The history of Los Angeles under the Camarilla is relatively short, Los Angeles being as young as it is. What is generally known is that sometime prior to 1800, a Brujah named Rodrigo Guillermo Domingo entered the area. It was, at the time, an unremarkable place. Rodrigo was ""Prince" of the city only insofar as there were no other vampires in the area. Transients paid respect to Rodrigo (and his considerable personal power) on their way through, but there simply were not enough people to support a large base of undead predators.
In the middle of the nineteenth century, the other great elder of Los Angeles history, Diego Montera of clan Gangrel, entered the city. The city would continue to grow through the early twentieth century, with elders beginning to partition the Greater Los Angeles area in the 1920's, under Prince Rodrigo's rule. That rule would preside over Los Angeles' golden age, through a vicious and violent period in 1957, right up until 1965.
Prince Rodrigo was deposed and went missing in 1965. Prince Emerson of clan Malkavian rose in his place, pulling himself to the top of a crowded field of ambitious elders. Those elders realized their ambitions in 1984, when a Conclave split the city into eight domains, each under a separate prince. The document governing this confederated arrangement was the Treaty of La Cienega.
The Eight Princes ruled independently for decades, with the majority of unrest by the younger vampires centered in the domain of South Central. Each Prince ruled their domain differently, although the Treaty set certain guidelines. Most had a council of advisors, and some - such as Prince McQueen of Torrance - flirted with an almost democratic process.
Still, despite the Treaty there were those that wanted more - plotting in the shadows - aiming to control the city as Rodrigo and Emerson had. Then, with the division caused by the emergence of a new Clan (The Nephilim), the Prince of Santa Monica made his bid. Five of the Princes amended the Treaty, effectively shutting the Ancient Malkavian out. But with the Ancient gone there was no-one to stop the Ventrue's power play. Acton claimed one Domain after the other, with the support of the upper Camarilla echelons.
Perhaps it's not such a good idea to dance on a vampire's grave before you're absolutely certain that they are indeed, dead. The very night Acton claimed Praxis over the entire metropolitan area, the Ancient re-emerged and the Elder was ripped to pieces. Enraged by the betrayal and heresy of the Sect as a whole, Emerson claimed Praxis over three neighboring Los Angeles Domains; Greater Downtown, Santa Monica and South Central and declared his land independent from the Camarilla's global lead.
Six Elders, one from each Clan joined Emerson in his stance against the traditional Camarilla fundamentalists lurking outside; who will not have, will not accept this act of defiance.
With the Elder's focus on keeping their Traditional counterparts out, the management of the Heart of Los Angeles is left to the young. They are appointed to positions and granted Domain over large portions of the city and although united under Emerson's rule, its residents play their personal games of power - constantly watching their political footing, taking care with whom they are aligned, with whom they associate, and whom they turn into enemies.
