Undead Revolutionaries
The Carthian Movement uses the ideologies of the living to bring democracy to the dead. Anyone who disagrees with that gets their haven firebombed.
The condition of the vampire is, according to the Carthians, in stasis. Stasis is equivalent to certain destruction. Human political movements can gain power swiftly and effectively, and keep it, and as far as the Carthians can tell, they do it well. The Carthians offer a new deal to the neonate and the outcast, a new way of governing the Kindred without the self-serving aristocracies of the Invictus, with whom the Firebrands of the Revolution often come into conflict.
Some of these revolutionaries want to tear things down, while others believe in diplomacy. The Carthians run from knuckle-headed thugs with bats and knives to smooth-talking politicians who use the voice of the common vampire. They recruit from those Kindred who feel disenfranchised or wronged — and vampires very easily feel wronged. We can fix it, say the Carthians. We can bring the change that you wish to see in the night, and you will benefit, as will we all.
The Carthians promise upheaval, and in many ways are the change they wish to see, modifying their ideals on an almost nightly basis. The Carthians do not question the necessity of reform, but they are willing to question reforms themselves. Some nights, this makes them fractious… but on many more, it leaves them well prepared.
Everything the Carthians do is dedicated towards the creation of a new vampire order. The traditions of vampire society have their uses, but the way the established covenants enforce them leaves a lot to be desired. The Carthians preach that all vampires are equal, but the fact is that some corpses are more equal than others. Nobody’s going to shed a red tear for a knight who follows her prince to the stake.
The Carthian Movement has a very prominent presence in Paradi City. They can't compete with the Invictus for sheer wealth but they're exceptionally connected at the middle-management level. Just as many union bosses and teamsters suck down revolutionary Vitae as they do the First Estate's. This puts the two covenants in rivalry when their respective pawns meet.
The Carthians absolutely loathe the High Prince, Tobias Van Dorn. He's everything wrong with the Invictus and vampire society in general, in their eyes. Even the fact that his court rules from High Paradi, looking down on everyone else, it's propaganda that practically writes itself. It's no secret that there's a lack of Carthian Princes for different layers. Hell, Van Dorn was in power when all these werewolves started popping up everywhere as well. Was it actually his fault? Does it matter, if he can be blamed for it?
The Movement loves Paradi City though. Horrible and beautiful in equal measure, it's a place where the mortals said 'hold my beer' then ripped off the sickest twist kick ever before witnessed. This is a place with potential. Between vampire and corporate overlords, the common man being ground into the cogs of capitalism, and the generally downtrodden masses of Middle and Lower Paradi, there are a lot of disenfranchised people out there. A lot of people who'd be willing to accept a bribe or look the other way, so long as someone who deserved it was getting stiffed.
The Carthian's main obstacle is that Van Dorn entrenched quickly and has the full backing of the First Estate and has made back-deals alliances with the Ordo Dracul, as evidenced by the presence of his spymaster, Athiee. The Prince before him was Invictus as well and that covenant has no plans to relinquish power. Heat rises though and the Carthians might just resort to burning half of Upper and High Paradi down if that's what it takes to improve the lot of the kindred everywhere.