “uncle” to “source of neighborly protection” to “non-Muslim whose oath still binds them.” Western vampires brought the term back from the Crusades, and as the Ashirra and Camarilla find themselves increasingly allied in the Gehenna War, the word enjoys a resurgence in vampire society. A Mawla may act as your mentor. Such a role commonly falls to your sire, if they don’t treat you as property or ignore you. Your Mawla might trade information to mutual benefit, or even come to your aid if you have respected the relationship. A Mawla may be powerful, but their power need not be direct. Depending on the number of dots in this Background, your Mawla might be nothing more than an ancilla with a remarkable information network, or they might be a centuries-old creature with tremendous influence and supernatural power. They may offer advice, speak to the Prince or Baron on your behalf, steer other elders clear of you, or give warning when you’re walking into situations you don’t understand. Your Mawla, of course, expects reciprocity. A Mawla rating could even represent a group of like-minded vampires, such as the elders of the city’s Tremere chantry or a Trotskyite clique amongst the Anarchs in town. (The plural of Mawla is Mawali.) As a general rule, a Mawla group costs one dot more than a single Kindred of that level: a coven of elder Mawali would be a three-dot Mawla group, for example. Whoever they are, write them on your Relationship Map when you buy them. As a general rule, Mawali provide a helpful word and occasional political pushes or cover, but they don’t fight your battles or call in valuable favors. If they must do so for their own sake to aid you, you probably lose a dot or more of this Background, after arousing their ire. Characters can also acquire one-off Minor Boons (p. 315) from other Kindred, only during character generation. These boons cost half the points (rounded up) of the equivalent Mawla.