TM

BY RICHARD DANSKY, JASON FELDSTEIN, ARI MARMELL

AND C.A. SULEIMAN
VAMPIRE CREATED BY MARK REIN•HAGEN
1
CREDITS OVERHEARD
Written by: Richard Dansky, Jason Feldstein, Ari Epic trance is the Iron Maiden of electronic music.
Marmell and C. A. Suleiman. Vampire and the World — Brian Brown
of Darkness created by Mark Rein•Hagen It’s a 20-foot-long catfish with a pistol and a horn.
S t o r y t e l l e r G a m e S y s t e m D e s i g n : Mark — Ken Cliffe
Rein•Hagen He kills giants, you ignorant Swede!
Developed by: Justin Achilli — Jacob Klunder
Editor: Janice Sellers
Art Director: Richard Thomas
Layout & Typesetting: Kieran Yanner
Interior Art: Matt Mitchell, John Cobb, Michael
Gaydos and Drew Tucker
Front Cover Art: Matt Mitchell
Front & Back Cover Design: Kieran Yanner

© 2002 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.

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 TM

TABLE OF CONTENTS
AN OPEN WINDOW 6

INTRODUCTION: MYSTERIOUS WAYS 12

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN 18

CHAPTER TWO: TAINTED BY THE BLOOD 56
CHAPTER THREE: BEYOND THE KEN OF MORTALS 76

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH 94

CHAPTER FIVE: STORYTELLING 106

3
Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?
— John 11:40
 An Open Window

By Richard Dansky

It took Jesus Christ three days to return from the dead. It Deliberately, he stepped off the curb into the middle of
had taken Hector Pellegrino thirty minutes, and he felt that the street and raised his hands to the heavens. The breeze
an important lesson was in there somewhere. The details of it, caught his tattered raincoat and flared it out behind him as
however, escaped him, and in any case he didn’t like thinking if he were some dashing knight riding into battle and it were
about Jesus too much these days. After all, Jesus may have a cape lifted by the wind of his passage. Lifting his face to
died for the sins of mankind, but whether vampires were the skies, he laughed.
covered by the crucifixion was a question for which he had “Bravo.”
no answers. The voice came from the shadows across the street, un-
Putting the matter out of his head for the moment, Hector der the trees that marked the border between the campus of
loped along Hillsborough Street. It was late, maybe three in North Carolina State University and the real world beyond.
the morning on a Saturday, and the bars had finally sent the “For whose benefit is that performance, I wonder?”
college students home to their beds. A few windows sported “Why, for yours, of course.” Hector stopped, bowed
flickering neon lights; others were shuttered or nailed over from the waist, and slogged across the rest of the street. A
with plywood. Cars rushed past on the wet street, ignoring Lexus careened past on the other side of the road, spattering
red lights as they went. None of them stopped, and few even him with cold water, but he paid no heed. The raincoat was
slowed down to allow the drivers to rubberneck at Hector already ruined and the cold bothered him not at all. Water
as they went. Those who did no doubt assumed he was just had slicked back his black hair, and beads of it ran down the
another wino looking for a friendly awning under which he pale flesh of his long face.
could camp and count the day’s take of change.
“Ah. Consider me unimpressed.” The figure who stepped
Hector watched them go by and smiled. He was feeling out from under the trees was a full head shorter than Hector
fat and sassy tonight, the king of all he surveyed. The feed- but carried himself with considerably more authority. He,
ing had been good, the music in the clubs tuneful, and the too, was pale, but with blonde hair in a cut almost as severe
fragrance of tobacco a surprisingly pleasant reminder of days as the expression on his face. His features and his build were
gone by. To his surprise, he found he was humming. both broad, in contrast to Hector’s thinner frame, and he

An Open Window
7
wore a neat slacks-and-jacket combo that made him look of your answer. Just be truthful.” He paused and sniffed the
like an insomniac professor. night air. “I’d prefer not to compel you to respond.”
“You’re four hundred years old, Felipe,” Hector said with- “I’m just thinking, Felipe,” Hector replied as they walked
out a trace of rancor. “Nothing short of God and his angels on. On the right rose the illuminated obelisk of the campus
marching down Hillsborough Street to the state fairgrounds bell tower, its carillon chiming softly in the breeze. “I suppose
would impress you.” the answer is that no, I do not still go to church.”
“And even then I’d question His Almighty taste,” Felipe “Ah.” Felipe smiled.
sniffed, but a glint of humor was in his eye. “So what brings “But I want to.”
you to the middle of the street in the middle of the night? “Ah.” The tone of the second response was downcast,
Sheer joy at existing? Or are you just trying to cut down on disappointed.
your laundry bills?”
“”What? Felipe, what’s wrong?” The smaller vampire
Hector shook his head and found shelter from the rain had quickened his pace, and Hector suddenly had to hurry
under a reasonably sturdy pine. “More the former than the to keep up.
latter. Actually, I’m on my way home. It was a good night, if
you take my meaning.” “What is wrong, my childe, is that you are a slow learner.
How many years have you lived beyond the grave?”
Felipe sighed. “I’ve been taking your meaning since I
brought you into this miserable existence, Hector. It’s been Hector counted in his head. “One hundred and sixty-
a hundred and sixty years of listening to you skirt around the three, sire.”
gist of things, and at this point it’s gone beyond affectation “One hundred and sixty-three years. Nearly sixty thou-
to pathology.” sand nights. And on how many of those nights have you
“Ah. So that’s why you’re out here. To correct my speech fed? Come on, tell me. Don’t be shy. Did you starve yourself
patterns.” until you felt you must feed or go mad? That’s one night in
ten — only six thousand bloodlettings. Or perhaps you fed
“That’s one way of putting it.” He frowned and took a
yourself well, gorged yourself on blood like you were a child
step closer. The streetlight haze made his flesh seem yellowed
and it were the finest spun sugar candy. That’s threescore
and rotten. “I am here because I am worried about you, and
thousand dead men, women and children to lay at your
because others are worried about you, too. My concern runs
feet. Put them all end to end and they’d ring your pretty
to the paternal. Theirs, to the tactical.”
little city round thrice over. But no, that’s not your style, is
Hector grinned humorlessly and paced back and forth it? You don’t feed if you can help it, you don’t kill if you can
on the mud. “Ah. I see. They think that I’m too squeamish help it, and in the end, that means the number of corpses
and won’t do for this new age of blood and terror. Who is it? you’ve created over the years might be numbered only in the
Pieter? Alessandra? That fat Scotsman Ross? You can tell them hundreds! Imagine that!”
they can rest assured in my willingness to shed blood with the
best of them. I just prefer not to do so unless it makes sense. “Four hundred and twenty-two,” Hector muttered.
This little hub,” and he spread his arms to take in all of the “That’s all.”
Hillsborough Street strip, if not all of Raleigh, “has been very “What?” Felipe asked gaily. “How many was that? I
good to me. If calling my little evenings out something other didn’t hear you.”
than hunting expeditions helps me maintain my place here, “Four hundred and twenty-two,” Hector forced out
well, proper Camarilla-approved phrasing will simply have between gritted teeth. “Are you happy?”
to lose.” He stopped pacing, and turned to face his mentor “Hmm.” Felipe stopped and put his hand to his chin in
and sire. “There. Satisfied?” a mocking parody of thought. “Four hundred and twenty-two
“Another performance, Hector, and not one of your deaths. For a Kindred of your age, that’s quite a feat. I’m sure
better ones. Come, walk with me.” Felipe spun on his heel there are very, very few others of your age who have been so
and walked off. Cursing, Hector hurried to follow. discriminating or efficient. Then again, a tally of over four
“Do you still go to church, Hector?” hundred corpses has you running rings around dear old Jack the
The question caught him by surprise. He started to answer Ripper, or any human serial killer in history. It’s all a question
no but caught his tongue at the last minute. Had he gone? Not of perspective, I’m afraid, and I just don’t see yours.”
per se — he’d not made confession since he died, though on “Felipe, wait. I’m just trying to follow the Traditions. To
more than one occasion he’d found himself standing outside protect the Masquerade.”
the confessional booth, trembling. But always the thought “Ah yes, the Masquerade. You’ll avoid killing to protect
had come to him that the crimes he’d committed were beyond it — that’s very good. On the other hand, you’ll also risk
absolution, and so when the time had come he’d fled. breaking it by scurrying into and out of churches whenever
And besides, the voice in the back of his head whispered, you think someone’s not looking. Oh, yes; I know about your
could any church that would allow him to set foot on its grounds midnight trips to the confessionals. One of these nights you’re
truly be a holy place? going to run into a priest who actually believes but can’t
“You take a long time to answer a simple question,” Felipe sleep because he’s heartsick pondering all the injustice in the
said, not unkindly. “Do not worry about the consequences world, and you’re going to give him quite a shock when your

STATE OF GRACE
8
fangs pop out and the blood starts jetting from your eyes at
his touch. So, you see, I’m afraid I can’t quite give you the
benefit of the doubt on this one.”
“What do you want, Felipe? Just tell me?” Hector was
suddenly very tired and very afraid. The chill of each raindrop
soaked into his skin.
“Now you’re being sensible. I ask you, what are you
prepared to do?”
“To do what?”
“To demonstrate that you’ve acquired a more sensible view
on our particular flavor of ’eternal life.’ I know you, Hector
Pellegrino, and I knew you for ten years before I made you
mine. You were a church-going man then, but never a fool.
If you were a fool, I would have let you die on the Brooklyn
docks. Don’t be a fool now.”
With that, abruptly, he vanished. Hector shook his
head and sat on the steps leading up to the bell tower. Felipe
and his theatrics. No doubt he was somewhere in the near
vicinity still, observing his childe invisibly and waiting for
some suitably dramatic declaration of allegiance. Perhaps he
wanted Hector to call out after him, to demand his return
and a further explanation. Maybe he wanted to see if Hector
would run (not that he’d get far if he tried, he knew) or if he
would scurry back to supposed friends who shared his danger-
ously mortal beliefs. It’s not as if Hector were potent enough
to see his sire if the man did not want to be seen.
Screw it, Hector thought. I’m not going to give him the
satisfaction. He sat, and he waited. The cold water soaked
through his jeans and along the soles of his well worn boots,
but he didn’t move. To move, to evince the slightest curiosity
as to where Felipe had gone, would be to lose the game his sire
had just drawn him into. If the price of winning was a wet ass
and cold feet, well, that was just too goddamned bad.
Instead, he pondered what Felipe had said. The way the
conversation had swiftly looped around to the question of the
church disturbed him. Felipe was right; he had been devout
before he’d been Embraced, but that was sixteen decades
ago. He’d done good work since then, good clean work in
the trenches and in the shadows, and his religious beliefs had
never been raised as an issue in all that time. He hadn’t been
seen as soft when he’d been in the thick of the fighting on
the streets of New York. But now, suddenly, this. Why? And
what was Felipe going to ask him to do?
Whatever it was, however, was apparently going to
have to wait for another night. An hour of wet waiting later,
Hector came to the reluctant conclusion that Felipe’s disap-
pearance was genuine, as the slightest hint of his presence
hadn’t been felt since. Reluctantly, he hauled himself to his
feet and made a few desultory motions to try to brush the
seat of his pants dry. A fistful of pine needles came away, but
that was all, and Hector resolved himself to an extremely
uncomfortable walk home.
“And it had started out to be such a good night,” he said
to no one in particular. No one at all responded.
The answer to the questions of that wet Saturday night
were answered the next evening when Hector awoke. A
AN OPEN WINDOW
9
package rested on his doorstep, wrapped in an old issue of the faith. He has known you long enough to know your worth.
News and Observer and tied twice round with twine. It was This,” and he made a sweeping gesture, “ is bullshit.”
bulky and heavy and apparently multipartite. When Hector He stopped, his words hanging in the air. He was alone; of
gingerly unwrapped it at his kitchen table he found it was that he was quite sure. Yet why did he listen for the response
a broken plaster crucifix of the sort normally hung in the of an unseen audience, one that might be judging all he had
bedrooms of devout college students of a particularly gothic said and even now finding him unworthy?
bent. Christ’s hands and feet had been smashed and the cross Repressing a shudder, he dressed quickly and went out.
broken into three segments beneath him. His face, however, The door slammed behind him, a dull thud with no echo.
had been left pristine, though some thoughtful soul had taken
Nine hours later, when he returned, the broken crucifix
the time to dab the plaster around the crown of thorns with
was gone. In its place was a scrap of parchment with a hand-
garish red nail polish. The effect was somehow more shocking
written note. It read “I’m sorry” and nothing more.
that it had any right to be, the crude mockery more vicious
than the brute force that had broken the icon. “Felipe!”
Frowning, Hector spread the pieces out on the table. The It was an hour before dawn, and Hector was drunk in
newspaper itself offered no clues; it was the sports section from the rain. He’d been to the bars again, the places where the
a week ago last Thursday and had apparently been used at some students gathered to drink and allow themselves to be seduced,
point to line a birdcage. The pieces of plaster, he was certain, and he’d played the role of the seducer to the hilt. Buying
were the real message, and Felipe was its author. Forsake the the young girls wine and beer, leading them outside, feeding
church, he was saying. Turn your back on this. desperately and letting their drunkenness flow into him — all
night he had done this, and around midnight he’d stopped
But that wasn’t all. Felipe could have just told him that
caring whether the girls he fed from lived or died.
the other night, could have compelled him to do so, if he
really wished. Felipe had done this to him somehow, he knew. Felipe
had made him want to seek oblivion, had done this to show
This, on the other hand, was a stronger message. Half-
him how easily his precious morals could be set aside.
measures wouldn’t do. What Felipe was asking for, he was
quite certain, was a formal severance of allegiance with the He staggered onward, calling out his sire’s name. A light
Church, an act of desecration that would make it impossible went on in an apartment window; someone leaned out and
for Hector to return to its comforts out of shame. That’s what yelled, “Would you shut up?” Hector turned, stared at the
Felipe was after. bleary-eyed figure in the window, and hissed. He was vaguely
aware his fangs were distended and his eyes were weeping
The bitch of it was, Hector thought, that he still had
tears of blood.
no idea why Felipe wanted this thing. He got up and paced
around the apartment, heedless of the honking of the traffic “Jesus fucking Christ!” the figure in the window yelped
outside his window. He had known others who had maintained (he couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, and didn’t care)
some attachment to their mortal faiths, even after centuries and disappeared. Hector made an obscene gesture at the
among the Kindred. True, their observances had changed departing silhouette and shambled on.
by necessity. Vividly, he recalled the scarred face and ruined “Tsk, tsk. That was a breach, Hector.”
tongue of a vampire he’d known who’d insisted on taking The words came from nowhere. Hector looked up, sud-
Holy Communion despite all warnings to the contrary. denly, blearily, sober. “Felipe?” he asked warily. No response
He also recalled the blissful look on the man’s face, even came. More lights were going on in the building. Panicked,
in the midst of his agonies. That look alone had sustained him Hector ran, blindly. He stumbled twice, picked himself up,
during many long dark nights of the soul, when the promise and continued on. His hands found parking meters and street
of Heaven had seemed empty and the broken corpse at his signs for support, but blind panic drove his legs.
feet told him he was in Hell. This is stupid, Hector, he thought fuzzily. What are you
He’d heard that the Sabbat still clung to the ways of the running from? Why are you afraid? He clutched a stop sign and
Church, in its own perverse way. Perhaps that was the issue willed his legs to stop churning, his fingers to anchor him
here: his faith taken for a different sort of allegiance in these against the unholy desire to flee.
nights of suspicion and madness. Surely that sort of suspicion “Wrong way, Hector.” It was Felipe again, a ghost in the
was ludicrous. They couldn’t possibly think he was a potential early morning mist. “You can’t stop now.”
traitor because he haunted church doorways. Then he was running again, fleeing Felipe’s voice and
Abruptly, he shook his head and ceased his pacing. “You, Felipe’s laughter at every turn. Blindly he ran for home, and
Hector,” he said aloud to himself, “are being a melodramatic at every corner the unseen presence stymied him. He ran
fool. Remember what Monsignor Dellarosa taught you all past brick houses with solidly locked doors he could have
those years ago. It was good enough for you then; it should torn from their hinges, past cars bought by doting parents
be good enough for you now. Now put this nonsense out of and those rescued from the junkyard to be adorned with band
your head. You will find Felipe, you will tell him you will not stickers and rust. He ran past corner stores and ill-mown
do this foolish thing — for all you know he is testing your lawns, past “For Rent” signs and pyramids of beer cans, and

STATE OF GRACE
10
at every corner Felipe was waiting for him, to steer him where Hector turned. Footsteps were on the stair, the slow tread
he wished to go. of sleepy bare feet on thin carpet. It wasn’t too late, he knew.
It was half an hour later when Hector finally collapsed. He could still destroy this place and flee.
He was aware that he should be able to run further, run faster, Or he could just flee and pray that Felipe was at least
but his legs had no strength. “Felipe?” he called out, but now mercifully swift.
was just silence. The steps grew closer. Hector’s hands clenched into fists,
He looked up. The building before him was small and which he lowered to his sides. He took one step, then another,
well kept, the brick-shaded shingles of its roof neat and the until he stood by the half-opened window.
paint of its door fresh. It had been a house once, it appeared, “Can I help you?”
and still radiated a sort of genteel coziness. A sign jammed The voice came from behind him. He half-turned. A
defiantly into the muddy lawn read, in simple white letters woman stood there in a pale blue bathrobe, her feet bare and
on black, “Raleigh Unitarian Community Center, Danielle her dirty blonde hair tousled. A thick pair of glasses sat on her
Rhodes, Minister.” The door was slightly ajar. too-long nose, and her eyes were bleary with sleep. “If you’re
Hector staggered to his feet and laughed raggedly. So it looking for things to steal, there’s not much in here.”
was a church that Felipe had brought him to. All the terror Hector sucked in an unconscious breath. “No,” he said,
and all the pursuit had led him to this, his final test, his final his voice trailing off. “That’s not it at all.”
chance to save himself. Desecrate this, he told himself, and you
The woman yawned. “Then what is it?”
are saved. Surely you know you can’t resist, not now.
Hector placed both his hands on the windowsill. “Would
He opened the door and stepped inside. The hallway
you believe that I was led here?”
was carpeted in dull red, and the walls hung with pictures
of landscapes and dew-drenched flowers. To the right, what “A lot of people say that. It is a church, after all. I’m
had once been a living room had been converted into a small Danielle Rhodes.”
sanctuary, with rows of chairs and a small pulpit at the front. “Hector. Hector Pellegrino.” He felt suddenly ashamed
A simple wood cross hung from the wall behind the pulpit, and slammed the window shut with more force than was
and a stack of Bibles sat on a sideboard against the wall. The strictly necessary. “I told you, I was led here. Then, when I was
entire place smelled vaguely of patchouli and cigarettes, and outside, I saw that this window was open and I was worried
a wet spot was on the carpet from where a window had been that things inside were getting wet. And since the door was
left open through the previous night’s drizzle. open … well, I didn’t think anyone lived here.” Suddenly,
It would be so easy. All he had to do was something sym- Hector realized what a fright he must look — hair wet, blood
bolic — tip the altar, perhaps, or tear down the cross. A flick on his face, torn clothes. Any minute now, she’d scream, or
of the wrist and then he could flee. Felipe would be waiting call the police, or attack with some ridiculous flavor of martial
for him outside, no doubt, proud and happy that he’d done arts or other, and the moment would be lost.
this thing, and away they’d go, blithe as always. He could hear Instead, she gave a wry smile, one indicating half-belief.
Felipe’s voice now as the man arranged it all: “It’s a church, “That’s very kind of you. Can I make you a cup of coffee as
yes, but not much of one. Surely he can bring himself to start a thank-you?”
here. Surely this, of all things, he can do.” “No thank you. I had to give it up. Health reasons.”
And in the midst of his imaginings, Hector was weep- “Of course.”
ing, for in his own way, Felipe had done this out of love. The Hector stole a glance out the window. Felipe was there
drunkenness? Forced upon him so that the Beast would be now, he saw, a look of sadness of his face. The first tint of
close to the surface. The chase? To exhaust his defenses and dawn was brushed against the leaden sky, a faint mist still
wear down his spirit. The church? No church he knew, nor coming down. For a moment, all was silent.
was it one Felipe thought he was likely to show reverence. Goodbye, Felipe, Hector thought. I love you too, my sire,
All this Felipe had done because he knew that without titanic my friend.
assistance, Hector would never so much as disturb the dust He turned. Rhodes was still staring at him, her arms
at a church’s doorstep. folded across her breast. She was waiting for what would
I have given you all I can, he could hear Felipe pleading. happen next.
Do this little thing for me. Then you can be saved, and I along “I’d like to stay, though, if I could,” he found himself
with you. With a terrible certainty, Hector knew that if he saying. “ Just for a few minutes.”
failed this test, administered by unseen powers in the shadows,
“A few minutes?”
then surely Felipe would fall under suspicion as well, and one
night he, too, would face a test he could not pass. “To pray.”
“Hello?” When he turned, the door was open fully and Felipe
A voice came from upstairs, a female voice. It was curious was gone.
and cautious, but not suspicious. “Is someone there?”

