"Old-fashioned and tradition-bound, the Ventrue are sophisticated and genteel. They believe in good taste above all else and work hard to make their lives comfortable. They are most frequently the leaders in the Camarilla, and are cautious, honorable, social and elegant Kindred The Ventrue fancy themselves a clan of the modern world, and deny that they live in the past. This may be true of the most powerful members of the clan, but many are unable to give up the habits and dress of the time when they were Embraced. The attitudes and beliefs of one's mortal days are never forgotten by a Ventrue. They are most often found among the upper crust of the mortal world. Their sophistication serves them in good stead among the elite of mortal society, and it allows them to control many of the more powerful members of the city. Because of the relative ease in which they fit in among such company, the Ventrue often have a monopoly on political control of the city. If something goes wrong, it is often to the Ventrue that the other Kindred turn to aid. There is a strong Ventrue tradition that any member of the line may find safe refuge with any other member of the line, and cannot be refused. Thus many Ventrue aid their fellow clan members before the need arises for this tradition to be invoked. Harboring a fugitive in one's haven can be detrimental to one's welfare. They are very proud of their leadership of vampire society, and will always insist that they were the founders of the Camarilla. They will do nearly anything to retain their grip on the politics of the cities and the Camarilla, and are exceedingly protective of their reputations."
(Vampire: The Masquerade 2nd Edition)