The Levee is a social event where men make their acquaintance with the Prince. It is specifically intended to elevate [[Fledgeling]] vampires of the upper class clans to the level of [[Neonate]]. Notably, male kindred from the lower classes do not make the acquaintance of the Prince - at least not until they become notable figures in their respective clan. The Levee also allows visitors from other princedoms who come to live in the territory of the Prince to become members of society. A Levee is held at the start of the [[Season]] and several more times during the season. ==== Organization ==== The prince and his people are responsible for organizing the Levee. No announcements are made or invitations are sent, as the Levee takes place on the same days every year. Rather, it is the Sire who decides if his Fledgeling is ready. Also, the Prince cannot reasonably keep track of who wants to visit his lands, so it is up to qualifying kindred to contact his people. To participate in the Levee, however, it is necessary to register beforehand, and a check is done to see if you even qualify - only members of the upper class clans can participate in the Levee. ==== Social Customs ==== As a key social event for new kindred, there are several important customs to keep in mind. ---- Clothing ---- For visiting the prince, only the best clothes will do. Black frock coats should be worn, with a white shirt and a crevat with gloves and tophat. The hat should be new, but kept in hand while inside, and never worn there. It is quite possible to wear a decoration on the coat pocket, such as a pocket square or flower and well chosen and a particularly beautiful boutonnière may even get a comment from the Prince. While normally military uniforms are allowed for these occasions, it is not fitting to wear them for this particular occasion, since you are representing only yourself and never the position you hold. Since most fledgelings don't normally qualify for military uniforms yet anyway, this is rarely an issue. ---- Meeting the Prince ---- The different men who are to meet the prince gather at the palace at the start of the night with the person sponsoring them, usually their Sire. A servant of the prince establishes the order in which people are allowed in and takes a quick glance to make sure everyone is dressed properly. Once this has happened, the fledgeling vampires and their Sires (or the visitors and whomever will sponsor them) line up in the [[Order of Precedence]] and are led, one by one, to see the Prince. Upon entering the room, both Sire and fledgeling bow, move forward to about halfway, bow again and then walk up to the Prince, at the indicated position, and bow a third time. The Prince will then acknowledge the Sire, who will bow and step aside. At this point, the fledgeling presents himself formally, giving his full name, including all titles, before explaining his heritage. In most cases, it suffices to mention his Sire, presuming that Sire is already a member of society. Otherwise, it may be necessary to go a bit further back. If the person making the acquaintance is from another territory, and has met the Prince there (i.e. did not come here as a fledgeling but was part of society there), he also mentions where he came from. Once the person has explained who he is, the Prince may, in rare cases, ask some further questions. This is not a test that can be failed, but indicates that the prince is interested in the person, which is definitely a good thing if the young kindred wants to get ahead. Finally, the Prince will welcome him to London Society and extend his hand. The fledgeling then bows and kisses the ring as a sign of submission to the sovereign ruler. The kissing of the ring is also the goodbye, as the fledgeling then steps back, bows, steps back again, bows, takes three steps, bows once more and then turns and walks out with their Sire. ---- Afterwards ---- After meeting the prince, the fledgeling is led to a comfortable room in a side wing of the palace where they wait until everyone is done. The Sire may go do other things, sometimes taking in another fledgeling if they are sponsoring more than one, though this is not normally the case. Once everyone has seen the prince, and the fledgelings have gathered in the other room, a servant of the Prince will "surprise" them with free drinks in the shape of attractive blood-dolls upon whom they may feed to their content for the rest of the evening and who will provide entertainment. At the end of the evening, they return home.