AN OPEN WINDOW
11
 Introduction:
Mysterious Ways

Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.

— Mohandas Gandhi

Previous Vampire: The Masquerade books have gone the world around us fall and shatter like hailstones,
into all manner of details about the Kindred. We know what and yet another avenue of understanding is opened.
the Kindred do, what they want, even what they think. Many mortals and Kindred alike fool themselves into
To date, little attention has been paid to what thinking this new understanding is enough.
they believe. It’s not. Science is eminently capable of answering
Certainly, plenty of discussion of Caine has hap- when and where. It can even, in many cases, address
pened, how he was cursed by God and spawned the how, though a set of scientific principles to explain
race of vampires who now call themselves Kindred. But the Kindred has yet to be discovered.
how many Kindred actually believe that tale? What But science cannot tell us why. Why are we here?
beliefs are held instead by those who do not? Why are we aware? Why does misfortune happen here,
Of course, many of them, particularly among while over there they boast boundless wealth and end-
young Kindred, don’t believe in much of anything. less opportunity?
They don’t feel the need. In the past centuries, and Why, so many Kindred wail unheard in the cold,
even the past decades, science has advanced in leaps uncaring night, have we been Damned thus?
and bounds, far beyond what anyone could possibly Where science cannot explain and reason cannot
have predicted in their wildest fantasies. Mysteries of guide, it is human — and yes, Kindred — nature to turn

Introduction: Mysterious Ways

13
to religion. The vast majority of mortals living today, involved. If you’re too busy rolling your eyes at clichés
even in this age of reason, express a belief in some sort of and making fun of stereotypes, you’ve added nothing
divinity, feel the need for faith in their lives. Many mortal of worth to the story and have probably stripped from
faiths, however, have no room for the Kindred. it a good portion of its sincerity.
How do you function, night to night, with the The fact that a Kindred may be a devout Catholic,
knowledge that you are already Damned, that noth- Muslim, Hindu or Consumptionist need not be the
ing you do from now until the end of the world can overriding facet of your portrayal of that character.
possibly redeem you in the eyes of a distant God? How Try an experiment. Put down this book for a minute,
can you accept that this sort of monstrous existence go take a walk outside, and look at the other people
can be thrust upon innocent men, women, even chil- around you. Now, just by watching their behavior,
dren, with no intervention from Above? How can a figure out what religion they belong to.
vampire believe? Sure, you can tell with some of them. This woman’s
Yet how vital is faith for undying creatures with wearing a crucifix; that man over there has the beard,
powers and abilities that are so clearly supernatural? sideburns and payot curls of a Chasidic Jew. Most,
How else to understand a life — no, not a life, merely however, show little if any outward sign of their faith
an existence — that science cannot even acknowledge, — yet they may be among the most devout believers
let alone explain? How can they not believe? you’ve ever encountered.
This, then, is what State of Grace is for. Once you have that fact firmly in mind — that
State of Grace is not a treatise on Golconda. It not all believers are vocal about it, and not all those
won’t tell you what you can do with four dots of True who are vocal truly believe — you’re in a much better
Faith. This is not a book on the mechanics of faith position to portray this sort of character.
among the Kindred, but rather on the nature and
shape of that faith.
Faith is an aspect of the game that, for all its im-
FAITH AMONG
portance, has been largely relegated to the background
up to this point. In the hands of a mortal of sufficient
THE DAMNED
piety, the crucifix repels the undead, just as the leg- The Kindred, of course, hail from all societies and
ends would have it. Vampires are walking proof that all parts of the world, and they are no more limited to
the laws of science must bow to other, more ancient a single religious viewpoint than the kine. The “curse
forces. In light of this, few Kindred can honestly ex- of Caine” origin story is the most common because, at
amine themselves without running across at least a least in the Western world, Judeo-Christian religions
few theological conundrums. are the most common. Other Kindred, those who
At the same time, religion has been largely ignored hail from Taoist or Hindu traditions, have entirely
in sourcebooks and stories, except as myth or as a means different views of where they came from, where they
of advancing the plot. It’s time for a deeper look. It’s are, and where they’re going.
time to discover what, exactly, the Kindred of the world For that matter, as much as the Kindred make
believe — and, perhaps more importantly, why. every effort to twist and shape mortal society to their
own ends, is it any wonder they’ve done the same to

A WORD ON mortal beliefs? By most accounts, the Kindred have

walked the Earth since before mankind even understood
STORYTELLING the concept of religion. Some have developed belief
systems that bear little or no resemblance to anything
The popular media have an unfortunate tendency worshipped by the kine — or even other Kindred.
to portray any deeply religious person as a either a
Several of these beliefs are best avoided by any
deranged (and possibly homicidal) zealot or a Bible-
potential convert, Kindred or kine, who would keep
thumping parody. If you plan to bring religion into
her sanity and her soul. As humankind has proved
your chronicle as a viable aspect of character depth
so many times through its violent history, devotion
or roleplaying opportunity, that’s simply not going to
isn’t always a good thing, and the Kindred have had
work. Not only is it unrealistic, it doesn’t allow for a
lifetimes to twist and pervert even the most harmless
true examination of what faith means to the characters
dogma into an excuse for bloodshed.

STATE OF GRACE
14
 “REAL” FAITH VS. TRUE FAITH
It’s worth stating again, though the point
has been made elsewhere, that True Faith is
not something one develops simply by being
devout. It represents a level of conviction of
which most individuals simply aren’t capable,
no matter how deeply they believe. Even the
vast majority of those who truly devote their
lives to their faiths — rabbis and priests,
monks and shamans — don’t have nearly the
strength of will and the depth of conviction
required to turn back the Kindred or perform
other miracles.
On the flip side, one cannot then assume
that because someone lacks True Faith, he’s
not truly devout. Such an assumption does a
disservice to those characters, and those people,
whose faith is unwavering yet who don’t quite
have what it takes to make that final step.
The upshot to all this? When using any
of the various religions examined in State of
Grace, you shouldn’t feel the need to use True
Faith, or any other game mechanic, to indicate
it. Religion, like nationality, family, clan or
upbringing, is simply an aspect of the character
— albeit potentially an important one. Just as
you don’t hang a sign around a character’s neck
that reads “Ventrue,” just as you don’t have to
buy a certain number of background points to
be Sioux, no need exists for any mechanical
indication of a character’s religious leanings.
Let it come out through storytelling speech and
action, as any other character trait. Anything
else, and you haven’t added depth, just another
set of little circles to fill in.

Ultimately, above any other consideration, the

question of faith among the Kindred comes down to
the soul. Do these spawn of Caine even have such a
thing any longer? If not, hardly any reason exists to
worry about God or Heaven; if they’re predestined to
Hell, or to oblivion, why should they moderate their
actions in the mortal world? If they do, though, it’s
vital that they come to some sort of understanding of
their place in God’s (or the gods’) world. Maybe, just
maybe, if they can figure the whole thing out, they
still have a chance for some sort of redemption before
the Final Nights. They can’t afford to take too long,
though; even the undead don’t have forever.

INTRODUCTION: MYSTERIOUS WAYS

15
THEME AND MOOD those who are possess a strength of will and a zeal that
permeates everything they do.
The great thing about having faith in something is On the other, those Kindred who seek enlighten-
that it provides answers and comfort available nowhere ment and understanding in the embrace of religious
else. It explains, as reason cannot, the world around doctrine are almost universally tainted with a cold
you, that a purpose exists to all of it, that the universe desperation. The world is changing around them, far
is more than cold, random chance. For the Kindred, faster than most of them can comprehend. The Final
it offers the only explanation for their condition and Nights seem to loom ever nearer, bringing the end of
the only hope that they might still have a chance of unlife with them. Judgment Day is nigh, and only those
attaining something better. very few Kindred fortunate enough to have chosen the
The problem with faith, on the other hand, is right faith out of the innumerable choices offered are
that you never know if the answers you’ve been given likely to come out of it with their souls — or whatever
are the right ones until it’s much too late to do one tattered bits of them remain.
damned thing about it.
Is the theme of State of Grace the never-ending PLEASE RISE AND OPEN
search for answers, then? Well, yes, but only to a point. YOUR BOOKS TO PAGE …
More than that, it’s an investigation of the steps to
State of Grace is intended both for player and
which the Kindred will go to find those answers. Over
Storyteller use. This may aggravate some Storytellers,
the centuries, the Kindred have practiced every form of
religion known to mortals, twisted them to form their who’d prefer their players remain ignorant of some of
own interpretations, even created their own beliefs the religions and sects discussed herein. After all, the
out of whole cloth — all in search of the one true way Consumptionists and the Architects aren’t exactly
that will enable them to be what their natures require common knowledge, even among the Kindred. That
them to be, yet offer a glimmer of light at the end of said, however, your players really should have some idea
a long, dark tunnel. of what they’re permitted to choose from and should
at least be permitted to possess most of the knowledge
Once they’ve found it (or think they have), of
presented in Chapters One and Two, if not the rest.
course, the Kindred become just as devout, or just as
fanatical, as any mortal. Some use their faith as an Chapter One: The Faiths of Men discusses a
anchor for their Humanity, a bastion that supports number of religions that will no doubt be familiar, at
the moral code or Path of Enlightenment that keeps least in passing, to most players. Judaism, Christianity,
them from falling into the clutches of the Beast. Others Islam, Hinduism and others are all viewed through the
choose to use their religion as an excuse for their own lens of Kindred perceptions. This is not a historical text,
behavior, drinking (or spilling) blood in the name of but rather a discussion of what might call the Kindred
whatever higher power they’ve created to serve their to each of these faiths and what impact these religions
purposes. have on the vampires who choose to adopt them.
This is a hard, lonely course for the Kindred to In Chapter Two: Tainted by the Blood, the
choose. Few of their brethren will understand them, religions discussed in the previous chapter are exam-
since each Kindred interprets her faith in her own way. ined again — but this time, they’re warped, twisted,
No less than a Path, each religion requires a certain tainted by centuries or millennia of Kindred abuse.
sort of behavior, demands that its followers earn the These sects and belief systems are no longer entirely
paradise or hell that purportedly awaits them in the a part of their parent religions; instead, they are cor-
next world. It’s true of some more than others, but rupt reflections of what can happen when the Kindred
almost every Kindred faith demands that its followers decide to shape religion in the same way they attempt
deny at least some aspect of who, or what, they are. to shape mortal society.
Most of them eventually fail, and those who succeed Chapter Three: Beyond the Ken of Mortals goes
often bear little resemblance to who and what they beyond any religions known to man and delves into
were when they began. several belief systems created by the Kindred, for the
The mood of State of Grace is twofold. On the Kindred. Although some may have their basis in more
one hand, a certain somber majesty is involved. This is, familiar faiths, nothing here could be mistaken for a
after all, a look into the secrets, practices and precepts human belief.
of faiths both ancient and new. Few Kindred are strong Some sample sects of all the above are presented in
enough to cling fast and faithfully to such beliefs, but Chapter Four: The Faces of Faith. These denomina-
STATE OF GRACE
16
tions, cults and other factions can either be placed in jihad: literally “holy struggle”; the duty of a Muslim
your chronicles as is or used as a model from which to to defend himself and his faith (the term applies to
create your own religious sects. more than just martial matters).
Finally, Chapter Five: Storytelling suggests ways junub: a person having janaba (impurity); one who
for Storytellers to work the precepts of State of Grace is in a state of impurity or defilement; among Ashirra,
into a chronicle, how to apply these details to Story- a believer who has been turned from the path.
teller characters and player characters, and how to Ka’ba: the temple in Mecca that holds the Black
use religion and religious fervor to add depth to any Stone and was once a pre-Islamic pagan temple; the
chronicle or story. holiest site in Islam.
Keening, the: a powerful force by which Kindred
TERMS AND TITLES hear the sun roar while sleeping in Arabia; the effect
is strongest near Islamic holy sites and prevents non-
Primarily drawn from Muslim sources, the follow- Muslim vampires from entering those areas.
ing argot applies uniquely to matters of faith and the Mahgrib: a group of grim and particularly devout
Kindred. Other terms appear here and there throughout Ashirra, dedicated to uprooting the influence of the
the text, but given that much of our audience is largely taghut and restoring lost faith to the junub.
unfamiliar with the tenets of Islam, we present this
muezzin: one who calls the faithful to prayer;
quick introduction of terms.
among the Ashirra, a muezzin is often a practitioner
Allah: the God of Islam who, despite some common of sihr blood magic, able to use his voice to calm the
misconceptions, is the same supreme being worshipped Beast.
(in different ways) by Jews and Christians.
Qur’an: the Islamic scripture as revealed to Mu-
ansar (plural ansari): the loyal ghoul of a Muslim hammad by God.
vampire.
Rushd: from the verb rashada; the Right Way, the
Ashirra: literally “brethren”; an Islamic sect of spiritual and behavioral path all Muslims are expected
vampires centered around the belief that Muham- to walk; also signifies integrity in thought or deed.
mad offered redemption to Kindred who submitted
salat: the five daily prayers required of all Mus-
to God’s will; more generally, a term for any vampire
lims.
who recognizes Islam.
sawm: a fast observed during the daylight hours
fasad: literally “corruption”; creating corruption
of the holy month of Ramadan.
and disorder on earth by following a path other than
God’s. shahada: the profession of faith, declaring that
“There is no god but God and Muhammad is His
ghûl: see ansar.
prophet.”
Hadith: the collected teachings and biography of
sunna: the body of traditional Muslim wisdom,
Muhammad, forming the second great religious text
embodied in the Hadith and Qur’an.
of Islam (after the Qur’an).
taghut: a false god, an idol; one who willfully stands
hajj: the pilgrimage to Mecca, to be undertaken
between God and man, intentionally leading the latter
at least once by every Muslim who is able to make
into evil and wrongdoing (q.v. fasad); Ashirra term
the journey.
for the supernatural forces that strive to lead Man into
hejira: literally the “breaking of bonds”; Muham- blasphemy and sin.
mad’s flight from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE marks
‘ulama (singular ‘alim): Islamic scholars.
the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
umma: the community of believers; among Ashirra,
imam: an Islamic religious leader who leads the
the sect’s local membership.
congregation in prayer; among the Ashirra, the imam
is the vampire who provides religious leadership to the zakat: the almsgiving required of all Muslims.
local Kindred community.

INTRODUCTION: MYSTERIOUS WAYS

17
 Chapter One:
The Faiths of Men

To trust the God of the Bible is to trust an irascible, vindictive, fierce, and
ever fickle and changeful master. To trust the true God is to trust a Being who
has uttered no promises….
— Mark Twain

Keepers
of the Word
As the most prevalent religion in Western
ince of the Roman Empire. The prosperity Israel had
civilization for roughly the past 1,500 years, it’s no
enjoyed in the later books of the Old Testament, with
surprise that Christianity holds a prominent place
great kings and noble prophets and wealth bestowed
among religious vampires just as it does among mor-
by God, had been long since destroyed by the Romans,
tals. The vast majority of Kindred believe at least
and the Syrians, Assyrians and Hittites before them.
figuratively in the story of the Curse of Caine and
The Jews were scattered throughout their homeland,
have heard the major stories of the Bible — Adam
the neighboring areas, and for some unlucky few even
and Eve, Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and, of
further away. In these times of crisis, the oppressed
course, Jesus of Nazareth. Religion can be a great aid
Jews embraced the messianic teachings of the prophet
in maintaining Humanity and morality as the years
Elijah, who spoke of an “anointed one” who would
pass, which is why so many Kindred try to cling to
redeem them from outside rule and reestablish Israel
their mortal Christian beliefs, the very same beliefs
in all its former glory.
that teach them to revile themselves as creatures
forever denied Paradise by God’s curse. A bit of a It was into this atmosphere that Y’shua ben Joseph
catch-22, but if you already believe in original sin, (more commonly known by the Greek translation
guilt is nothing new. of his name, Jesus) was born. The New Testament
contains four different accounts of his life — the
Christianity began around 2,000 years ago with
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — which
the Jews of Judea, formerly Israel, at that time a prov-
agree on most major points while differing on some
Chapter One: The Faiths of Men
19
of the details. All four books agree that around the Modern Christians believe ostensibly in the
age of thirty, Jesus began teaching a radical new same god as do Jews and Muslims, though quite a
philosophy of pacifism and strict obedience to the few doctrinal differences exist. In addition to the
laws of the Torah, claiming to be the messiah from Father aspect of God, whom they acknowledge as
the line of King David foretold by the prophet Eli- the God of the Old Testament (and of both Juda-
jah. He gained a small following at first, probably ism and Islam), Christians also believe God has two
from the ascetic sect of Jews known as the Essenes, other aspects — the Son, personified by Jesus, and
ministering to them for several years. the Holy Spirit, which brings about miracles (such as
According to the New Testament, Jesus’ arrival the virgin birth) on Earth. Most Christians believe
had upset the corrupt Pharisees, the religious teach- that Jesus allowed himself to be crucified so that, as
ers of the Jews of Judea, who were in league with the a sacrifice, he could take on all the sins of all people
Roman officials, and they conspired to capture him. and redeem them; for this reason he’s sometimes
This eventually occurred with the help of Judas, one called the Lamb of God, after the sacrificial lambs
of Jesus’ own apostles, bribed by the Pharisees into of ancient Israel. Christians teach that anyone who
giving him away. Dragged before Pontius Pilate, the accepts Jesus as his own savior and confesses his sins
Roman governor of Judea, for treason — claiming to will be saved when Jesus returns once more (the
be “King of the Jews” — Jesus refused to plead his case Second Coming) to herald the time when God will
and was sentenced to death by crucifixion. Three days judge all people.
after he was crucified, Christians believe he miracu- The great expansion of Christianity throughout
lously rose from the dead and spoke to his disciples the Roman Empire gave rise to many church scholars.
one final time before ascending to heaven. Three of the best known are St. Augustine, Dante
Although Jesus taught only devout Jews, his and St. Thomas Aquinas, all of whose works were
ministry was eventually extended to gentiles by Paul, accepted as official doctrine by the Catholic Church.
a new apostle who believed himself called to serve While Dante concerned himself with mapping out
Jesus’ cause though he had not met the man. As the the underworld, purgatory and heaven, Augustine
sect’s first theologian, Paul changed the faith’s focus and Aquinas tried to reconcile Christian belief with
from adherence to Jewish practices like circumcision the philosophical systems of Plato and Aristotle.
and keeping kosher to recitation of prayers and gen- Some of the lesser known writers were responsible
erally living a good and moral life; he also changed for certain of the heresies — Albigensianism (see p.
the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday (the day when 28) being one of the best known — that the Church
Jesus was said to have arisen from the dead) and ex- tried so hard to stamp out in the pre-Reformation
panded the ministry to include non-Jews. Paul may era. Lutheranism was the first such “heresy” to gain
also have been the person who decided to include the enough of a following to fight back and, eventually,
virgin birth motif, already familiar to many Romans establish its own churches, and Calvinism followed
from the mystery cults of Isis/ Horus and Mithra, in its footsteps soon afterward.
which became part of the religion’s canon when the For all their differences in beliefs and practices,
Gospels of Mark and Matthew were written around most Christian sects practice some form of baptism,
AD 80 or 90. The name Christ (or Christos) is the a ritual that uses water to cleanse a person of his past
Greek equivalent of “messiah” and literally means and signify a true commitment to follow the teach-
“anointed one.” ings of Christ. Based on the older Jewish practice of
It was some time before Christianity would gain ritual bathing before entering the temple to worship,
acceptance in the Roman Empire. Emperor Nero, baptism began with Jesus himself, who was sprinkled
among his many perversions, took great pleasure in with water from the river Jordan by John the Baptist
using lighted Christians as torches at his parties, as (not to be confused with John the Apostle). Baptism
well as trampling Christians beneath chariots. Such became the main initiation rite of the Christian faith
atrocities against Christians by Rome’s rulers were following this; Jesus’ proclamation “I shall make you
common until the conversion of Emperor Constan- fishers of men” in the book of Matthew probably
tine to Christianity in AD 312. This paved the way refers, at least in part, to the practice. Among mod-
for Christianity to become the official religion of the ern Christian sects, some disagreement exists over
Empire, causing it to spread throughout Europe and whether baptism should be performed during infancy
(later) the rest of the world. or later in life. Catholics and other more traditional
denominations hold with infant baptism, believing

