Defining Boons
Most young Kindred learn the art of prestation (if they're lucky) as the art of giving and granting favors; 20th-century vampires define it as "you scratch my back, I scratch yours." Unfortunately, more often the neonates come to prestation only through being taken advantage of by skilled elders, giving them no chance to learn under more "forgiving" conditions.
Many an inexperienced Kindred (youth and elder alike) has dug themselves into horrendous debt due to their ignorance of the levels of prestation. This is not entirely through their own making; not a few harpies brokering deals have assisted the matter by choosing not to inform a Kindred about his potential mistake or by deliberate misinformation when it suited them (this of course gives them the opportunity to "help" the unfortunate one by leveling another debt to have the first one renegotiated).
The levels defined below are what passes for definition across most of the Camarilla; regions, ages of the Kindred in question, previous working relations and extenuating circumstances (such as war) may all play a part in the negotiations.
- Enkel bön - This is given in return for some small favor, such as the loan of something and its return, or for political support that did not risk or inconvenience the giver's standing. It is expected that the receiver will return the favor in similar fashion. While minor boons may not sound like much to worry about, a collection of them carefully placed and called in can be the prelude to a devastating gambit. Most vampires of any sect or clan consider the acts of granting and returning minor boons to be common politeness, and a vampire who does not do so is considered to be beyond even the harpies' scorn.
- Favör - A major boon is collected in return for items loaned that did not return or returned damaged (such as ghouls, weapons, artwork), political support that involved considerable risk and/or inconvenience to the giver or his standing, and for physical assistance during an assault that was not life-threatening. Major boons can be quite handy to have in the political arena during conclaves, or during wartime to force the hand of Kindred who have been slow to offer resources or support.
- Livsskuld - A life boon entails the spectacular debts that prestation is famous for. In most cases, the debtor literally owes his continued unlife to the boon-holder, and the boon-holder can demand quite a bit before considering the debt paid - how much is the debtor's life worth to him? The collection of a life boon at a crucial moment can force a debtor to vote against his own dearly held cause or to betray a friend.
