Here is my advice to all individuals new to the city, as well as those who have been around for a while. To my experience, it applies not only to our own little corner of the world but to wheresoever you may go.
Loic
1. It doesn’t matter if you have tons of Presence or you’re the best warrior anywhere. Trust me, I've seen some bad, bad people come and go. Most of the "go" was due to their making everyone else in the city hate them with a passion. Personal power means nothing if you alienate everyone else.
2. You are only a reasonably large fish in a very small pond. No matter how bad you think you are, there is always something much bigger in the depths. You are very, very easily killed. That goes double for Elders. Don't think you're going to impress anyone else by talking about how powerful you are.
3. When you find a clue to a mystery, pounce on it. We are helpless as individuals in a bewildering world, but together our knowledge is considerable. Those who help will be rewarded.
4. Cultivate friends and allies. You and your coterie of buddies will not be able to provide for all of your needs. You will have more fun if you are social, anyway.
5. Fighting is boring. Violence tends to be fast, brutal, and final here.
6. Don’t go bothering Methuselah’s in their subterranean lairs. They don’t like that. See #2.
7. I've seen people build power on love. I've seen people build power on fear. I have never seen anyone build power on how much they were hated. And just because people hate what they fear, it does not follow that they fear what they hate. Ponder that.
8. A threat is just a whine that makes people want to
kill you. Threats are rude, not to mention they make poor tactical sense.
See #2 and #4.