STATE OF GRACE
20
that an unbaptized child cannot enter Heaven, being matic cult leaders, newly Embraced vampires often
uncleansed of the original sin that taints all newborn find themselves turning to religion to maintain their
children thanks to Adam’s transgression in the Gar- sanity (or at the very least their self-control) in such
den of Eden. Many Protestant sects instead practice an unfamiliar and often terrifying situation. Religion
adult or late childhood baptism, so as to give a person becomes an important support structure, in addition
a choice in his own salvation, as they believe Jesus to just a belief system, and much prestation has been
did in the early days of the religion. created and many Monomacy challenges fought by
Also important in most branches of Christianity is foolish vampires who poked fun at a more experienced
a ritual called Holy Communion (or the “Lord’s Sup- Kindred’s deeply held religious beliefs.
per”), which symbolizes modern Christians’ view that
they are the spiritual descendants of Jesus’ apostles. GOD OF ABRAHAM,
Just as Jesus offered bread and wine to his apostles, GOD OF JESUS
saying they were his body and his blood, modern As mentioned above, Christians believe in the
Christians eat of the Eucharist, a specially prepared same god as do Jews and Muslims, albeit with a few
wafer, and drink of sacramental wine. Some denomi- distinctions. The three religions tend to agree on
nations, most notably Catholicism and the Orthodox several things, though, the most important of which,
and Anglican Churches, believe in the doctrine of to vampires, being that God has it in for them.
transubstantiation, which teaches that the Eucharist Whether or not the “history” presented in the various
and wine are actually mystically transformed into incarnations of the Book of Nod is literally true or
the literal body and blood of Christ (and thus, of should even be taken figuratively, the Bible is very
God). Many Protestant branches believe instead in clear about what God thought of Caine. Coupled with
consubstantiation, a newer teaching that says the God’s tendency to extend curses to the descendants
transformation is figurative rather than literal — that of a person who’d been cursed, it’s pretty logical for
the Eucharist and wine have the quality of Christ’s Christian vampires to conclude that God really isn’t
essence within them but are still bread and wine as so happy with them.
well. Some Protestant churches deemphasize the role
of the Communion, but generally it’s an important Still, if that were the extent of their belief, most
ritual to mention, especially given the vampiric twists Christian Kindred would lose faith very quickly —
on it to be mentioned later. Many vampires regard and for the devout, the reverse is more often true.
Communion as Christ’s way of acknowledging the Even when their Humanity begins to slip away,
Kindred as also being his children and thus of still religion becomes a useful tool in resisting the Beast.
being capable of being redeemed. For Christians, this is because of two doctrines that
(in part, at least) add the possibility of redemp-
It’s important to point out that even though some tion to the Cainites’ otherwise unhappy position
dialog occurs among Kindred of various Christian in God’s hierarchy — namely, redemption by faith
denominations — between Lutherans and Method- and redemption by good works. Different Christian
ists, for example — Kindred tend to be much more sects place emphasis on one or both of these, but to
rigid in their beliefs than mortals do. This has to do Kindred trying to redeem themselves from the Curse
partly with the static, change-resistant state that is the of Caine, both are very important.
Cainite condition, but, more importantly, religious
beliefs are one of the few things a new vampire has Of the two paths to redemption, faith is the
to stabilize himself. Often the process of coping with more difficult one, both to define and to fulfill. Un-
having to drink blood to survive leads to a vampire’s fortunately, faith is something a person either does
relying far more strongly on religion than she might or doesn’t have; it’s not something that can really
have as a mortal. Given an unfamiliar situation, most be encouraged by outside means (at least, nothing
people will try to some degree to relate it to their past short of a miracle). For the same reason, it’s difficult
experiences, to try to process it in a way that makes to define what faith is — in many cases, a faithful
sense to their beliefs. In the case of someone who’s person is very diligent about keeping to the teachings
just discovered death isn’t the worst thing God can of his religion, but plenty of people go to church all
dish out, it’s often that very same God who takes on the time who might not truly be said to have faith.
an increasingly important role in the person’s life. In Many Kindred make the same mistake as mortals on
much the same way people with personal or financial this one, which is why it’s common to find a vampire
difficulties are attracted to the promises of charis- whose faith is a bit lacking to be far more rigid about

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

21
 THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, EMBRACED
Although the vampiric worshippers mentioned above keep to the generally accepted teachings of
whatever denomination they spring from, a few important differences arise because of the…special…
nature of the worshippers. Beyond holding services at night (often at least an hour past sundown to make
allowances for late risers and travel time) and in many cases entirely in Latin, certain other changes in
doctrine have become pretty widespread throughout the Kindred church community. The first and perhaps
most important of these is a particular addendum to the Lord’s Prayer.
As the story goes, the Cainite Profession (as the addendum is most often known) was created by an English
Toreador priest by the name of Father Alexander Burgess sometime in the fourteenth century. Although this
was long before all-Kindred churches were common, Father Burgess had been worrying for some time about
whether it was honest for a vampire to pray for redemption without mentioning the curse on himself, “as if he
doth conspire to deceive God Himself.” In answer to his own concern, Burgess created the Cainite Profession
and taught it to other Kindred priests he knew. When all-vampire churches came into vogue, it was already fairly
widespread. It is, “Blessed is God the Father, who looketh beyond the physical and into the very hearts of men,
and judgeth their worthiness. We who, descended as we are from the wretched First Murderer, are unworthy to
address Thee, beseech that, in Thy infinite forgiveness and caring, Thou mayst still hear our humble prayers.”
The congregation then proceeds to recite the Lord’s Prayer, often with great fervor — many Kindred take the
phrase “valley of the shadow of death” to refer specifically to the Cainite condition.
Another main point of divergence between mortal and Cainite churches is in how they practice the Com-
munion. As in the mortal institutions they’re based on, some vampiric churches don’t put much stock in the
Communion, but those that do have had to make some adaptations to make it easier to perform. Although
the churches are full of inspiring stories about Kindred whose faith was great enough to literally transform
the wine into blood and the Host into flesh, in practice, many Kindred have a difficult time taking com-
munion because of their problems with eating food. Different churches approach this problem in their own
ways — Catholic priests tend to expect their parishioners to keep the wine and Eucharist down without aid,
no matter the force of will necessary, while some more liberal Protestant denominations mix small amounts
of vitae into their wine and wafers to make them easier to swallow. Some groups even have Thaumaturgical
rituals — or, more rarely, Chimerstry effects — cast upon the chalice used for the wine, so that anything
poured into it appears and tastes just like wine; this way, the ritual appears indistinguishable from mortal
communion, even though the priest’s blood may be in the cup. Needless to say, in congregations that use the
blood of the priest as the communion wine, parishioners tend to become very fond of their priest.
In churches where such “defilement of the Host” is not officially permitted, it’s not uncommon for
vampires to cut themselves and add their own blood to the wine and the Host before partaking. In some
churches, even though the practice isn’t officially condoned, sacramental daggers are provided for this
purpose — although officially it’s generally thought better to place the blood in the mouth and then add
the wine or Host, rather than applying the blood directly to the communion food and drink. Some churches
actually go so far as to substitute the blood of a priest or priests for the wine, and others use the combined
blood of all the parishioners — although, since this bears such strong similarity to certain Sabbat rituals,
churches that do this tend to keep members very quiet about it in other circles. Whether these churches
are especially close-knit simply because of common belief or because of an effect similar to the Vinculum
is a matter of speculation among Kindred theologians, scholars and Sabbat hunters.
Of less importance, but still worth mentioning, are the variations in baptism among different Kindred
churches. A fair number of Cainites believe that just as children in many denominations are baptized soon
after birth, so vampires should be baptized again after their “rebirth.” The methods vary; Catholics who
subscribe to the practice sprinkle water on the Kindred’s head, while Orthodox use triple immersion — the
same practices used in mortal society. In some churches, of course, practices are more drastic — baptism in
blood, for example, instead of water, or even in sacramental wine, the “blood of Christ” — but these churches
generally don’t advertise these practices. The practice of baptism by fire, in addition to the traditional water
baptism, has also come into vogue in the past century or so, as it tests both the believer’s resolve and his
courage; generally it finds the most popularity in more radical Calvinist or Catholic churches, since it’s a
bit too harsh a trial for the majority of Protestants (even Protestant vampires) to agree with.

STATE OF GRACE
22
keeping to his denomination’s rules and teachings
than one who’s entirely comfortable and secure in
his beliefs. It’s worth pointing out here that vampires
who don’t have a crisis of faith after being turned into
blood-sucking corpses are very rare indeed; as a result,
religion can often turn into more of an obsession for
many Kindred than it might have been while they
were mortal. Belief systems that rely exclusively on
faith are more common in the Sabbat than in the
Camarilla; vampires who believe they’re already
“saved” by virtue of their belief in Christ, no matter
what they may do with their time on Earth, have a
much easier time committing atrocities than those
who believe in the doctrine of good works.
This is part of why the second path to redemption,
good works, tends to receive a lot more publicity
among Christians, both mortal and Kindred alike.
Even if their particular denomination emphasizes
faith alone (Lutherans being the most famous ex-
ample), everyone knows that God likes people who
are good to their fellow man. Whether or not a
Christian vampire thinks she officially gets points
in Heaven for doing it, on some level most tend
to think it helps to hedge their bets on the side of
helping others. This may not apply to those few
vampires who still believe in justification by faith
alone (that is, that believing in Christ is the only
thing necessary to earn passage into Heaven), but
most tend to agree that since they’re cursed by God,
simply believing in Him is most likely not enough to
earn His favor. After all, it’s hardly a miracle that so
many Kindred believe in God after being transformed
into supernatural parasites because of His curse on
Caine; that’s not an easy reality to deny.
Interpretations of “good works” vary widely
among Kindred, just as they do among mortals. More
affluent vampires tend toward giving money to charity
or financing benefits for social or medical groups; more
proactive ones will help charity groups themselves,
provided they can do so at night. Particularly devout
(or worried) Kindred have even been known to pull
strings and arrange huge fund-raising or charity
events, reasoning that since they’re helping organize
a benefit for a just cause,, God probably can figure
out who’s the brains behind the operation. Some
Kindred take an opposing stance — punishing the
wicked rather than helping the needy — but as it’s
difficult for them to keep up a semblance of human
morality after a while, they’re more commonly found
in the Sabbat than the Camarilla.

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

23
KEEPING THE FAITH Missionaries
Missionaries, like crusaders, also take many
Given their beliefs, it’s not surprising that the first forms. Generally, those who work among Kindred
thought most Christians have following the Embrace also tend to be discreet; rather than wearing “Repent,
is, “What can I possibly do with my life now?” Quite the day of the Lord is at hand!” signs or preaching
a few, particularly those who were devout in their at anyone who happens to walk by, they more often
mortal lives, eventually decide to minister the faith work by discussion. When the subject of faith or
to others. With Christian vampires as numerous as religion comes up in conversation, the missionary
they are, and so many mortal churches being built on listens to the opinions of the Kindred involved. He
consecrated ground (not to mention holding services then either works himself and his views into the
before sundown and occasionally having priests with conversation or, more often, takes someone he feels
True Faith), most cities usually have room for another is a promising candidate for conversion aside for a
Kindred of the cloth, and it’s not uncommon for a private discussion. Some Kindred — those who are
Kindred to receive a “calling” to the priesthood in
humane enough, at least — work with mortals also,
much the same way as mortals do. Usually such priests
or even work exclusively with mortals. Even though it
minister to small groups in the privacy of a haven or
poses a breach to the Masquerade, some even use their
other secluded place. Those few who do operate within
Disciplines to perform “miracles” to help encourage
mortal churches usually hold services elsewhere rather
people to convert. They realize risk is involved, but
than risking discovery. Larger vampiric churches are
what’s a simple tradition like the Masquerade when
found only in large cities, and even then only for the
compared with saving people’s souls?
most common denominations.
Other Paths to Salvation
Priests
Like the mortal Christian community, vampires
The calling can come in various ways. Some
also have their share of casual worshippers — those
Kindred simply awaken one evening and decide that
who cling to their religion because it’s familiar and
their unlife would best be given meaning by devoting
probably care about it somewhat, but who don’t
it to the redemption of others. A not insignificant
go out of their way to redeem themselves. Some of
number, though, experience a dream or vision,
these believers think themselves beyond redemption
sometimes even falling into a trance in the midst
— God never told Caine any way he could get out
of a gathering, and this serves as the calling. Such
of his curse, after all — while others just have more
experiences, and stories of them, are one reason why
many vampires seek out vampiric clergy in times of important things on their minds. A fair number of
crisis — stories of the conversion of a Kindred priest the more casual believers seek out Kindred churches,
can reassure a troubled vampire as few other things, mostly to be able to talk to a vampiric priest if things
helping to convince him that God still loves and in their unlives ever get rough, but some still stay
cares about His wayward children. with mortal churches, provided they can still enter
and that services are at least occasionally held at
Crusaders night.
Kindred who subscribe to the doctrine of good Although many younger Kindred, as many mor-
works often become crusaders, either full time or in tals, consider having a “real job” as only a means to
their spare time. Most intelligent crusaders don’t acquire money, among Christian vampires a secular
admit their calling to non-Christian vampires — the job is often considered to be a rewarding activity in
word “crusader” has too many negative associations its own right; vampiric clergy generally encourage
in Kindred society — instead masking their activities it if a parishioner asks. The priests realize it can be-
behind activism in particular causes. Some crusaders, come tedious for a Cainite to try to base an entire
most notably the Custodians of the Commandments lifestyle around being a good Christian. Instead, by
(see p. 29) prefer to patrol their cities,; most pick a holding down a job that lets him help people, he can
particular cause that’s meaningful to them and de- work toward his own redemption without having to
vote themselves to it. These causes are, more often transform himself into a Bible-thumper or a fanatic.
than not, religiously based organizations such as the Besides the priesthood itself, social work is a favored
Christian Coalition or even Alcoholics Anonymous, profession among many Christian Kindred, though
which helps crusaders practice good works and work being able to practice it only after dark is a prob-
out their faith at the same time.
lem. In recent years, one solution has been 24-hour

STATE OF GRACE
24
telephone hotlines for battered women, Christians those gods or taking advantage of their followers in a
in crisis, or even psychic advice — it all boils down delicate position — either change with the times, or
to counseling and helping people in the end. More face priests and villagers wielding fire, and sometimes
physically oriented Kindred sometimes take jobs as True Faith as well.
security guards around animal shelters, food banks Although the Church had done its best to sup-
or churches. press pagan mythologies about vampires, werewolves,
faeries and the like, superstitions are difficult to de-
LUCIFER’S BROOD stroy completely, and in many areas — particularly
It’s fairly widely accepted that Christianity has Eastern Europe — villagers continued to believe in
had the greatest impact of any single religion on them. It was around the eleventh century, following
popular perceptions of vampires. The vampire mythos the split of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches,
has existed far longer than Christianity, but tonight that priests began to take a more active role in the
vampires are generally thought to be afraid of crosses, vampire “superstitions” of their areas. Rather than
though more learned Kindred know that it’s what simply discouraging the beliefs of villagers, priests
lies within the bearer of the cross that truly counts. accepted the existence of the Kindred and decided
The rise and spread of Christianity throughout the that such evil creatures must be servants of Lucifer.
ages, though in some cases helping to discourage Whenever villagers suspected a vampire in the
belief in vampires, also added a new dimension to area, priests would lead a search party, complete
them — not only were vampires things to be avoided, with stakes and flaming torches. Often this would
but people soon came to think of them as agents of simply lead to the mutilation of a graveyard corpse
Lucifer himself. that appeared undecayed — a sure sign that it was a
sleeping vampire — but some unlucky Kindred had
The years before Christianity were often an easier
resting places which were discovered and met grisly
time to find mortal prey and contacts than the modern
ends by staking, beheading and burning. Last rites
nights. From pretending to be Greek or Roman gods
were usually performed as well, but that was small
or creating their own blood-based mystery cults to
consolation to the vampire who met Final Death.
gain herd, to openly demanding tribute from cities
at times, Kindred had it comparatively easy in the Certainly, these vampire hunts were usually
nights when people accepted them as part of the about as effective in uncovering real vampires as the
natural (if spooky and disturbing) order of things. Salem Witch Trials were in executing real witches,
These practices continued mostly uninterrupted dur- but they did set a precedent that alarmed at least
ing the early years of Christianity as a minor Jewish some Kindred at the time, particularly those who’d
split-off religion, but the acceptance of Christianity affiliated themselves with the Church. Surely if
as the Roman state religion in the fourth century villagers utterly destroyed any corpse they thought
AD started the decline of Kindred influence that might be a vampire, it would be far worse for any
would eventually lead to the Inquisitions of the vampire found to be “serving Lucifer” from within
Middle Ages. the Church. Some, of course, were so alarmed at the
vampire hunts that they actually did seek demonic
Although belief in the old Roman gods contin-
assistance — but since demonic creatures of the time
ued for a while, Christianity spread quickly to outer
took great pleasure in eventually betraying their sup-
provinces, where it quickly gained followers by con-
posed masters’ resting places, such foolish Kindred
verting local gods into saints and “pagan” celebrations
didn’t last very long.
into Christian holidays or feast days. The old gods
had never promised redemption — rather, they had Even with vampire hunts as an early warning
only promised pain and suffering if disobeyed — so sign, few Kindred suspected the witch hunts that
Christianity caught on among the locals of Roman were to come, and as a result quite a few vampires
provinces, offering something new: a chance at a and ghouls met their end burning at the stake. Not
joyful and rewarding afterlife. As priests fanned out a small number of these were turned in by their own
across the empire to bring the Word to the heathens, treacherous childer; alarm at the situation was great
they often brought with them a bias against the enough to eventually prompt the formation of the
older local gods; those figures leading honest people Camarilla (and the Sabbat in retaliation). Although
into temptation were obviously agents of the Devil it did still hold true that the vast majority of those
himself. This placed Kindred who’d been posing as burned as “witches” were nothing more than rich
widows, grumpy old women, or tax collectors with
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
25
no supernatural powers at all, the zeal of the mor- looked the Children of Caine — those even more
tals for destroying anything they saw as unholy was wretched than the tax-collectors and prostitutes he
alarming in the extreme. So the Kindred decided, tried to save — and thus that any vampire who truly
as their supposed demonic master Lucifer had before takes Jesus into his heart can be saved just as if he
them, to perform the ultimate trick — convincing were mortal. However, most of these vampires also
the world they didn’t exist. believe good works are necessary to prove to God
Since that period, Kindred influence in the church that they truly have accepted the Gospel as their
hasn’t necessarily decreased, but as Kindred involved in guide for unlife, and that they subscribe to Jesus’
the church have become more prudent, their influence teachings both in word and in practice.
has become more difficult to trace. It’s true in the church MODERN SECTS
the same way it’s true in other areas — the times of
The following section outlines the major groups
impersonating gods or holy men are long gone. In some
of Christian sects, along with what they believe and
cases, literally hiding within the church as a priest or
how their teachings tend to be modified by most
monk still works, but more Kindred who aspire to the
vampiric believers. Following the modern sects is an
priesthood in the modern nights do so in all-vampire
exploration of older belief systems — heresies from
churches; the risk of discovery is obviously much less
the Middle Ages and earlier, for example — that are
this way. Of course, some few still work at the church
still practiced by some Kindred tonight. In addition,
from within as clergy — to great personal benefit, but
several new groups have appeared due to the unique
also at no small amount of risk.
demands and concerns of the Christian vampiric
REDEMPTION OR population, which are explained last.

