The sects found in the world of darkness are the factions that many kindred find themselves a part of. A kindreds sect can be decided by many things but is typically related to either their sire or clan. While this is typical it is not required but can be forced upon kindred which sect they belong to. With some sects they are not open to new members as well as members from certain clans.
The two major sects are the Camarilla and Sabbat, which respectively comprise vampires who attempt to uphold the Masquerade and generally maintain their humanity at passable levels, and vampires who seek to eliminate the Masquerade and rule humanity as predators. This isn't to say that the Camarilla are nice, they're just pragmatic.
These sects trace their history back to 15th century Europe and the Convention of Thorns, which ended the Anarch Revolt. The Sabbat are the descendants of those Anarchs, while the Camarilla are the signatories to the convention. The two sects have been mortal enemies ever since, although the difference is blurred among the elders at higher levels of leadership and at lower generations.
The most organized of the vampiric sects, an elite club that favours tradition and control of the mortal populace from behind the scenes. Across their domains, they enforce six major Traditions, chief among them being the Masquerade. All clans have an individual presence in the Ivory Tower, though a select group of pillar clans make up the core of its membership. Once the Camarilla welcomed all Kindred who obeyed its laws, but recent events have caused the leadership to adopt more exclusive membership rules. No Anarchs, Caitiff, or thin-blooded vampires are allowed to exist within the sect.
Vampires who reject the status quo of Cainite society. The resulting organization of anarchs is called the Anarch Movement, whose traditional strongholds are Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco.
A loose organization of Cainites who reject the Traditions. Unlike the Camarilla, the Sabbat believes in the Antediluvians and Caine. Also known as the Sword of Caine, as they believe they will be the army Caine will use to destroy the Antediluvians once Gehenna arrives.
Also known as the True Black Hand or Manus Nigrum, was an ancient death-cult devoted to the worship of a cabal of beings known as the Aralu, whom it believed to be Antediluvians, that slept in the ghost-city of Enoch deep within the lands of the dead.