It is no secret that organized crime in America takes in over forty billion dollars a year. This is quite a profitable sum, especially when one considers that the Mafia spends very little for office supplies.
 - Woody Allen

We all want to be rich, we all want to be famous, and we all want to be powerful. So you want to be a Giovanni do you? Most of you spend your entire lives striving to be those things. Sounds like a great life, doesn't it? Who wouldn't want to be adored, have a seven-figure bank account, drive a Ferrari, control Spiriti through Necromancy, and have a penthouse on 5th Avenue and a summer home in Capri, while ghouling Heidi Klum?

It sounds wonderful, but it isn't. Sure, being rich and powerful isn't exactly scrubbing toilets, but it doesn't come without its downside. Because when you're on top, you become a bigger target for all those who want to see you fall.

You want to know about Necromancy…    You would not be the first to have been curious about these mystic ways.  Dealing with the dead has always been viewed as morbid and immoral by the masses. Their own fear of death fills them with loathing of the bodies of those they once loved, and often of their souls as well. The few individuals who have cast that yoke off of their shoulders, and have no reservations about confronting death on its own terms, are ostracized from society and labeled sick or worse.

Among vampires, the practice of Necromancy is abhorred almost as badly as by mortals. Though physically dead themselves, very few are willing to take advantage of their unique situation to probe the mysteries of the death that they avoided when they became immortal. Perhaps confronting the spirits of the departed reminds them that they are not as immortal as they think.

For as long as there has been religion there has been a fear of the afterlife, or rather the fear of lack thereof.   It is my belief that necromancers, for better or worse, are often feared more than others because they have the potential to answer some very few questions that remain that give people faith.  Is this to say that god is a lie?  Hardly, it is however to say that as technology advances and the pool of humanity’s knowledge becomes ever more expansive faith is becoming more a question of truly believing in and loving a higher power, rather than using an unclearly defined concept as a means of explaining the things we experience every night of our lives.  Is Necromancy then inherently evil if it erodes one of the few questions that still remain unanswered by humanity?  Some may believe this to be the case, but I prefer to think of it as a purification of religion.  If anything it actively clears the fog obscuring those who are truly devoted to a higher power and those who need to believe in something to rationalize their existence.

Others will say that Necromancy is ethically unsound due to the methods that are required to interact with, wield, and experience the power of the beyond.  To these people, I would ask if the same could not be said of modern doctors.   How many people do you know whom are organ donors?  While alive, did you ever give blood?   Imagine for a moment if you proposed taking the internal organs of a deceased human and placing it into a living one to prevent dead during the dark ages.  This would be heresy!  Do some cosmetic surgical operations such as lip implants not take tissue samples from the dead for these less selfless purposes?   Do we not continue to debate in these nights the morality of stem cell research which can provide miraculous results at the cost of harvesting organic matter from human umbilical cords (or fetuses)?     

Necromancy is no different than mortal science and medicine.   Regardless of materials and means, it is the intent of the action that I believe determines whether it is truly immoral or not.   Just as doctors heal their patients, is it not acceptable to nurture the souls of the dead?  Is it not acceptable to explore our delicate balance between life and death to perhaps one day regaining some of our mortal characteristics?   Can you honestly say that you would refuse the opportunity to engage in reproduction the way we used to or have lunch outside with a friend at high noon?  

There is no end result that does not come without research, and for every research study there is a price tag that comes with it.   We, as sentient beings, must have the integrity to discern based on the knowledge that we have what ends are suitable to achieve what means.

Okay, that's great and dandy. Who wouldn't want these perks? I love having the ability to do what I want, when I want, without blinking at the price. But nothing comes without a cost. Even if I have been successful in La Cosa Nostra and outside of it, I don't live worry free. In fact, like most others in positions of power, I always sleep with one eye open.

Who wouldn't enjoy having power over others' lives and unlives, and beyond, to decide their destiny, their happiness, their financial future? You might feel like a king over there, having the ability to fire, hire, promote, demote, break, make, or even ice a guy and fetter him to your Armani cufflinks, but that's not how it goes.

Sure some sick f*ckos treat the ability to toy with other men's lives as an aphrodisiac; I treat it with incredible responsibility. When you are calling the shots, the buck stops with you. When you have the power to make major decisions, decisions that not only affect your power base but affect those around you, you can't take it lightly.

When I was out on my own, when I had no one to think about but myself, I was a selfish prick looking out for my interests -- I didn't give a damn what happened to the cafone next to me. But as I grew within my Family, more and more people depended on me, and decisions I make now must be carefully weighed to make sure I protect myself, as well as those around me. I was able to break a lowlife's legs without a second's hesitation when I was young, but now the burden of power keeps me up at night every time a tough call has to be made.

Some people handle that kind of pressure well, others don't. Worse, some don't even realize the responsibility and act as if they have their own little kingdom, without rules. Ventrue, needless to say, top that list, but I hate discussing politics so I'll stop there.

You have to make the tough (and sometimes unpopular) decisions, whether it's taking out your best friend or firing a long-time employee. You want to be Boss; you are going to have to take the crap that comes with being Boss. And the stress and venom that comes your way.  If you think you can manage that without getting capped you might just have what it takes to be Family.