DAMNATION? THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Not surprisingly, most Catholic churches and
Whether Kindred are beyond all hope of salva-
individual Catholic vampires fall strongly on the
tion or whether they can redeem themselves through
Fatalist side of the redemption argument. If normal
virtuous acts and faith depends entirely on which
mortals could be tainted for all eternity simply because
vampire you happen to be talking to. In large part,
Adam and Eve were duped by the serpent in the
it also depends on which branch of Christianity he
Garden of Eden, how much more vile and debased
calls his own, but even within most churches, the
must the childer of the First Murderer be in God’s
question engenders a fair amount of disagreement.
eyes? Even the most virtuous, humble, and honestly
While some see Caine’s sin as unforgivable and un-
religious vampire could not hope to atone for the
diluted by the weakening of the Blood through the
millennia of atrocities that have been committed
years and the generations, many like to think that
by Cainites, whose very existence is a testament to
God might see the descendants of a six-millennia-old
Caine’s second transgression — Embracing in direct
murderer a little more favorably than those who, for
violation of God’s wishes. These sentiments generally
example, commit murder in the present. Although
hold true for Orthodox churches and believers also.
neither of these positions is particularly happy or
If anything, vampires from the countries that are
encouraging, the second one at least suggests the
traditionally Orthodox territory (Greece, Russia and
possibility of redemption — and in a religion that
other Balkan states) will be even less forgiving of the
places so much emphasis on sin, that’s an important
Curse of Caine than their Catholic cousins. Most, if
point to make.
not all, Anglicans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians
Equally important in the discussions of Christian hold similar beliefs to Catholics, as well.
Kindred theologians is the debate on just whom Jesus
This places Catholics in the position, for the most
meant to save through his sacrifice — only mortals,
part, of doing good works in order to improve the world
or Kindred also. Those who say Jesus meant to save
and in order to right some small part of the wrongs
mortals only, sometimes referred to by their oppo-
perpetuated by all Kindred throughout history, often
nents as Fatalists, often also lean toward thinking
with no expectation of redemption. At most, they hope
damnation for the Kindred is inevitable, though it
that God might notice how hard they have worked to
might be lessened somewhat through good works
atone and lessen the torment they receive in Hell some
and faith. The other camp (known colloquially as
small amount in recognition of it. The common joke
Salvationists) argues that Jesus, as a pure soul who
among more liberal Protestant Kindred summarizes
loved his fellow man, couldn’t possibly have over-

STATE OF GRACE
26
Catholic belief as, “If God denies us Heaven’s glory, redemption, it’s pretty clear that most Protestants
then we’ll still settle for Purgatory.” A few Catholics (except Anglicans, Episcopalians and Presbyterians,
do believe they might be able to achieve redemption as mentioned above) fall on the side of Salvationism.
if they truly have faith and demonstrate that faith Starting with the first Protestant, Martin Luther,
through good works on Earth, believing that God is all Protestant churches have placed a great deal of
essentially loving and forgiving, and that even vam- emphasis on personal interpretation of the scriptures,
pires can’t truly fathom His will (so, in other words, rather than blind obedience to whatever a central
it can’t hurt to try). Mostly these are the young Kin- church’s established doctrine may be. As a result, a
dred, Embraced within the last century, since modern Protestant denomination is much more a collection
Catholicism tends to be far more forgiving of sin than of believers who interpret the Bible in similar ways
it used to be. Many of these Kindred believe that all than an exclusive organization purporting to have
a priest does in confession is help a person to forgive one true reading of Scripture. Many modern Prot-
himself, rather than bestowing divine forgiveness. estant churches reject the ideas of Heaven and Hell
Fatalist and Salvationist Catholics generally tend to altogether, seeing them only as products of medieval
avoid each other — Salvationists see the Fatalists as theology unjustified by the Bible. Some go even
being unnecessarily pessimistic, while Fatalists see the further, questioning basic principles of the religion
Salvationists as thinking themselves somehow more such as the Trinity. Methodists, for example, regard
“worthy” than other Catholics. the Trinity more as man’s experience of how God
For all their emphasis on how horribly Damned has revealed Himself so far but don’t claim to know
the Kindred are, the question has to be asked — why exactly what the “true nature” of God might be.
would a good Catholic vampire who sees himself as The variations between Protestant groups on
eternally condemned because of what he’s become the issue of redemption for Kindred mainly are be-
ever inflict that fate on someone else? Sadly, the an- tween faith and good works. In theory, a majority of
swers are similar to those for any Kindred, including Protestants believe faith in Christ is the only thing
loneliness after many long years of bearing the curse necessary to be saved from all sin; most of these also
alone. The Damned have plenty of motives for Em- believe that faith without good works is meaning-
bracing, many of them selfish, and let’s face it, even less, however — a person can’t truly be faithful if
the most devout believer slips up sometimes. Some- he doesn’t try to help his fellow man, since that’s
times it’s for a different reason — teaching a lesson contrary to Christ’s teachings. The upshot of this is
to a sinner, Embracing as punishment for someone that the majority of Protestant Kindred believe they
whom the vampire feels deserves Hell and not just can be redeemed, but many of them believe it for
purgatory, or even, in some cases, saving someone different reasons. Most acknowledge that it’s more
from dying with sin still on his head, when unlife difficult for Kindred than for mortals to find favor
might be the opportunity to right the wrongs he’s with God, being cursed and having to contend with
committed as a mortal. But deep down, behind these the Beast, but at the same time they see this as a test
more noble reasons, it’s often much more simple. The of their faith rather than an insurmountable obstacle.
desire to sire can be motivated by loneliness, despair, More theologically minded Protestant Kindred ar-
spite, jealousy or even hunger — followed by a surge gue that a god who, in the person of Christ, forgave
of guilt and an impulsive decision to do whatever it and redeemed prostitutes — who had chosen to be
takes so the victim of that hunger doesn’t have to what they were even though God had forbidden it
die. It’s worth pointing out here that if a vampire — couldn’t possibly have any more ill will toward
truly does believe that she’s condemned a person’s Kindred, most of whom didn’t have a choice in be-
soul to eternal fire and torment in the afterlife by coming what they are.
Embracing him, she may very well feel her humanitas Like Catholics, Protestant Kindred pick potential
degrade for doing it — but sometimes faith exacts a childer whom they feel might be instructed through
heavy toll, and if the occasional moral conundrum is the Embrace. Generally, though, it’s not sin that
all a vampire has to deal with because of her religion, they look for. Protestant Kindred more often look
she’s getting off easily. for those with a faith strong enough to survive the
PROTESTANTS Embrace relatively intact and with skills that may
It’s difficult to lump all Protestant groups into lend themselves to the vampire’s favored causes.
one broad category on certain issues, but as far as Since most believe it’s possible for Kindred to redeem

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

27
themselves, even though it’s more difficult than for another spirit into a debased mortal form, and this is
mortals, Protestant Kindred look for mortals of such doubly true for the Embrace — Albigensian Kindred
surpassing conviction and resolve that, even tainted don’t often do it, and if it happens accidentally, they
by the curse of Caine, it might prove better to keep typically kill the childe rather than submit it to an
them around for a long time to work at a cause than to even more corrupt existence than it had experienced
allow them to remain mortal and eventually die. as a mortal. One of the reason the sect is so small,
besides its unorthodox beliefs, is that it’s composed
OLDER SECTS AND HERESIES entirely of converts, since Embracing is forbidden
Although the following groups were wiped out to its members.
in the mortal world by the efforts of the Catholic
Still, accidents (and selfishness) do happen, and
Church at various points in its history, their influence
more than once an Albigensian Embraced for one
on the Kindred community persists to this night —
reason or another. Such illegitimate childer usu-
vampires have a long memory, after all. History has
ally have had little to look forward to. Entering a
borne witness to far more heresies throughout the
new existence only to be told they must eventually
ages than it’s possible to list here, but many weren’t
commit suicide or be even further damned, many
of particular interest to Cainites, dealing only with
forsake the sect altogether. Those who do listen to
obscure points of doctrine that don’t affect the average
their sires at first often grow restless when the aims
believer at all. The following three had major points
of the Albigensians are explained, and those who
of divergence with the established Church, and their
have internalized the philosophy until that point
teachings found ready ears among Kindred who longed
sometimes fall to the Path of Cathari as an alterna-
for salvation. Followers of these faiths generally don’t
tive to suicide. Among modern Albigensians, it’s
advertise it, often just calling themselves “Christian”
whispered that an illegitimate childe may have been
and leaving it at that — unless, of course, they meet
the creator of that Path in the first place.
someone they think would make a good convert.
PELAGIANS
ALBIGENSIANS
Pelagianism took its name from Pelagius, a fifth-
The Albigensians were a Christian branch of
century Welsh monk who preached against both
the larger Catharist sect, which appeared in the
original sin and vicarious atonement. In other words,
eleventh century. It proposed the existence of two
his followers believed that Adam’s sin was not passed
gods — a good deity responsible for creating souls and
along to his descendants, and also that Christ did not
the spiritual world, and an evil god responsible for
die for the sins of all people but only to show them
tricking the souls into inhabiting the corrupt physi-
the way to salvation. In a way, Pelagius was the first
cal world. Although the teachings of this sect also
to express the Enlightenment idea that man is born
inspired the Sabbat Path of Cathari, which teaches
with a moral clean slate, and that it’s society, not
that vampires are the servants of the evil god, small
nature, that shapes him into a sinful creature. Pela-
pockets of truly Christian Albigensians can be found
gianism is popular among Kindred of many different
throughout undead society, who believe they can
denominations; a Pelagian Church doesn’t exist so
be redeemed from the curse of Caine by following
much as a network of Kindred who believe redemp-
Christ’s example. This usually means a rigid attention
tion is very attainable. Many believe, by extension
to one’s own humanity, or occasionally adherence
of denying original sin, that only Caine was hated
to an arcane philosophy sometimes described as the
by God. While his childer may still bear the outward
“Road of Heaven” by professed Albigensians.
trappings of his curse, God doesn’t hold their lineage
Because they believe the material world is cor- against them. This helps to comfort those from more
rupt and evil, the Albigensians think Christ was not Fatalist traditions, while reinforcing the belief systems
truly a spiritual being but rather a spiritual entity who of Salvationists who hear about it.
seemed to be real, sent from Heaven to teach people
how to redeem themselves from the world the evil
NAZOREANS
god tricked them into. Among the original mortal With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and
followers of the sect, suicide was often seen as a noble an associated increased interest in what the followers
way to escape from life. This is true for some of the of Jesus were really like, the sect now known as the
current followers, though most believe that a life of Nazoreans has received quite a bit of attention from
good works is necessary first. The Albigensians also scholars in recent years. According to many historical
believe that procreation is a vile act, since it locks documents and apocryphal religious sources, Jesus

STATE OF GRACE
28
led a radical group of Jewish ascetics called Essenes, the Beast and how to achieve redemption from the
preaching a return to the spirit of the Torah to curse of Caine. The two following sects have been
purify themselves in the eyes of God. It was with some of the more moderate attempts to address these
the coming of Paul, who had originally persecuted issues — a distinct approach that’s peculiar to the
these Jews, that the idea of the virgin birth and the undead but which at the same time doesn’t depart
resurrection were added to make the religion more very far from the beliefs of most Christians. In contrast
attractive to Romans, who were already familiar to the sects detailed in the next chapter, these sects
with resurrectionist mystery cults from Greece and are more common in the Camarilla than the Sabbat;
the Far East. their members may be some of the more zealous and
Nazorean vampires come in two varieties — those religious of Camarilla vampires, but they still cling
who claim to have been active at the time of Christ to humanitas as much as most other vampires, and
or to be descended from a vampire who was, and their morality (though expanded in scope because of
those who convert from other Jewish or Christian the sect they follow) remains relatively unchanged.
sects. The former are generally the leaders in the The Custodians and Redeemers are about creative
sect, while the latter act more as disciples. All Na- ways to achieve redemption while still remaining
zoreans insist on an adherence to traditional Jewish good Christians in the traditional sense, rather than
practices, including circumcision, dietary laws, and so reforming the religion so that vampires are somehow
on; the only point on which they disagree with Jews holy or exalted. Indeed, their members never question
is Jesus himself. While Jews acknowledge that Jesus that they’re cursed; they just have more creative ideas
was a prophet like any other, Nazoreans believe he than most about how to redeem themselves.
was the greatest — greater even than Moses — and CUSTODIANS OF THE COMMANDMENTS
was the “anointed one from the line of King David” Imagine, for a moment, an impoverished man
prophesized by Elijah in the Old Testament. who’s been driven to robbing a convenience store
According to the Gnostic Gospels, which the in order to provide for his family. Let’s call him
Nazoreans consider far more valid than the Gospels Ed. Wearing a ski mask, Ed enters the store with a
of the New Testament, when Jesus died his ministry gun, puts the money from the cash register into a
was carried on by his brother James. After the death of pillowcase and quickly leaves. As he’s making his
James, Jesus’ twin brother (yes, that’s right, his twin) escape, Ed finds himself pursued by someone who
Thomas took over the sect. Because James had already seems inhumanly fast, strong and dexterous. No
conceded to Paul that converts to Christianity no matter how hard he tries to escape, this mysterious
longer needed to be circumcised, the sect had already pursuer keeps only a few steps behind him, almost as
begun to wane, and though Thomas was successful in if allowing him to run until he’s forced to stop. Ed
founding the Mar Thoma Church in India, the last becomes sure that it’s a cop, that as soon as he stops
of the mortal Nazorean sects — the Ebionites — had sirens and handcuffs and guns will come, and that
disappeared by the fourth century AD. To modern he’ll never see his family again after tonight.
Kindred Nazoreans, any supposed Christian who’s not When the last of his stamina finally gives way, Ed
a member of either the lost Ebionite sect or the Mar does stop, and the stranger approaches him. Instead
Thoma Church is a heretic and no friend of theirs. of a gun or handcuffs, the person offers a comforting
Attempts of naïve Catholic Kindred to “bring the hand on his shoulder and speaks softly of how what
wayward Nazoreans into the fold” are usually met with he has done is a sin. The stranger assures him that
obscure but ironclad scriptural justification, followed other ways exist to provide for his family, and that
by more drastic physical measures if the poor fool God does not want to see him in jail, separated from
doesn’t get the picture. Nazoreans are very attached them. Then the stranger offers to take the money back
to their beliefs, and many see the entire Christian to the store, and further to make it appear as though
world as being against them, so it’s generally a bad the robbery had ever occurred, as long as Ed is willing
idea to try to convince them of the supposed error to repent and to accept Christ as his savior.
of their ways.
If that’s not a pretty compelling argument for
NEW KINDRED SECTS starting to believe, the Custodians of the Command-
It’s understandable that for some Kindred, many ments don’t know what is.
of the standard mortal sects fail to address matters of The Custodians (or simply “guardians,” as many
importance to a vampire — eternal unlife, resisting of them like to be called) are a grass-roots Christian

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

29
movement started in the mid-nineteenth century by Although some Custodians still remain part of a
Nils Jornusson, a devout Norwegian Ventrue. It has standard denomination and attend regular services,
seen great expansion in the past 50 to 60 years, both many find the practical worship of unlife spent as a
in Europe and in the United States. Its members come guardian far more satisfying than simple prayers, and
from a myriad of clans, backgrounds and denominations, as a result the Custodians become their only church.
but all of them share a fundamental sadness at the ruin Local groups typically convene once a week for prayer
they believe men inflict upon themselves every day by meetings, which include nondenominational prayer
sinning. The Custodians have appointed themselves and ritual, devotionals specific to the group (asking
humanity’s conscience and overseer, dedicating their God for insight in doing His work, for help being a
existences to erasing not only sin, but also the very fair judge, etc.), and, most importantly, the sharing
desire to sin at all, from humanity. This, they believe, of stories from the week with each other. This last
is how they will help to create a better world, a world part is a chance for the church members to critique
worthy of Christ’s return, and help redeem themselves each other on their style of guardianship, as well
from the curse of Caine in the process. as to learn from each other’s successes and failures.
In addition to trying to stop sin as it’s occurring, National meetings occur once or twice a year, de-
the Custodians take a further step toward guarding pending on demand, and an international conclave
mortals against sin. Jesus taught that being angry of guardians is called every three to five years, the
with one’s neighbor is just as bad as attacking him; next one being scheduled for December 2003. The
the Custodians believe that thinking about sinning reason these meetings aren’t organized more regularly
or intending to sin is just as bad as actually com- is that the scheduling depends entirely on a vote of
mitting sin. This is why the ability to probe others’ the membership rather than on a president or an
thoughts is prized above all other disciplines in the overseeing council.
sect: It allows guardians to weed out the inclination REDEEMERS OF THE DAMNED
toward sin from a mind ahead of time, and to discuss The Redeemers were formed based on two
it with the person before any true harm is done to theological paradoxes: how a truly loving God could
anyone else. Those who don’t come by such things condemn anyone, even the wicked, to eternal tor-
as easily pursue psychology or criminal profiling to ment, and how the souls in Heaven, if they’re truly
try to accomplish their goals; they often are forced pure and good, can stand the knowledge that God
to rely much more on their intuition than those with has done this without taking action to save those
vampiric powers of perception. in Hell. These questions were the main focus of
It should be pointed out that though the idea the writings of Father Albion Gregoire, a French
behind the Custodians is a very noble one, the sect’s Toreador theologian writing in the fifteenth cen-
practices don’t amount just to finding sinners and tury, whose writings would become the basis for the
talking them out of sinning. That’s just the first step; modern Redeemers. In his works, Father Albion
when it works, it’s the only step. But the Custodi- came to believe that the solution had to be one of
ans are diligent servants of Christ, and if a person two things — either God was not truly loving and
is unwilling to listen to reason, other methods are good, which was an impossibility to him, or God
sometimes necessary. Many Disciplines can be used expected some of His children to perform the task
to great effect to simulate the torments of Hell that of redeeming those in Hell for him. Father Albion
await the person if he continues to refuse to listen. asserted that it must be the Kindred — the single
Many others can also be useful for forcing the person group traditionally thought to be most despised by
to listen without interruption, not to mention helping God — who were meant to redeem themselves by
him realize the vampire is more than just a run-of- saving those who had been condemned to Hell.
the-mill proselytizer. Custodians are messengers of Surely God meant Hell to be a place of learning, not
God, and to them the Masquerade is a paltry, selfish simply a place of pain and suffering, and so it fell to
concern when compared with saving souls. Certainly Albion’s followers to discover a way of freeing those
they do try to uphold the Masquerade whenever souls to return to Heaven.
possible, but in the unlikely situation of having to Father Gregoire began a pilgrimage across Europe
choose between convincing someone to renounce a to spread his philosophy in 1434, and as he traveled
life of sin and upholding the Masquerade, a Custodian he gained an ever-increasing band of followers who
would often side with helping the sinner. traveled with him. He began in his own France, then

STATE OF GRACE
30
moved on to Spain, the Netherlands, and Italy, and it Mediums and others who can speak to the Restless
was in Italy that his theories finally found a practical are prized in the sect, as are Disciplines that allow the
outlet. He was approached one night by a Giovanni same. These dialogs between Kindred and Restless can
who had heard of his crusade to liberate the damned last for months or even years, with the Kindred help-
souls of Hell and who offered his services as a necro- ing counsel the Restless through finishing unfinished
mancer to help the group. Using Necromancy, the business and giving up what ties it to Hell. Also like
Giovanni gave Father Gregoire a vision of the world of the Custodians, though, the Redeemers believe in
wraiths — a pale, shadowy realm of shattered dreams using a more drastic approach for those who refuse to
and anguish — and the priest came to the obvious listen time and again. This is when entering the Un-
conclusion: These poor souls were the condemned derworld bodily is often the only solution — first for
that he had been hoping to liberate. face-to-face discussion, and if that also fails to work,
Upon entering the Underworld to liberate the for a demonstration of what torment truly is. For the
damned souls he found there, Father Albion started a Redeemers also believe that when faced with a truly
tradition that would develop into the sect known tonight painful destruction (usually the most painful means
as the Redeemers. Redeemers see it as their sacred task available to the assembled Kindred), a spirit will real-
to help those who have been condemned to torment ize the illusory nature of the torment it has inflicted
understand that it is their own guilt and unresolved emo- on itself, and after being temporarily destroyed it will
tions that bind them in a shadowy copy of their former reform in Heaven for the rest of eternity. Convincing
lives. A Redeemer’s task is to convince these miserable the spirits to renounce their existence is always prefer-
shades to give up the goals and passions that hold them able to such painful methods, but sometimes pain is
to this wretched existence, so that they can go on to the only way to drive home the point. This philosophy
ascend to Heaven, where God eventually wants every ensures that those who are known to be Redeemers
spirit to go when it has overcome its own guilt. are usually avoided by most wraiths that can help it
— which is why it’s so seldom the Redeemers can find
Like the Custodians, the Redeemers rely on wraiths that will listen before running. Most often, it’s
conversation as their primary method of persuasion. the newly dead who don’t know any better.
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
31
 The Redeemers still have a business relationship bia. Before his death on June 8, 632, Muhammad
with a few of the Giovanni. In return for passage to the would live to see his dream embraced by almost every
netherworld when necessary, the Redeemers allow the single one of his countrymen. He would live to see
Giovanni to act as their enforcers. Usually, this means his message — God’s final and complete revelation
that if a particular spirit is destroyed by a Redeemer and to Man — spread across his homeland like a divine
then reforms in Hell instead of Heaven, the Giovanni tide, carrying with it the inner peace that can be
are given leave to collect that spirit and use a more found only by submitting one’s heart and soul to
lasting form of punishment to change its mind about God and to no other.
where it belongs. Redeemers generally don’t ever see Tonight, Islam’s adherents are well over a billion
these wraiths again, but that doesn’t concern them. strong and growing. It remains the fastest-growing
They trust their allies to allow the tormented to ascend religion on earth, and scientists predict that its
to Heaven when it’s their time. In general, the small numbers will come to surpass those of Christianity
family of Giovanni that still assists the Redeemers by as early as the year 2010, making it the dominant
finds it terribly ironic that such devout Kindred would religion of the planet. With Christianity on the
donate souls so readily toward the destruction of the decline, they further predict that more than one
barrier between their Hell and the physical world. Still, third of the world’s peoples will follow Islam by the
the Giovanni manage to keep up the appearance of year 2025. The fundamental dream of the Prophet
righteous punishment in the name of God well enough had been one of “one faith for all the world” during
that no Redeemer has yet caught on to their true mo- his lifetime.
tives for helping the group.
Were he alive tonight, he might well be watching
Recently, the Redeemers have learned from their that dream come to its fruition.
contacts in the Underworld that a great storm has ap-
peared, ravaging the illusory landscape and swallowing
some of the spirits. The Redeemers believe that this is
mainly due to their efforts at redeeming those in Hell.
ONE FAITH
Some feel that God has decided to help them, sending
a storm to swallow up the shades and send them to
FOR ALL THE WORLD
Heaven while destroying the realm that keeps them Although he was born into the most powerful
in bondage, while others feel that the emotionally tribe in the city of Mecca, Muhammad ibn Abdullah
reactive environment of the netherworld has begun to never knew a life of wealth. Muhammad’s father died
destroy itself in response to the Redeemers’ attempts to while his unborn son lay curled up in his mother’s
undermine it. Both groups believe that the storm is a womb, leaving no inheritance upon which his family
key to redemption, and they often encourage indecisive could live. Muhammad thus grew up both poor and
wraiths to fling themselves into it as a symbol of their frail. His mother Amina could not care for them
desire to return to paradise. As these spirits, like those both (she herself was equally as frail and had taken
the Giovanni take to discipline, rarely return to tell ill after her husband’s death), and she sent the boy
the Redeemers how it went, most Redeemers remain to live with another family in the nearby village of
confident that the storm is, indeed, a portal to Heaven. at-Ta’if when he was only two years old.
Some have even entered the Underworld to test the Eventually, Muhammad fell under the care of
theory themselves, but they also have not returned. his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, whose house over-
Some within the sect believe that the truly righteous looked the Ka’ba, the central temple of worship in
of the Redeemers — those who have rescued perhaps pre-Islamic Arabia. The boy’s grandfather taught him
1,000 souls or more — should be allowed to take the of the history of the Ka’ba and of its sacred stone,
portal also, as a reward for their work, but the issue is thought to be a piece of the moon that had fallen
still under heated debate. to Earth and sacred to the god Hubal. Muhammad
took a keen interest in all related matters and was

ISLAM fascinated by the power of faith at a young age. At

10 years old, Muhammad was hired out to work as
a camel driver for caravans traveling to and from
Islam began as the waking dream of a man named
Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him), a Arabia. In the course of this work, the curious boy
humble shepherd born of the Quraysh tribe in Ara- sought religious scholars in every town he visited, in

STATE OF GRACE
32
the hopes of finding some answers to the questions time of his death, Mecca itself — once a paragon of
that burned deeply within his restless soul. pagan idolatry — had embraced Islam, and with it
At the age of 25, Muhammad fell in love with rose the vigor of monotheism.
and eventually married a widow named Khadija.
Now a grown man, Muhammad settled into mar- RUSHD
riage and fatherhood with simple ease, siring six At its very core, Islam is founded and truly
children over the next 10 years. Although he still predicated upon one simple notion: God has given
debated religion and theosophical thought with the unto Man a clear path, one that Man must follow
men of his village on occasion, he had finally settled or else go against the will of Heaven. This spiritual
down and accepted his role as husband, father and path is called Rushd, which means “the Right Way”
shepherd. For Muhammad, these things were truly in Arabic. Unlike many other religions, Islam is a
life enough… complete way of life: a perspective on the universe
But such was not to be. In the year 606, while med- and on mankind’s role in that universe, as well as a
itating in the caves that honeycombed the hills near simple set of guidelines to help men understand and
his home, Muhammad was startled by a thunderous accept that role.
voice that shook him from his quiet contemp- These guidelines can be found in a book called
lation. the Qur’an (literally, the “recitation”). This is the
“Read!” the voice demanded. holy text of Islam and is believed to be the literal
Stunned, Muhammad could only reply that he Word of God, revealed through the medium of hu-
did not know how. man language (namely Arabic). The Qur’an contains
the revelations of the Prophet, collectively forming a
“Read!” the voice again boomed, and again complete and universal set of moral and social teach-
Muhammad protested. ings. It is the ideas and values expressed herein that
“READ!” the voice demanded once more. Frus- make Islam what it is: a force that inspires souls to
trated and afraid, Muhammad asked what it was he establish the kingdom of God on Earth; the realization
was meant to read. It was then that a scroll made of the dream of God-conscious Man living in a just
from silk with words inscribed in flame appeared in society, fulfilling his destiny on Earth while earning
the air before the astonished shepherd. Though he his place in the Hereafter; the ideal of Man living at
knew not how to read, he understood the inscrip- peace with himself and with Creation around him by
tion nonetheless. That was when Muhammad ran being at peace with his Creator. It is the adherence
from the caves, thinking himself mad. As he ran, to and acceptance of these teachings that makes one
however, he heard the voice from above call to him a Muslim — a follower of Islam.
once more.
“Oh, Muhammad,” it said. “You are Allah’s mes- THE ASHIRRA
senger and I am Gabriel!” Indeed he saw an angel When one of the Kindred decides to embrace
then, hovering above him, radiant in all its glory. In Islam or, more frequently, when a practicing Muslim
that moment all fear and doubt were washed away. is brought into undeath, he becomes a member of
When this vision faded from Muhammad’s eyes, it a sect known as the Ashirra (the “brethren”). The
left him forever changed. From that moment on, nature of affiliation is similar to that found in the
Muhammad was no longer the simple shepherd he greatest political sect of the undead — the Camarilla
once had been, but the last and greatest Prophet — where one is presumed to be a member unless one
of God, sent to deliver His final revelation to the actively claims otherwise and makes an attempt to
world of men. distance himself from the hegemonical reach of his
With successive visitations, Muhammad learned elders. If one is both Muslim and a vampire, then one
of the end of the world and of the terrible fate is graciously accepted by the Ashirra as a “brother,”
that awaited those who did not repent their ways regardless of how it all came to pass.
and submit themselves before God. Muhammad’s The origins of the sect itself date back to the
message, called Islam (meaning “peace” and “sub- nights when the Prophet still walked among men.
mission”), spread quickly from his followers among From 622 until his death in 632, Muhammad — a
the Quraysh to those of other nearby tribes. By the “mere” mortal — was the spiritual mentor for a mighty

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

33
Lasombra elder named Suleiman ibn Abdullah. Sulei- to you are carrion and blood, and the flesh of swine,
man was the first of his kind — the founder of the and that which has been consecrated or killed in the
Ashirra — and he dedicated his unlife to spreading name of any other than Allah.” Elsewhere in the
the Word after his conversion in 622. For 10 years the Qur’an (Surah 16:115) it similarly states that God
vampire learned directly from the Prophet himself, has “forbidden carrion and blood and the flesh of
often paying the price for his proximity to the mortal’s swine, and that which has been killed in the name
great faith. Eventually, however, he found that as his of any other but Allah.” These are the two primary
own faith in the Prophet’s words grew, so too did his sources of scripture the Ashirra most often use when
acceptance of that same faith in the world around debating the repercussions they might face due to the
him. Soon he grew strong enough to enter the holy requirements imposed upon them by their damned
cities of Mecca and Medina, while the sheer power condition.
of the faith in those same cities was enough to burn Two schools of thought predominate during such
other Kindred — nonbelievers — to so much ash if debates. The first is one of pious resignation, the no-
they even set foot inside the city walls. tion that God’s will is clearly laid out in these passages
The principle foundation of the sect is built upon and that any Muslim who drinks blood — regardless
the notion that redemption is possible for any being of his circumstances — is sinning and will have to
who accepts Islam and respects both its laws and its pay the price for his transgression come Resurrection
god. The Ashirra believe that immortality does not Day (Judgment Day, to the other monotheists). The
release a vampire from the judgment of Allah and best hope for Kindred, this school of thought holds, is
that they too must follow God’s laws just like any to try to atone for dietary sins by performing enough
other. Further support for their stance comes from other charitable acts and by keeping true to all other
the Prophet himself, who directly and knowingly aspects of Rushd.
offered the promise of salvation to the damned, as The other school of thought is the one often
long as they dedicated themselves to Allah and to espoused by the less traditional or orthodox (and
the duties He would impose upon them. often younger) members of the Ashirra. It holds that
What can be called “membership” in the sect is since the Surah specifically mentions the forbidden
available to any and all converts from each and every “foods” as being those that are either unhallowed
clan, even the Followers of Set and Baali (both of or consecrated to someone other than Allah, then
whom must obviously give up their idolatrous ways). those foods that are specifically consecrated to Allah
A great many Ashirra hail from the Lasombra clan, are thus free of this restriction (see “Cleansing the
owing largely to the work of Suleiman ibn Abdullah, Unclean” below).
who remains the grand mullah of the entire sect to Another log on the fire of this debate comes
this very night. By way of influence, the next most from the very next line of the same Surah that for-
prominent clan among the Ashirra must surely be the bids the taking of blood. It reads, “If one is driven
Nosferatu. This is because the largest subsect of the by necessity to eat these things without craving or
Ashirra — the Hajj — was founded by a Nosferatu reverting to them, then Allah is forgiving and kind.”
named Tarique. Along with his own line of childer Many Ashirra use this single line as justification for
and other devout clanmates, Tarique uses both his their dietary practices, some as justification for their
influence and his mastery of Islamic blood magic very existences. They reason that if a vampire asks
(called sihr) to serve the Muslim communities and forgiveness sincerely each and every time he feeds,
to protect the holy sites of Arabia. The Brujah are that Allah will forgive him. After all, the damned
also well represented among the Ashirra, having been must exist for a reason, right? This line leads many to
inspired by high Islamic ideals of equality, compas- reason similarly that if one truly desires not to crave
sion and the betterment of the self. blood each time he feeds, that he is abiding by the
terms of the restriction imposed by the Qur’an.
THE TAKING OF BLOOD
CLEANSING THE UNCLEAN
Muslim Kindred nightly struggle to reconcile
their own dietary needs with the restrictions imposed Although some would not dare to claim to un-
upon them by the very religion they adore. Surah derstand the motives of their Creator, many Ashirra
(chapter) 2:173 of the Qur’an states most unequivo- agree that it is clear that the primary reason for the
cally that Muslims cannot drink blood: “Forbidden dietary restrictions spoken of in the Qur’an is one
of cleanliness. Carrion, blood, swine: These things
STATE OF GRACE
34
are all unclean and thus dangerous to consume. This into undeath, their conversion (or confirmation) is
same basic restriction is imposed upon other aspects referred to as the Second Embrace. Since embracing
of Muslim life and behavior; one cannot pray inside Islam means joining the Ashirra de facto for most
a mosque or embark upon a pilgrimage, for example, Kindred, the sect is understandably concerned with
until he has first purified himself. For Muslims, the which undead choose to come to Islam and how.
words of the old adage are right on the mark: Cleanli- Unknown to most, the Second Embrace is actu-
ness is next to godliness. ally a sacred ritual performed by all would-be Ashirra
Along these lines, many Ashirra reason that as Kindred and their spiritual mentors. The ritual it-
long as their “food” is purified, then it is free from self, called simply the Rite of Second Embrace, is a
taint and may be consumed without fear of damag- metaphorical reenactment of the Ashirra founder’s
ing one’s status in the Afterlife. Although it varies own experiences alongside the Prophet. Over the
from Kindred to Kindred, the general process for course of an evening, the rite attempts to symbolize
consecrating blood to Allah (and thus purifying the spiritual coming of age experienced by Suleiman
it for consumption) is as follows: First, the vitae is ibn Abdullah and his own circle of early vampiric
collected into a silver bowl, requiring a Dexterity + converts to Islam. From his humble beginnings in the
Melee roll (difficulty 6) to draw off the appropriate fog of jahiliyya (“ignorance”) to his first true glimpse
volume of liquid. Those with 3 or fewer blood points of God, the neophyte Ashirra experiences first-hand
currently in their systems must roll Self-Control (dif- the majesty that is awakening to Rushd and having
ficulty 6) in order to resist frenzying and consuming one’s weary soul galvanized by newfound faith. After
the precious fluid before the purification process is each stage of the rite, the subject must burn a por-
complete. Once the blood is in the bowl, it is then tion of his own “ill-gotten” blood as a testament to
purified by means of a five-minute-long prayer re- his desire to purify himself before beginning his new
quiring an Intelligence + Theology roll (difficulty unlife as a believer and faithful servant of God. By
6). Even one success indicates that the ritual goes the time the rite ends, the subject will have purified
as planned and is thus safe for consumption. Failure himself of all the (presumably human) blood in his
indicates that the blood is forever “unclean” and system, ready to embark on his new existence as one
must be discarded; this ritual may be attempted only of the Ashirra.
once on any given quantity of blood. The Rite of Second Embrace is thus a very inti-
Sometimes an Ashirra wishes to consecrate a mate and personalized ritual, conducted between the
living vessel in its entirety to Allah. In order to ac- neophyte Kindred convert and the one responsible
complish this, the Kindred must first immobilize his for bringing him into the fold (whether mortal or
subject (through the use of Disciplines, perhaps, but Kindred). Although it is typical for one of the Ashirra
often through other means) and then sprinkle it with to be the mentor in this scenario (and thus in the
rosewater while reciting a prayer, a ritual lasting about rite), it is considered good luck for a vampire to be
five minutes. This, too, requires an Intelligence + brought to Islam by the faith of a simple mortal. In
Theology roll as above, though the difficulty varies these cases, the mortal need not know the truth of the
depending upon the subject in question: If the victim vampire’s existence; to him, the neophyte is simply
is a fellow Muslim, the difficulty is 7, but if he is a another fellow Muslim. In all such cases, however,
Jew or a Christian it increases to 8. Consecrating another more experienced Ashirra must counsel the
nonhuman blood to Allah has a difficulty of 6 (or would-be Ashirra beforehand, instructing him on
possibly even less). Regardless of the subject, a failure the proper method for the rite prior to sending him
or botch on any such roll indicates that the blood back to complete the actual ritual with the subject’s
is “unclean” and cannot be consumed at that time. mortal “savior.” Such mortal saviors often go on to
Vessels must be purified each time they are used as become their Ashirra converts’ first (and often most
a source of vitae. loyal) true ansari.

THE SECOND EMBRACE DUTIES OF THE BELIEVER

The Ashirra draw a fine distinction between To a large extent, it can be said that the foun-
those Muslims who are Embraced as Muslims and dation of Islam is duty. The very concept of Rushd
those who find Islam after the end of their breathing — the notion of “one true path” that all are expected
days. For those who come to Islam after being drawn to follow — lends itself to the imposition of a great

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

35
 THE RITE OF SECOND EMBRACE
In most cases, this rite begins with a recitation by the vampire: a verbalized account in the subject’s
own words of how lost was his soul before it was that he came to hear the Word. When this recita-
tion is concluded, the vampire spends the first portion of the blood in his system. (In game terms,
all blood spent during this rite goes toward achieving a semimystical inner peace on the subject’s
part; this blood expenditure slowly “fuels” a period of spiritual calm in the vampire.)
The second stage of the rite is usually a reenactment of the first-ever exchange between Sulei-
man ibn Abdullah and the Prophet, which occurred in the year 622. This mini passion play begins
with the vampire boasting that it would please him to make a slave of the Prophet (played by the
subject’s mentor), whereupon the Prophet quietly pities the vampire for his own curse and warns
him that God will claim His due when comes the End of Days. The passion play ends with the vam-
pire being smitten with the power of the Prophet’s faith, the vampire falling to his knees before his
mentor and reciting the words, “Truly, I am no god! There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his
Prophet!” Upon conclusion of this exchange, the Kindred must then spend the second portion of his
blood (bringing him to the frenzy-risk threshold).
The remainder of the ritual is usually highly personalized, dependent upon the life and unlife
experiences of the person in question, but it typically follows the pattern established by Suleiman ibn
Abdullah, who followed the Prophet for more than 10 years after his conversion. The rite then ends
with the symbolic death of the Prophet and the newly made Ashirra coming into his own as a Muslim
and a now-redeemable child of God. This is where the subject faces his greatest challenge, as he must
now divest himself of all remaining blood and, in so doing, risk frenzying and perhaps even attacking
his mentor. At this time, the subject must immediately make an Instincts/ Self-Control roll (difficulty
8). If this roll succeeds, the vampire retains enough control over his Beast to spend his last remaining
blood point without succumbing to hunger frenzy. This spiritual peace — this stillness of the Beast —
lasts for only one turn per point of permanent Willpower the subject possesses, however, so a store of
blood must be nearby or else the vampire will soon frenzy in search of sustenance. When this time period
elapses, the vampire may continue to spend temporary Willpower at a rate of one per turn in order to
declare any particular action but will otherwise simply fling himself about in search of blood.
At this time, the mentor figure must (quickly) offer to the neophyte a ewer full of lamb’s blood
that must have been previously sanctified to Allah, upon which the vampire will undoubtedly gorge
himself. (Curiously, even those particularly aged Kindred, such as those who no longer gain sustenance
from the blood of animals, are rejuvenated by this sanctified blood. As long as the faith of the neophyte
is genuine, his hunger will fade and the blood will indeed sustain him for as long as it lasts.) The two
participants then embrace one another and part company as brothers, leaving the weary neophyte to
retire to bed, where he will sleep through his first day as a true brother among the Ashirra.

deal of responsibility, restriction and interdiction. the sect, and the Ashirra recognize such self-mastery
The majority of these duties stem from one of three for what it is: the most powerful tool at one’s disposal
major canonical sources: the major commandments, in the struggle to control the insatiable Beast.
the Deadly Sins and the Pillars of Faith. According to Ashirra tradition, the most impor-
tant duties to a Muslim Kindred are:
MAJOR COMMANDMENTS • A Muslim must not kill, except in times of war
When pieced together, the teachings espoused or in defense of the faithful.
within the Qur’an paint a vivid picture of the consum-
• He must be honest and forthright in his deal-
mate, virtuous Muslim. It is this picture that all good
ings with others, and once his oath is given, it must
Islamic Kindred strive to embody in their night-to-night
be kept — no matter the cost.
existences. Due to the sheer volume of information
(both canonical and traditional), however, some core • He must not steal.
tenets stand out from the rest. These are ideals, of course, • He must avoid sorcerers where possible and
but the Ashirra take them very seriously. Personal refrain from dealing with them.
virtue is a mark of not only status but power within
STATE OF GRACE
36
 • He must maintain a dignified appearance, nei-
ther given to wild outbursts of emotion nor careless
or lewd behavior.
• He must be charitable and compassionate to
those in need, regardless of faith.
• He must treat his servants with respect and never
abuse them, for they are also children of God.
• He is encouraged to heed his own natural
urges and appetites, as Allah intended, but never
to excess.
• He must never grow complacent in his per-
sonal development but strive to broaden his mind
and enhance his knowledge of all things Allah has
created.

THE THREE DEADLY SINS

In addition to the positive commandments
all must strive to uphold, the Qur’an also speaks
of specific wrongs that Muslims must refrain from
countenancing in themselves or in others. Although
many Ashirra (being vampires) tend to lean toward
creative interpretation on some of these points, three
such wrongs stand apart and above all others, and it is
these three “deadly sins” that must be most carefully
avoided if one is to stay true to the path. To this end,
even the most irresolute of Muslim Kindred tend to
observe the following rules quite strictly, lest they do
serious damage to their already damned souls.
DISBELIEF
The utmost cardinal sin that any Muslim can
commit is the sin of apostasy (Arabic: kufr). Islam
does not coerce or compel any being to accept its
call, and all those who come to Islam must do so of
their own free will. But once a man (or woman, or
vampire) accepts the teachings of the Qur’an and
at last enters willingly into the community of man
and God, it is understood that he simply should
not leave. God does not forgive those who have
been shown the way, accepted it as truth, and then
voluntarily forsaken it. All who do so, making no
attempt thereafter to return themselves to God’s
grace, are granted their wish: Allah forsakes them
in kind, barring them from entering the gardens of
Paradise when time and times are done.
Although some Ashirra view their immortality
as a “buffer zone” of sorts, a longer period of time in
which to make amends for past wrongs (or, in the case
of this sin, to atone for their apostasy), the majority
don’t like to take any unnecessary risks with their
own immortal souls. As none can say for sure when
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
37
or how quickly the reckoning will come, most Ashirra It is in this last aspect that this sin sees the most
prefer their souls to be eternally prepared, ready at a abuse among Kindred Muslims. According to the
moment’s notice to be judged by their Creator. Qur’an, the sin of arrogation includes misrepresent-
ing the level of one’s belief. One who tells himself
ASSOCIATION and others that he is a true believer but who does
According to the Qur’an, God does not forgive not truly believe is committing tughyan. Therefore,
someone for associating something with Him; anyone it is doubly ruinous for one of the Ashirra to be dis-
who dares to give God associates, peers or would-be covered as or even accused of being a disbeliever.
equals is indeed committing a grave transgression As the sect has grown into quite a tightly knit and
before the eyes of his own God. Ironically known highly interconnected community over time, it be-
as the shirk in Arabic, this deadly sin represents comes both socially and politically disastrous for a
the critically important underlying notion that it is given Ashirra to reveal to his brethren that his very
against the sacred duties of any true monotheist to own faith has waned. Thus, many Muslim Kindred
worship or otherwise direct adulation upon any idol — afraid of losing both status and standing in the
or false god. All good Muslims are expected to affirm Kindred community — regularly commit this sin, in
this truth out loud (with some regularity) in speaking secrecy and often out of necessity. Were the truth
the words “there is no god but God.” Those who call of their disbelief to be revealed to the Ashirra com-
themselves Muslims and yet fall prey to false idols munity at large, their entire future in the religious
are committing a terrible sin, indeed. sect might well be called into question.
Although most Muslim Kindred rarely commit
this sin voluntarily, as its terms are relatively easy THE FIVE PILLARS
to abide by, an added complication causes a spike in In addition to leading one’s life (or unlife) ac-
the numbers of such sinners. Many dark forces are at cording to the teachings of the Qur’an, Islam has five
work in the world, some of which actively seek to turn practical devotions which all Muslims — living or
religious individuals (particularly religious vampires) undead — are expected to perform without question.
away from the truth of their beliefs. These forces, These five religious obligations, called pillars, col-
collectively known to the Ashirra as the taghut (see lectively form the body of practical, night-to-night
below), often strive to fill a Muslim’s mind and soul Islam. A Kindred can be as devout and as faithful a
with both fear and doubt, in the hope of eventually follower of Islam as any, but if he chooses to ignore
turning him away from the path. It is considered a the Five Pillars, he is not nor will he ever be con-
major (and rare) victory for one of these tempters to sidered one of the Ashirra.
lead an Ashirra away from Rashd and into idol worship.
Like any good brethren, Ashirra are often taught to SHAHADAH
keep watch over their fellows with a wary eye, lest The first of the Five Pillars is the profession of
some evidence of the taint of the taghut escape their faith, a public declaration of the peace and submis-
attention. Nevertheless, the responsibility to know sion to God that lies at the very core of the religion
one’s own God falls upon the believer himself, and itself. By repeating the phrase “La ilaha il Allah,
those who stray from the path are often simply pitied Muhammadan rasul Allah” (“There is no God but
for their lack of faith. Allah, and Muhammad is His prophet”), the faithful
ARROGATION Muslim fulfills the first pillar. This is usually repeated
several different times through the day and night,
The final deadly sin in the eyes of Islam is as the profession is an integral part of the salat (the
tughyan, the sin of arrogation. What exactly is ar- daily prayers) as well.
rogation? The Qur’an teaches that it is the utmost
height of arrogance for one to be arrogant about God One of the requirements of this pillar (or of the
or before God. Quite simply, one should know and faithful fulfillment thereof) is that the actual utter-
show humility at all times when it comes to one’s ance itself must express a genuine knowledge of the
omniscient Creator. The very foundation of Islam profession’s meaning, as well as an accompanying
is one of peace and submission before God, and one sincere belief. It is in this aspect that most undead
cannot possibly be at peace if he is putting himself will fail to truly grasp this critically important Pil-
on a par with God or falsely representing his rela- lar. All principles of Islam involve and require both
tionship with God. sincerity and selflessness, and offerings made to Allah
that are devoid of these key qualities are not worth

STATE OF GRACE
38
 WELCOME TO MY HOUSE…
Hospitality is and has always been one of the most closely observed traditions among the Ashirra. In
addition to their importance in Islam at large, the rules and applications of the guest-host relationship are
fundamental to the culture from which the religion first arose. Among the tribes of Arabia, a chieftain
— and thus his entire tribe — could be and often was judged by the propriety of his observance of this
tradition and all its attendant particulars. Intertribal marriages, treaties and pacts were often decided over
the course of a relatively brief negotiation between leaders, and an ill-timed remark could very well bring
the fortunes of war to the entire tribe. Thus did the importance of the tradition spread.
While the notion that one of the undead cannot enter a house uninvited has long been associated with
the Eastern European vampire myth, the factual basis for this association lies more commonly in those Kindred
who revere the teachings of the Qur’an. Although it is true that some Transylvanian Kindred are likewise
hindered, particularly the more reticent and tradition-bound of Carpathian Tzimisce, their numbers are few
and far between, with the offending sensibility having a tendency to vary widely from individual to individual.
Among the Ashirra, however, the troublesome trait is far more commonplace. Ever since the establishment of
the sect, many vampiric adherents of Islam have demonstrated an acute inability to enter mortal households
uninvited. Whether by personal unwillingness or simple physical incapacity, the fact remains that a surprising
number of Muslim Kindred find themselves operating under such a mystical geas.
No true pattern seems to exist in who is “chosen” to be the subject of this odd spiritual shackling. Some
Ashirra neonates, often new to both undeath and to Islam, develop the trait rather quickly, while a number of
truly devout elders within the sect remain unhindered by the custom (at least mystically) to this night. If indeed
a pattern exists — a trait shared by all those mystically forced to carry their observance of cultural tradition into
undeath — it remains one that no Ashirra has yet managed to uncover … not publicly, at any rate.
Needless to say, the very existence of this flaw is kept quiet by the Ashirra. Those who do know of the
custom believe it to be a courtesy on the part of the Ashirra and never suspect that the so-called custom
is an actual obstruction of any kind for the vampire — a perception the Ashirra wish to continue foster-
ing. As not every Muslim Kindred develops the trait, it is certainly unwise to hedge one’s bets that this
“custom” will keep him safe from an Ashirra opponent, at least until he has determined the truth of that
particular Kindred’s situation.
NEW TRAIT: UNINVITED (3-PT. SUPERNATURAL FLAW)
A Kindred with this Flaw is barred from entering any private, mortal residence or household for which
he has not been given an express invitation by a mortal who dwells within.
The afflicted character is personally unable to enter any private mortal residence until such time as he has
secured a direct invitation by a mortal resident to enter that home. In areas with a firm tradition of hospitality,
the vampire must be invited in according to local standards; in less formal areas, the invitation must be clear
and explicit. This invitation need not necessarily come from the owner of the home, but a vampire cannot
bypass the power of this Flaw by having any old stranger invite him into a home for which that individual has
no intimate connection. If the character manages to acquire an invitation (which must be spoken aloud by the
inviting mortal), he may subsequently enter that home (only) and act freely within. Such an invitation is good
for all time; for good or ill, mortals cannot decide to revoke their invitations at a later date. Still, rumors exist
that certain religious groups have practices that allow a home to be “resanctified,” thus cleansing the slate and
requiring that any intruding vampires obtain a new invitation before being able to enter again.
This Flaw is unusual in that it can be acquired during the course of a story (as opposed to only during
character generation). When a character is first accepted into the ranks of the Ashirra from without — in
essence, if he comes to Islam after his Embrace — the Storyteller should grant the player the opportunity
to acquire this Flaw for his character, if he doesn’t already have 5 or more points worth of Flaws. The player
may then spend the freebie points he receives from the Flaw as desired, subject to Storyteller approval. If
the players opts not to take the Flaw, he may still have the Flaw thrust upon him or even be given another
chance to acquire it voluntarily at a later date (Storyteller discretion).

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

39
the materials of which they are made nor utterances the evening so that Kindred may tend to their own
of the breath upon which they ride. Among the affairs without worrying about having to step away
Ashirra, it is understood that one should refrain from in the middle in order to pray.
performing the shahada entirely until one is ready
to perform it correctly. Better to take some time (a
ZAKAT
thing the undead have in abundance, anyway) and A religious tax is imposed upon each follower of
mend one’s spiritual rifts than to voice the shahada Islam in order to help provide for those less fortunate.
before one is ready, and in so doing to profane God These tithes are utilized to pay for community services
himself. and programs that benefit the needy, whether they
be Muslim or not. Aside from its beneficial effect
SALAT on the community the zakat is also considered an
The second pillar requires all Muslims to pray expression of one’s devotion to God. The Qur’an
to Allah at five specific times of day — at daybreak, encourages charity to the needy, to orphans and to
noon, afternoon, sunset, and nighttime — each widows, and the entire notion was central to Muham-
preceded by a ritual cleansing and purification of mad’s teachings of forgiveness and mercy. The third
the body. In Muslim-dominated cities the call of pillar is therefore observed with keen devotion by
the muezzins floats out as one voice from the top of most Ashirra, especially as it is the one that is often
every minaret, summoning the faithful to prayer. For the easiest for them to fulfill. Kindred have so much
mortal Muslims life grinds to a halt at these times time in which to accumulate vast stores of wealth,
of the day, as they must stop whatever they’re doing and to many Ashirra the only interest money still
and find a quiet corner in which to pray. The salah holds is in its ability to facilitate the earthly fulfill-
(the prayer itself) involves a number of bows, called ment of God’s plan. To this end, many hold the
rak’as, during which the supplicant must stand, bow, zakat sacred as Muhammad did, believing it wise
then kneel and prostrate himself while performing to require the Damned to foster benevolent change
recitations of verses from the Qur’an. This is followed inside their respective mortal communities, rather
by the phrase “May the peace, mercy and blessings of than to place all hope atop the already cumbersome
God be upon you.” The five daily prayers are known burden of personal choice.
as fajr (dawn), zuhr (noon), asr (midafternoon), Islam distinguishes between voluntary charity
mahgrib (sunset) and isha (evening). (called sadaqa) and the obligatory almsgiving required
Kindred followers of Islam don’t observe the by the zakat. Not only does this distinction clarify the
second pillar precisely as prescribed. Rather, they subject significantly, it also serves to remind believers
tend to reverse the timetable of the prayers, praying that they aren’t limited by what the Qur’an requires,
instead at five different points over the course of but by their own consciences. If they choose to give
an evening, beginning with an initial prayer upon more than the required amount, their souls will benefit
awakening and performing their last just before from that additional charity accordingly. The specific
dawn. Typically, the three intervening prayers are amount required is the subject of some debate, but the
performed at around 10 o’clock, at midnight and accepted figure is one fortieth (2.5%) of everything
again at about 3 AM. earned in a year (paid annually), and one tenth of the
Although most Ashirra tend to speak the shahada harvest of land or trees (payable at harvest time).
before and after the taking of blood, some of the more SAWM
devout (or guilt-ridden) insist on “purifying” their
The fourth pillar is an extensive religious fast that
feedings through full-on prayer. For these individuals,
falls on the first new moon in the month of Ramadan.
feeding times are often planned well in advance, due
For thirty days, all Muslims must fast during daylight
to the fact that the Kindred must find the time and
hours in order to bring themselves closer to Allah
place to pray before and after each feeding. During
and to remind them of what the poor must endure
recent nights, many Ashirra have come to merge
throughout the year. Travelers, menstruating women
these two practices, preferring simply to make two
and the poor of health are exempted from this fast,
of their five required prayers fall immediately before
though they are expected to make up for the missed
and after a given feeding: to kill two birds with one
fasting at some point.
stone, in a sense. In addition to making Kindred
feel better about their blood-drinking, this practice The Ashirra view the sawm as both a sacred duty
also has the tendency to free up long stretches of and an opportunity to demonstrate to God (and to

STATE OF GRACE
40
themselves) just how far they have come in mastering typically engage in all of these rites and customs, the
the animal urges of the Beast. As the Ashirra do not only difference being that they must begin their pil-
feed during daylight hours, most simply reverse the grimage at sundown and continue it over successive
timetable and abstain from feeding from dusk until nights (rather than days), as is their curse. This has
just before dawn (where they will take just enough to the ultimate effect of putting all Ashirra pilgrims a
sustain them through the following day’s rest). Some half day either ahead or behind their mortal brethren
of the more fundamentalist Ashirra view the sawm (depending upon when they first begin), which, all
as a chance to commune with God, or at least their things considered, is probably for the best.
own higher natures. For these devoted few, fasting On the seventh day, the actual hajj begins and
means completely divesting their bodies of blood continues for the next three days. Supplicants must
on the first day of Ramadan, voluntarily entering renew their ritual of purification, after which they
torpor until the holy month has come and gone. A must travel to Mina (a hill outside of Mecca), where
surprising number claim to be blessed with divine they will spend the night. Due to this custom, a num-
visions during this time of holy meditation, despite ber of private dwellings have arisen in and around
the fact that the “standard” torporous state suppos- Mina. Many of these are secret “hostels” used to
edly denies a vampire any and all sense of sentience house the Ashirra who pass through on their way
or awareness. to Mecca. Those of a pure heart refuse such accom-
Regardless of how one decides to observe the modations, preferring instead to learn the secret of
fast, the risk of frenzy is quite high, especially among taking rest within the bosom of the earth before
neonates and all those unfamiliar with the experi- embarking upon the hajj, but even the bravest know
ence of self-induced blood denial. The Ashirra who not to sleep outside atop exposed ground.
merely fasts from sunset to sunrise is watched over Upon leaving Mina, supplicants proceed to the
by an older, more experienced Ashirra to whom he is plain of Arafat, where they must stand from noon
intimately connected. Elders favor this month-long until sunset, all the while performing a series of
pairing. as it builds stronger ties between sect members prayers and rituals. Ashirra don’t follow this custom
which, in turn, fosters stronger ties within the umma precisely. Instead, most Kindred supplicants again
as a whole. Those who seek to fast by entering their merely reverse the timetable, standing instead from
meditative torpor typically place themselves in a dusk until midnight, while hewing strictly to all the
thick-walled, windowless room for the entire month. other requirements of the day. For mortals, this period
There they are watched over by loyal ansari until the of contemplation and prayer is followed by travel
time comes for them to awaken. On the last day of to Muzdalifah (halfway between Arafat and Mina),
the fast, a lamb is led into the room and placed upon where tradition says they will spend the night. Kin-
the Ashirra’s chest. Its legs are bound and its throat dred make this journey when their prayers conclude
slit, and the ansari quickly withdraw from the room at Arafat, and most find little trouble in reaching
while their hungry master awakens to feed. shelter before daybreak. The next day, pilgrims head
HAJJ back to Mina, stopping along the way at a number
of stone pillars meant to symbolize Satan, at which
The last pillar, the hajj, is a religious pilgrimage
each pilgrim must throw seven stones.
each Muslim is expected to make at least once in his
lifetime (or unlifetime). During the 12th month of The last ritual custom of the hajj is the only one
the Islamic calendar, Muslims from all over the world in which most Ashirra typically take no part whatso-
travel to Mecca and Medina to circle the Ka’ba and ever. On the final day of the pilgrimage, Muslims are
reenact Muhammad’s flight. Before this, however, expected to ritually slaughter an animal, representing
all supplicants must undergo a self-imposed ritual of Abraham’s intended sacrifice of his son Isaac. The meat
purification (one cannot blaspheme the pilgrimage from this slaughter is then either donated to the poor or
by being impure). Men typically shave their heads, consumed in the large feast which signals the conclu-
and Muslims of both sexes wear seamless white robes, sion of the hajj, the Festival of Sacrifice. Suleiman ibn
symbolizing the equality of every believer in the eyes Abdullah, the founder of the Ashirra, refused to take
of God. When this ritual is complete, the supplicant part in the slaughter, claiming that further blood-letting
circles the Ka’ba seven times and then runs between was not what God wanted from the Damned on the
the two hills overlooking the site (also seven times) holy days of Islam. Over the centuries, however, a few
while reciting a number of specific prayers. Ashirra have come to view this last ritual in a different light.
Instead of abstaining from the slaughter, they exult in
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
41
it, drinking of the sacred animal’s blood as a sign of largest concern to the sect as a whole, and many
their appreciation of God. They, too, then donate the among the Ashirra are wary to the point of being
meat itself to the poor and view themselves as no less paranoid. Perhaps they are aware of how quickly grows
pious than their more traditional counterparts. the seed of doubt. Regardless, all Ashirra, whether
new to the faith or not, are expected to be schooled
TAGHUT about not only the threat the taghut present but also
The Ashirra believe that forces are at work that about how best to spot their vile taint.
strive to distort the power of Rushd on earth and that Although it is the theoretical duty of every
these forces are given bodily manifestations in the Kindred who claims membership within the Ashirra
forms of the innocent and/ or the “trustworthy”; the to seek out and uproot the taghut wherever they
more harmless such a foe appears, the easier it will may lie, an actual group has arisen within the sect
be for the creature to ensnare others in its webs of over time — one whose every waking effort is bent
deceit. Such individuals seek to promote the spread specifically to this task. These grim souls, collec-
of fasad and janaba (“corruption” and “impurity”) on tively known as the Mahgrib, dedicate their unlives
Earth and are especially driven to — and thus fond to rooting out the source of this depraved evil and
of — leading the faithful away from their faith. The preventing it from further corrupting their Muslim
Qur’an speaks of these foul entities as advocates of brethren (by any means necessary). Each individual
disbelief, saints of all that is cosmically wrong: “Those member of this elite caste, often known as a faris,
who disbelieve shall have the arrogant ones as their is usually a respected religious authority in his own
patrons, they who will lead them out of the light and right and is given a wide berth in which to conduct
into darkness; they who are the inmates of fire….” his affairs, as the Mahgrib and their efforts are sup-
To the Ashirra, these avatars of ruin are known ported unwaveringly by Muslim Kindred the world
as the taghut (“arrogant ones”), and their existence over (at least in theory). In truth the group itself has
pervades the very fabric of the sect. Indeed, these become, in essence, a subsect of the Ashirra over
hidden forces of degradation are probably the single time, complete with its own sacred texts, rites and
hallowed practices.

STATE OF GRACE
42
 The existence of the these “pure ones” is largely responsible in part for the overall stern demeanor
kept secret within the parent sect, and other Ashirra of these driven souls. Amazingly, and perhaps more
are encouraged never to speak of them in mixed importantly, such discoveries seem simultaneously
company. This is not due to the need to protect to deepen the overall love and devotion these pious
any clandestine operations the group may have, men and women have for their fellow Muslims.
but rather out of concern for ignorance. If their ex- Even so, the unlife of one of the Mahgrib is
istence became public knowledge, some might like often one of moral and social solitude as well as
to believe that these judges would indiscriminately solemn determination. For one to choose to walk
pursue those of other faiths in an attempt to prevent such a path from now until Resurrection Day — to
their “lies” from “tainting” Muslim Kindred. Such shoulder voluntarily the weighty responsibility that
is not the case. The Mahgrib respect faith in God in is dedicating one’s unlife to the pursuit of purity on
all its forms and trust in each individual believer’s Earth, and in so doing to place oneself in harm’s
own faith to carry him through such mundane forms way time and time again — one must demonstrate
of temptation. No, it is the supernaturally wicked the utmost levels of both purity and devotion. In
machinations of the taghut with which the Mahgrib addition, the unlife of a faris is rarely a satisfying
are understandably preoccupied. one, filled with joy, fulfillment or any of the other
The Ashirra’s religious elite have oddly paral- emotions to which the Ashirra try so hard to cling.
lel counterparts in the great political sects of the Rather, their never-ending forays into the darkest
undead — the Camarilla’s famed Archons and, in corners of both human and inhuman temptation,
the Sabbat, the knights and judges who make up the depravity and frailty often leave them sad souls at
dreaded Inquisition. Like their political counterparts, best and paranoid pessimists at worst. A few “lost”
the Mahgrib carry a great deal of power and respect faris have even withdrawn from the world entirely,
wherever they go among those of their own society. grief-stricken at what they have beheld and forced
When one of these religious elite enters a Muslim into seclusion or torpor by the inability to cope with
community, the local Kindred imam is expected those realizations.
to greet him like a visiting dignitary or respected
religious leader — to provide for his needs and to
make available to him all the resources at the Muslim
community’s disposal.
JUDAISM
Shema Yisroel, Adonai Elohenu, Adonai echad
Unlike the other Kindred elite, however, the Baruch Shem kevod malchuto leolam vaed
focus of a faris’ efforts lies not in investigating those (“Hear, oh Israel! The Lord is God, the Lord is
of his own kind, but rather in safeguarding his own One!
brethren from the efforts of those who would lead Blessed be His glorious kingdom forever and
them astray. It is a fine but critical distinction. In-
ever!”)
stead of pursuing evil and sin from the inside out, the
Mahgrib endeavor to educate their brethren on how Judaism is the oldest of the three Abrahamic
best to recognize fasad when they see it and how to religions and also the smallest. While less than one
learn how to stay the course through the bolstering percent of the world’s population is Jewish, the influ-
of their own spiritual strength. They do have powers, ence the first of the great Western monotheistic faiths
and can theoretically punish any overly libertine has had transcends numbers. Jews are also found in
Ashirra, but they typically reserve their wrath for every corner of the globe, ranging from the Falasha
those more deserving: those responsible for turning of Ethiopia to the “Mountain Jews” of Azerbaijan.
their brothers away from Rushd in the first place.
While it is true that the Mahgrib occasionally
WHAT IS JUDAISM?
discover one of their own having already fallen to the At its core, Judaism is founded around a series
machinations of the taghut, they rarely invoke their of simple tenets. These include:
powers in judgment of the fallen Ashirra; rather, they God is unique, incorporeal and indivisible, the
generally act as spiritual mentor figures, gently but author of all Creation, and as such should be wor-
doggedly guiding the junub away from his depravity shipped.
and sin and back into God’s grace. These sad dis-
God has communicated with the children of
coveries typically only serve to make the Mahgrib
Israel through prophets.
even more resolute in their efforts and indeed are
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
43
 While God has made a covenant never to de- to kiss one’s fingers and then touch the mezuzah (sin-
stroy the world, God does observe it, rewarding the gular) every time one enters or exits the home.
righteous and punishing the wicked. The Star of David, or Mogen David, did not become
The five books of the Pentateuch were revealed by the most prominent symbol of Judaism until the 17th
God to Moses and thus are unchanging divine law. century, when six-pointed stars were routinely raised
Jewish life is bound by the 613 commandments outside of synagogues to identify them as Jewish houses
in the Pentateuch (primarily Leviticus), and the Ten of worship. A more enduring symbol of Judaism, and
Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17) are an excellent one with more historical precedent, is the menorah, or
synopsis of the Law. many-branched lamp. While most commonly associ-
ated in the popular imagination with the holiday of
The Moshiach (i.e., Messiah, meaning “anointed Hanukkah, which celebrates the victory of the Mac-
one of God”) will someday arrive. Upon his arrival, the cabees over the Seleucid Greeks, the menorah is in fact
Jews will be gathered to return to Jerusalem, the dead a constant element of Jewish observance and life.
will be resurrected, and the Temple shall be rebuilt.
Not every sect of Judaism agrees on these tenets, THE CALENDAR
nor are they interpreted identically from group to The Jewish calendar is a lunar rather than a
group (or, indeed, congregation to congregation). solar one. Beginning on the holiday of Rosh Ha-
However, they form a rough center around which shanah, the Jewish calendar uses the new moon as
the rest of the faith revolves. the start of each month. However, as the lunar and
solar calendars do not coincide, the Jewish calendar
TRADITIONS adds an extra month seven out of every 19 years to
resynchronize itself with the solar year. This system
As any other religion, Judaism has a veritable
was created by the sage Hillel, and the added month
raft of traditions, customs and ritual roles. While
is called “second Adar.”
not all of these are familiar to every Jew — after all,
wide varieties exist in observance from movement
to movement and ethnic group to ethnic group — CHAI
what follows below is a list of some the basic (and The word chai, consisting of the two Hebrew
vampirically pertinent) aspects of Judaism. letters chet and yod, means “life.” As such, it
has taken on a remarkable significance, and
GARB AND SIGNIFICANT ITEMS the combination of the two letters is frequently
The yarmulke is the traditional skullcap for men, worn as jewelry. Chai has the numeric value of
though in recent years women have begun wearing 18, and gifts to charities, bar mitzvah presents
yarmulkes in Reform, Reconstructionist and Conser- and the like are often in multiples of 18. In the
vative congregations. It is also known as the kippah. World of Darkness, 18 is a particularly signifi-
In most Jewish communities, the covering of one’s cant number to Jewish vampires, and the motif
head before God is regarded as a custom rather than appears frequently in their havens.
a commandment, and the observance has been traced
to Roman times.
The Jewish holiday cycle begins with Rosh Ha-
The tallit is the four-cornered prayer shawl. Many shanah, then progresses through Yom Kippur (the Day
Jewish men wear a small version of this garment, of Atonement), Sukkot (a harvest festival), Simchat
called a tallit katan, under their shirts in daily life. A Torah (when the annual reading of the Torah scroll
full tallit is worn during morning services. is restarted), Chanukkah (a minor festival that has
Prayer phylacteries known as tefillit are bound risen to prominence in America), Purim (celebrating
on the forehead and the wrist before services. These the events of the Book of Esther), Passover (Pesach),
consist of a wooden box attached to a leather strap, Shavuot (another harvest festival which also cel-
which is used to bind them. ebrates the gift of the Torah), and Tisha B’Av.
Mezuzot (plural) are cases for short prayer scrolls Shabbat
installed at every doorway in a Jewish home. Often The most common and yet perhaps the most
extremely ornate, they contain a series of prayers important holiday in the Jewish calendar is Shabbat,
which must be specially inscribed. The practice is a which begins each Friday at sundown. It is the day
reference to Deuteronomy 6:4–9, and one is supposed of rest which emulates the day of rest taken by God
STATE OF GRACE
44
 of the blood, whether of bird or of beast, wherever
you may live. Anyone consuming any of the blood is
VAMPIRES AND SHABBAT cut off from his father’s kin.” It has been argued that
Shabbat is often described as being like a since vampires are not alive, the prohibition does
bride or queen in Jewish liturgy, and some Kin- not apply to them. Some Jewish vampires find this
dred theorists have taken this as a reference to comforting; others regard it as hairsplitting. Again,
Lilith. This is highly offensive to most observant the debate rages on.
Jewish vampires, but the debate goes on.
THE SHOCHET
On a more prosaic note, the custom of
the Shabbes goy — the non-Jew who is hired In traditional Jewish life, the shochet is the
to perform labor around the house on Shab- slaughterer. He is the butcher who ensures that meat
bat — has an odd echo in vampiric existence. is kosher by slaughtering livestock in a manner that
Many observant vampires use their ghouls in hews to the traditions of the kashrut, or dietary laws.
a similar capacity, obeying the commandment In order for meat to be kosher, the animal must have
to rest even as their servants labor unceasingly its throat slashed and then be hung so that the blood
toward their ends. can drain. Blood is considered unclean, hence kosher
meat should be as free from blood as possible.
after the six days of creation, and it is to be spent in The shochet, then, is the man responsible for
rest, celebration and prayer. ensuring the dietary purity (at least in some sense)
for the entire community. As such, he occupies an
DIETARY LAWS ambiguous role. On one hand, the service he provides
The word kosher comes from the Hebrew kashrut, is invaluable, a necessary part of the community’s
meaning the scriptural dietary laws laid down millen- functioning. On the other, he works all day with
nia ago. These include but are not limited to: blood and offal, the very definition of unclean.
• A prohibition against eating pork, as the pig On occasions, observant vampires — or those wish-
is an “unclean” animal. ing to stay within their religious community without
• A prohibition against eating fish with neither preying on their coreligionists — try to play the role
fi ns nor scales (including shellfi sh and crusta- of the shochet. This allows them to obtain a constant
ceans). supply of fresh blood (albeit of the animal sort) with-
out arousing suspicion. However, the demands of the
•A prohibition against mixing milk and meat
position — in particular, the need for all shopping for
in a single meal.
Shabbat dinner to be completed before sundown on
• A prohibition against eating those animals Friday — tends to make the role of shochet untenable
with an odd number of toes on a foot (as they are in the long term. What is more frequent is for a vam-
“unclean”). pire to form a partnership, willing or otherwise, with
•A prohibition against devouring blood or of- a shochet and to obtain his blood in that fashion.
fal.
•A prohibition against eating animals that have WHO IS A JEW?
been slaughtered improperly. Judaism is a religion, not a race, and as such
A great deal more exists to it than that, of course, includes individuals of all nationalities and ethnic
but these are the most prominent of the kashrut. A origins. Traditionally, it is a matrilineal faith, mean-
quick scan of the list will quickly lead a reader to ing that if one’s mother is Jewish, then one is Jewish
what can only be a very interesting conclusion vis- as well, at least in the eyes of the Jewish community.
à-vis vampires: Recently the more liberal branches of Judaism have
accepted patrilineal descent as well.
Mortals aren’t kosher.
However, the question of “Who is a Jew” remains
However, the greater prohibition is against
a vexing one. At this point Judaism is as much a so-
drinking blood, and Jewish scholars have spent
cial identity as a religious one — a majority of Jews
centuries arguing interpretations of passages which
living in the state of Israel describe themselves as
may or may not provide justification for vampiric
“secular” in their observance, but hold steadfast to
feeding. The one used most commonly is Leviticus
their Jewish identity.
7:26–27, which says: “You are not to consume any

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

45
 SEPHARDIC AND ASHKENAZI
NATIVE TONGUES Ethnic groups exist within Judaism. Ashkenazi
No such language as “Jewish” exists, though Jews are those with roots in northern and eastern
that is a literal translation of “Yiddish.” Rather, Europe, including France, Germany and Russia. (The
the traditional language of the Jewish people word itself is derived from a term for Germany.) The
is Hebrew. The Torah and the Talmud are majority of American Jews are Ashkenazi in origin.
written in Hebrew, and the prayers and bless- Most Jewish stereotypes, as well as most non-Jewish
ings are recited in it. A modernized version thoughts about what is Jewish, refer to Ashkenazi
of Hebrew is also the state language of Israel, traditions, customs and habits.
though it has been enriched with words taken Sephardic Jews, on the other hand, are those
primarily from English and French in order to originating in southern or western Europe or in
update it for the modern world. Interestingly Arabic nations. They include the Jews of Spain,
enough, some Jews feel that Hebrew should Portugal, Italy, Greece and the Middle East. They
not be spoken as a secular language until the are generally darker-skinned than their Ashkenazi
arrival of the Moshiach. coreligionists and have emigrated to the New World
Yiddish, on the other hand, is the secular in much smaller numbers (though they arrived before
language of Ashkenazi Jews. the Ashkenazi).
Hebrew has its own alphabet and is read The basic tenets of Sephardic and Ashkenazi
right to left. Vowels are not technically letters observance are essentially the same, though some
in Hebrew (though the letter yod is pronounced differences exist. The two groups have slightly dif-
similarly to the English “Y”), and most traditional ferent pronunciations of some Hebrew letters, use
documents, including Torah scrolls, are written different liturgical melodies and differ slightly on
without vowels. Each letter in Hebrew also has interpretation of some aspects of the Law (such as
a numeric value, and Jewish numerology, a.k.a. which foods are forbidden during Passover).
Gematria, is derived from this fact. OTHER ETHNICITIES
Essentially German written in Hebrew Other, smaller ethnic groups exist among the Jew-
characters, Yiddish is broken down into multiple ish people. Perhaps the best known are the Falasha (or
subdialects (Litvaker, Galitzianer, etc.). Many Beta Israel), the majority of whom dwelt in Ethiopia.
Yiddish words have been assimilated into Eng- Many of them were airlifted to Israel during the worst
lish. For their part, Sephardic Jews have Ladino, of the East African famines of the 1980s.
which is best summed up as being derived from
Yemen is also home to a distinct Jewish popu-
Spanish written in Hebrew letters.
lation, one which is separate from its Sephardic
neighbors. Small Jewish populations exist across
Asia; China has been home to Jews since the eighth
JEWISH KUEI-JIN century, and one of the Ming emperors bestowed on
the Jews the seven surnames they were allowed to
In 1489, Jesuit monks visiting China sent possess. Each of these Jewish communities has its
back rubbings of two steles in the city of Kaifeng own customs and traditions, ones which often seem
that concerned the Jews. One of the two con- exotic even to other Jews.
cerned the events of 1421, when the Emperor
conferred the surname Zhao on a Jewish doctor,
thus opening the gates of civil service to China’s
JEWISH MOVEMENTS
Jews. Less than a hundred years later, the first More than a third of the world’s Jews live in the
Jewish kuei-jin appeared. While few in number, United States. The vast majority of them belong
they are a constant presence in the courts of the to one of the four major movements of American
Middle Kingdom. Rarely appearing more than Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Re-
one at a time, they show a marked tendency constructionist. Israel and the United Kingdom, also
toward incarnation as Resplendent Cranes, and home to large Jewish populations, have somewhat
many of the most noted Confucian scholars different breakdowns within their Jewish communi-
among kuei-jin are in fact Jewish. ties.

STATE OF GRACE
46
ORTHODOX
Orthodox Judaism is best defined as a traditional LUBAVITCHER AND OTHER CHASIDIM
form of religious observance. Orthodox Jews believe Inaccurately portrayed as stereotypical
that God delivered the entire Torah (Written and “ultra-Orthodox” Jews, the Chasidim are not
Oral) to Moses on Mount Sinai, and that it is true so much ultra-Orthodox as they are dedicated
and unchanged. Furthermore, Orthodox Judaism to the notion of their communities. Chasidim
postulates that the Torah contains 613 laws that wear distinctive clothing: dark clothes, beards
are binding on Jews but not binding on non-Jews. and hats for the men, modest dresses and
Orthodox Judaism itself is informally divided along head coverings for the women. This, along
smaller sect lines, including the Modern Orthodox with their strong identity with their religious
(who have integrated into mainstream society while community, has led to their being held up,
maintaining their observance), the Chasidim (who perhaps unfairly, as the iconic representation
form separate communities and can be identified by of ultraobservant Judaism.
their distinctive dress) and the Yeshivish Orthodox. The Chasidic Jewish movement was
The philosophies of all three groups are so similar as founded in the early 1700s by the Rabbi Israel
to be indistinguishable to most outsiders. Baal Shem Tov (literally, “Master of the Good
ORTHODOX VAMPIRES Name”). Focusing on mystical and personal
experience as a way of reaching God, the
The curse of Caine is a nightmare beyond com- Chasidic movement was initially regarded as
prehension for most Orthodox Jews. While Orthodox radical in the extreme and was opposed by the
belief includes a belief in the literal truth of the story so-called mitnagdim (literally, “opponents”) in
of Caine and Abel, very few Jews in the World of what were often violent confrontations. Today,
Darkness expect to become part of the tale. The vast the Chasidim and the mitnagdim stand essen-
majority of Orthodox Jews who are Embraced do not tially shoulder to shoulder.
survive the experience. Most instinctively reject
the curse, preferring death to an existence that is Chasidic communities are each centered on
anathema to their most deeply held beliefs. a particular rebbe, a spiritual teacher who may
or may not be an ordained rabbi. Each Chasidic
Those who do survive find themselves in an community was founded by one of the Baal Shem
extremely difficult position, in large part due to Tov’s disciples (or one of their disciples in turn)
the numerous Jewish laws broken by mere vampiric and is named for its original rebbe’s town of ori-
existence. The most important is the prohibition gin. The Lubavitchers of, among other locales,
on using blood for sustenance, and as such many of New York City are one of many Chasidic groups;
these vampires find themselves making arrangements they’re just the best known.
(sometimes willing, sometimes not).
Of greatest importance to Orthodox vampires their condition is a result of the divine will and that
are the greater and lesser fast days. Observance of it is criminal to oppose HaShem’s plan for them.
these holidays is a symbolic triumph of the self over These vampires support their communities to the
the Beast, a reassertion of the demands of holiness best of their abilities, either overtly (by taking on
even in the face of vampiric bloodlust. Masqueraded roles within them) or covertly (through
Orthodox vampires do not attend shul, at least financial sponsorship, cutting deals with other Cain-
not with mortals. Instead, they form minyan of their ites that work to the community’s benefit, etc.).
own, small prayer groups with dedicated meeting On the other hand, many feel that their condition
places. As very few ordained rabbis serve among the taints them and taints all they touch. These Jewish
children of Caine, most of these groups cluster around vampires, who have taken the name Mitnagdim, do
a rebbe-like figure who serves as a surrogate rabbi and their best to absent themselves from the community
leader of the community. Surprisingly, the majority of their origins lest they bring ruin upon it.
of these minyan cross clan and sometimes even sect Persistent rumors circulate that several Chasidic
boundaries, and are regarded as neutral territory even communities are in fact sheltering one or more vam-
in the unending Camarilla-Sabbat wars. pires among their communities, calling on them as
When it comes to their mortal communities, protectors of the community in much the same way
Orthodox vampires are of two minds. Some feel that that Rabbi Loew called upon the golem to defend

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

47
 numbers in the early nineteenth century. The most
FASTS liberal of the modern Jewish movements in America,
Reform Judaism holds that the Torah was written by
The Jewish calendar has two major and five
diverse sources and collated and that most of the laws
minor fasts. The major fasts last from sundown
contained in the Torah do not need to be observed.
to sundown and are:
They do, however, hold to Jewish traditions, holidays
• Yom Kippur: One of the High Holy Days, and ethics. Many secular, agnostic and otherwise
the Day of Atonement. On this day, Jews reflect nonobservant Jews identify themselves as Reform.
on their deeds over the past year and repent
them. REFORM VAMPIRES
• Tisha B’Av: The ninth day of the month The largest percentage of Jewish Kindred less
of Av, a fast commemorating the destruction of than two centuries in age are Reform. This is due
the First and Second Temples, as well as other in part to the fact that most survive the Embrace,
tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people. not to mention that Reform Jews are the ones found
most often in the bars and other hunting grounds
The minor fasts last from sunrise to sundown,
of young vampires. Reform Jewish vampires, many
and are:
of whom were not necessarily terribly observant in
• The Fast of Gedaliah: This commemorates life, tend to adjust to vampiric life relatively easily.
the assassination of the Jewish governor of Judah Not bound by the dietary restrictions of their more
and the beginning of the political upheaval that traditional coreligionists, they have relatively few
led to the destruction of the Temple. uniquely Jewish quandaries related to their new
• The Fast of Tevet: This commemorates status. Those who attempt to maintain some Jewish
the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem. In identity, whether by lighting Shabbat candles or
modern times, it has also been proclaimed a attempting to attend temple during the High Holy
memorial day for the six million Jews killed Days, find themselves constantly thwarted in small
during the Holocaust. ways. Candle-inspired Rötschreck or a sudden wave
• The Fast of Esther: This fast day com- of True Faith enveloping a temple on Yom Kippur
memorates the three days Esther spent fasting makes it difficult for Reform Jews to observe once
before approaching her husband, King Ahasuerus they have been Embraced. Most tend to slip away
of Persia, on behalf of the Jews of his kingdom. from religious observance as the decades roll past,
This fast is tied into the festival of Purim. still self-identifying as Jewish but eschewing any
outward show of observance.
• The Fast of the Firstborn: Celebrated
only by firstborn males, this commemorates One holiday that does take on increased sig-
the fact that the firstborn male children of nificance to Reform vampires is Passover, the feast
the Jews were spared when the Angel of Death celebrating the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The
passed over Egypt. holiday takes its name from the fact that the Lord
“passed over” the houses of the Jews while smiting the
• The Fast of Tammuz: This fast commemo- firstborn of the Egyptians as part of the ten plagues, the
rates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem. doors of the houses of the Jews having been marked
with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. For this reason,
the Jews of Prague. Some rumors even say that one and for the fact that the Passover service, or seder,
community of Chasidic Jews harbors an Embraced is celebrated in the home, the holiday has become
rebbe, one who has reached Golconda. Attached perhaps the most important of the year to Reform
to this tale are all sorts of other rumors, such as Jewish vampires. While they are unable to partake
one of a Chasidic community consisting entirely of of the ritual foods of the seder meal, the Kindred do
vampires. Other Orthodox vampires deny these tales follow the other observances, such as the hunt for
vehemently, regarding them as one step removed the afikoman (a piece of unleavened bread which
from the Blood Libel. is “stolen” from the leader of the service) and the
recitation of the Passover story. To be invited to a
REFORM JEWS vampiric seder is a mark of considerable prestige and
favor, and indeed the holiday celebration has become
The Reform movement in America is primarily somewhat entangled with the game of prestation.
the creation of German Jews, who emigrated in vast
STATE OF GRACE
48
 REFORM VS. LIBERAL OBSERVANCE AND VAMPIRISM
The Liberal Jewish movement of the UK Many of the laws of Judaism are impos-
is commonly but incorrectly equated with the sible to observe literally for a vampire. For
American Reform movement. Liberal Jews tend example, ritual feasts and the prohibition
to be more observant than their Reform coun- against using blood for sustenance are au-
terparts, though a Reform movement in the UK tomatically contravened by the vampiric
maps more closely to its American equivalent. condition. The fact that Jewish holidays
run sundown to sundown also creates prob-
CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM lems. While this allows Jewish vampires to
attend services without suffering terminal
Founded in 1913 as a reaction to the almost anti- sunburn, it also means that certain aspects
traditionalist stance of the Reform movement (many of observance, such as the Kol Nidre service
Reform synagogues, for example, banned prayer on Yom Kippur, are forever barred to them
shawls and yarmulke), the Conservative movement because they are daylight rituals.
straddles the divide between Reform and Orthodox
Vampires get around this in a variety of
when it comes to tradition and observance. Its basic
ways. Many who insist on retaining some form
tenets can be found in the Conservative declaration
of observance have shifted the service sched-
of purpose, the Emet ve-Emunah. Conservative Jews
ule. Daytime services have now been shifted
believe that the Torah is divinely inspired but has
to equivalent hours of the night, a task made
been interpreted by humans, and that halakhah (Jew-
easier by the fact that the Ten Days of Awe (the
ish law) should be followed but continually adapted
stretch between Rosh Hashanah, the New Year
to the ever-changing world.
and Yom Kippur) generally occurs around the
In Britain, the Masoreti movement is roughly fall equinox. Ritual foods such as the Passover
equivalent to American Conservative Judaism and matzoh are replaced with symbolic equivalents
utilizes the same prayer book. or are tasted but not swallowed. Objects that are
CONSERVATIVE VAMPIRES too holy to touch, such as Torah scrolls, are re-
placed with functional equivalents or entrusted
Conservative Jewish Kindred generally find that to the hands of trusted (and observant) ghouls.
their dilemmas are closer to those of their Orthodox When no modification will serve (such as the
coreligionists than those of the Reform. As a wide range commandment to go without leavened bread
of observance exists among living Conservative Jews, during Passover, which as written means noth-
however, so too exists a wide range among vampiric ing to a vampire), new traditions in the spirit of
ones as well. As such, the Conservative community the old are sometimes haltingly created. These
among Kindred is fragmented in the extreme. Many tend to produce some of the fiercest conflicts
drift to other movements. Others attempt to hew to between Jewish vampires. It is often easier for an
the traditions they followed in life but find following Orthodox Kindred to accept a Jewish vampire
the letter of the law increasingly difficult to observe. who has abandoned halakhah than to deal with
one who is, in her eyes, infusing Judaism with
RECONSTRUCTIONIST JUDAISM a monstrous, blasphemous observance.
The youngest and one of the most vocal branches
of Judaism, Reconstructionism is an outgrowth of the
Conservative movement, which it closely resembles RECONSTRUCTIONIST VAMPIRES
in terms of observance. Reconstructionist Judaism
Because of its very nature, Reconstructionist
does not believe in the notion of God as a divine
Judaism is the most accessible movement to vam-
entity and holds that the halakhah is important as a
pires. Indeed, many Jewish vampires who fall away
cultural remnant as opposed to a divinely given series
from other movements have begun gravitating to
of laws. That being said, Reconstructionist Jews gen-
Reconstructionist congregations. The absence of
erally have a greater observance of Jewish law than
God-as-actor in Reconstructionist thought makes it
Reforms. Reconstructionism is almost exclusively an
easier for Kindred to come to terms with what they
American movement, and less than 1% of all Jews
have become and the demands of their new state,
regard themselves as Reconstructionist.
and many Reconstructionist vampire continue to lead
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
49
surprisingly observant existences, viewing kashrut as behind to support the Maccabee-led rebellion. In
a tradition rather than a divine commandment, the wake of that revolt’s success, however, Judaism
Approximately a hundred Reconstructionist found itself fragmented into three sects: Essenes,
synagogues exist throughout the world, mainly Saducees and Pharisees. The former were ascetic
concentrated in large population centers. It is un- and mystically inclined and formed many smaller
surprising, then, that vampires — Reconstructionist communities (in all likelihood including the one at
and otherwise — frequent these houses of worship. Qumran, source of the Dead Sea Scrolls). The Sadu-
An unwritten rule exists that feeding at or through cees were socially Hellenized and religiously strict,
synagogue is forbidden, but often a fierce, subtle com- similar in observance to the Karaites. The Pharisees’
petition for ghouls among the synagogue membership philosophy contained both Oral and Written Torah
occurs. The notion that Jews run the media/ govern- and was the most egalitarian of the three.
ment/ Wall Street may be an anti-Semitic canard, A fourth sect, the primarily secular Zealots,
but synagogue memberships do remain a potentially appeared under the Roman occupation. Preferring
lucrative pool of ghouls for any Kindred. suicide to capture and violently opposed to the Roman
presence, they mounted the revolt of 70 CE, which
ISRAELI JEWS resulted in the destruction of the Temple. They also
While Orthodoxy is the only officially recognized occupied the Herodian fortress of Masada, and their
movement in Israel today, Jews in Israel tend to divide last stand there became the stuff of legend.
themselves into three categories: hilori (secular), haredi or VAMPIRES AND HISTORICAL SECTS
dati (Orthodox/ ultra-Orthodox) and masorti (observant but Only the Pharisees’ observances and philosophy
not Orthodox). Even those Jews who regard themselves as survived the Roman occupation. However, a tiny
hilori do tend to more observance than American Reform handful of vampires of all three of the extinct sects
Jews, often keeping kosher or lighting Shabbat candles. did survive the Roman-inflicted devastation. Oddly
enough, the ascetic Essenes have produced the most
KARAITE JEWS vampires, many of whom can be found still isolated,
Dating to the ninth century, Karaite Judaism seeking Golconda. A fair number of Zealots have
denies the validity of the Oral Torah. A direct re- survived as well, carrying their war with the Romans
sponse to Rabbinical Judaism (which itself formed beyond the grave. Many of them ultimately joined
in the wake of the destruction of the Second Temple the Sabbat when it formed, setting themselves in
and the Diaspora), Karaite Judaism holds that the eternal opposition to the Roman Ventrue of the
Written Torah is divinely inspired and literal and Camarilla.
requires no interpretation. Ironically, it is through their vampiric remnants
KARAITE VAMPIRES that these sects survive. While many of them have
fallen away from their faith, others have taken it
While Rabbinical Judaism is by far the dominant upon themselves to teach their childer. While the
form of Judaism today, Karaite Judaism survives. A observance, particularly in the absence of the Temple,
disproportionate number of Karaites are still extant is not perfect, it still endures.
among the older Jewish vampires, which they at-
tribute to divine favor for their persistence. Other
Jewish vampires wryly note that the Karaites probably
SCRIPTURES
also learned a fair bit of caution as the sect diminished In the beginning was the Word. So starts the
over the centuries. creation story in Genesis, and so begins the love affair
of Judaism with words. Indeed, the study of Torah is
HISTORICAL SECTS considered equal to prayer and acts of loving kindness
in Judaism, for it is believed that the study of Torah
The first recorded sectarian differences in Judaism leads naturally to these other goals.
occur around the time of the Seleucid occupation.
While the Greek rule was benign, large numbers of The written works around which Judaism is
Jews became Hellenized, while more traditional Jews centered are referred to as the Torah, although the
calling themselves the Chasideans opposed them. definition of Torah is a slippery one. In its most
As the rule of the Seleucids grew more oppressive, basic sense, the Torah consists exclusively of the
the two sects put aside their differences and united Pentateuch, a.k.a. the five Books of Moses (Genesis,

STATE OF GRACE
50
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy).
However, Torah can also refer to the entire body THE YAD
of written scripture, including the writings of the
prophets (Nevi’im) and the less focused Writings Living Jews know that you’re not supposed
(Ketuvim). The combination of the three is also to touch the Torah scrolls with your finger. So,
referred to as Tanakh, or the Written Torah. too, do dead ones, though the consequences
for them are considerably more painful. Torah
In addition to holy scripture, a body of Jewish scrolls are often infused with the True Faith of
religious work concerns itself with debate and inter- the artisans who inscribed them and as such are
pretation rather than divine inspiration. The Talmud protected from most Cainites’ attentions.
(also referred to as the Oral Torah) combines a com-
pilation of oral law called the Mishnah and associated Those who do manage to touch the parch-
later writings known as the Gemara. The Mishnah ment of a Torah scroll, however, find that the
was written down in the second century, while the damage they inflict on it is worse than any it
Gemara was compiled over the next three centuries inflicts on them. The instant a vampire’s flesh
in both Jerusalem and Babylon. The Talmud has also touches a Torah, the ink on the scroll smears
generated later commentaries from luminaries such to illegibility, while the parchment blackens
as Maimonedes and is still gathering an ever-growing and begins to smolder. The mark left behind
body of responsa to its tenets today. is indelible, marring the Torah forever.
Less important from a religious standpoint, but Mass-produced printings and reproductions
still an effervescent part of the religious culture, are, of course, exempt from this fate, and so
are the midrashim. These are stories used to fill in observant Kindred use them in their studies.
gaps in the narrative of the Torah, answer religious
questions and entertain, often all at the same time. and thus is never allowed to go out.
Among the most famous of the midrashim is the story
of Abraham smashing the idols in his father’s shop, THE DIVINE NAME
then blaming the devastation on the one statue he Judaism has a prohibition against spelling out
left undestroyed. the divine name in full. As a result, many modern
The Jewish mystical tradition of Qabbalah is Jews will write “G-d” (or the local equivalent) rather
also studied, the tenets of which are found in the than God, or refer to God as HaShem (literally, “The
12th-century text Sefer HaZohar. Despite its recent Name”) or Adonai (“Lord”). In Hebrew, the name
trendiness, the study of Qabbalah is reserved for of God is commonly written by the four Hebrew let-
those who are over 40, married, and well versed in ter sequence yud-he-vuv-he. This sequence, known
the Torah. This is a precaution, lest the concepts as the Tetragrammaton, is commonly transliterated
and tenets of Qabbalah enrapture the unwary mind. into English as “Yahweh,” from which we derive
Only those who are well grounded in all that life has “Jehovah.”
to offer are believed to be prepared to explore the
mysteries of Qabbalah. ANTI-SEMITISM
SCROLLS AND POINTERS From expulsions to forced conversions to mas-
sacres such as the Holocaust, an unfortunate and
The traditional Torah consists of a pair of scrolls lengthy tradition of anti-Semitism exists in Western
made from parchment and painstakingly hand- and other cultures. Jewish vampires are also heir to
lettered. The scrolls are protected with a cover, this legacy. Some fight against it, others use it as
upon which sits both a metal breastplate and a pair justification for their activities, and some fear that
of “crowns.” Also looped around the scroll handles they are in part responsible for it.
is a pointer in the shape of a human hand, called
a yad. A reader’s finger is never supposed to touch THE BLOOD LIBEL
the Torah scroll, and so the yad (literally, “hand”) One of the charges consistently leveled against
is used instead. Jews through the centuries has been the so-called
Torah scrolls are kept inside an ark (from aron Blood Libel, the accusation that Jews use the blood
kodesh, literally “holy cabinet”). Over the ark en- of Christian or Muslim children in the celebration
trance shines the ner tamid, or eternal light. This of their holidays. Although most often connected
ever-burning flame represents the light of knowledge with the festival of Passover (during which the blood
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
51
of innocents is supposedly used to make the ritual
unleavened bread called matzoh), the Blood Libel has
been applied to other aspects of Jewish life, including
THE HOLOCAUST
Purim, the so-called Feast of Lots. It is, of course, an The methodical extermination of Jews by
utterly illogical fiction, but like so many good slanders, the Nazis and their allies in the years from
it flourishes even in the absence of proof. 1937–1945 is referred to as the Holocaust,
meaning “burnt offering.” In the World of
Throughout the years, the Blood Libel has been
Darkness as in the real world, the Shoah was
used time and again as justification for pogroms
of human creation and instigation.
against Jewish populations around the world. As
a result, the majority of Jewish vampires make a In the World of Darkness, Jewish Kindred
conscious effort to absent their feeding from local were purged as ruthlessly by the flames of the
Jewish communities whenever possible. Too many Holocaust as were their mortal coreligionists.
times, evidence of one careless feeding has roused a Out of those ashes rose a conviction never to
mob against a blameless populace. This is something allow such a thing to happen again. Those
even the most bloodthirsty Kindred of the Jewish few vampires who survived the horrors have
faith would generally prefer to avoid. taken this as a mantra and have spent the
ensuing decades relentlessly hunting down
On the other hand, the Blood Libel has been
those who authored the devastation.
exploited to devastating effect over the years, both
by Kindred with anti-Semitic leanings and by those
who have a bone to pick with a particular Jewish the scenes dates back only as far as revolutionary
vampire. In the former instance, leaving a conve- France. In 1806, a Royalist Jesuit named Abbe Berruel
niently drained body or two in a conspicuous place and adapted some of his earlier work (which blamed the
spreading rumors as to who’s been using the missing Revolution on a Masonic conspiracy) to add the Jews
blood can get a mob in the streets. In the latter, the to the conspiratorial mix. More than half a century
mere threat of using the Blood Libel can be enough later, a Prussian spy named Goedsche combined Ber-
to force a Jewish vampire to the bargaining table or ruel’s notion of a Jewish conspiracy with the French
out of a secure defensive position. author Joly’s satirical Dialogues in Hell Between Ma-
THE INTERNATIONAL JEWISH CONSPIRACY chiavelli and Montesquieu. The end result was a series
of virulently anti-Semitic novels called Biarritz. The
The notion of a secret cabal of Jews who run the
substance of these novels was later adopted by the
world — or at least its financial houses — from behind
Russian secret police (who were looking to discredit
Czar Nicholas II’s liberal domestic opposition, which
was sympathetic toward the Jews) into The Protocols
BUT WHAT IF? of the Elders of Zion, possibly the most famous bit of
A school of thought exists among some anti-Semitic propaganda ever written.
Jewish Kindred, particularly young and The book is supposedly the minutes of the Jewish
paranoid ones, that The Elders is in fact a tran- secret society that manipulates world events for its
scription of an eavesdropped meeting between own benefit. Dry reading at best, it was brought to
several Jewish vampires. A few Kindred, most Russia in 1897. A popular edition was published in
notably a German Toreador named Jacob Levy, Russia in 1905, in the wake of the Russo-Japanese
even claim on occasion to have been present War. (Interestingly enough, it was an American
at the very meeting that was transcribed for Jewish banker named Jacob Schiff, angry at the
the book. Levy also claims that the eavesdrop- treatment of Jews in Russia, who found financing for
ping was done on behalf of a cabal of Prussian the Japanese war effort.) Within a few years editions
Ventrue with no love for Jews and a burning could be found all across Europe and in America,
desire to obtain influence in the banking field. where it was sponsored by automobile manufacturer
As part of his obsession with the book, Levy Henry Ford. In the intervening decades, and despite
has established an elaborate map of the various numerous exposures as a work of fiction, the book has
elements of the conspiracy in his haven, one served as a sort of bible to anti-Semitic extremists,
which curiously echoes elements of Berruel’s who take it quite literally.
original Masonic cabal.

STATE OF GRACE
52
HERESIES or as a hag who rides the night wind and takes seed
from men in their sleep.
Heresy is a difficult notion in Judaism, as the
Lilith is a topic of much discussion among Jewish
religion actively encourages questioning on the part
vampires, and many of the younger ones quietly view
of its adherents. Even so, some things are beyond the
Lilith as something of a hero. Her refusal to submit
pale, and the nature of the vampiric condition does
to Adam and her defiance of God’s demand that
a marvelous job of leading Jewish Kindred toward
she retrace her steps to Eden make her an appealing
certain of these odd philosophies.
role model to young Cainites chafing against the
LILITH restrictions of their elders, an appeal which is only
Curiously enough, the word “Lilith” appears in reinforced by the extensive connection that Lilith
only one place in the Torah, though she occupies an has with Jewish tradition. While it is unusual for a
extensive role in Jewish folklore. According to the Jewish vampire — lapsed or otherwise — to convert
Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith was created from dust to any form of Lilith worship, a small faction view
at the same time as Adam but refused to lie beneath Lilith’s goals as admirable and do their best to serve
him during intercourse. Instead, she left the Garden them. Those vampires call themselves the Shedim.
of Eden and rebuked the three angels God sent to THE SHEDIM
bring her back. In doing so, she claimed dominion
In Jewish myth, the shedim (literally, “spirits” or
over male infants for the first eight days of their lives
“demons”) are creatures of evil, roaming spirits of
and female children for the first twenty. Despite
great malice. Many stories exist as to their origins:
the deaths of a hundred of her children each day,
They were disembodied when HaShem rested on the
Lilith refused to return to the Garden and to accept
seventh day and thus remained disembodied forever;
Adam’s dominion.
they were begotten by Adam during his separation
Later versions of the Lilith story portray her as a from Eve; they were descended from those who at-
mate to demons, specifically Samael and Asmodeus, tempted to build the tower at Babel. Most interesting,
CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN
53
however, is the notion that they are the offspring who will “cure” them. Such messianic vampires tend
of Adam and Lilith. According to one account, to keep a low profile among their peers, in part to avoid
after Lilith had refused God’s command to return mockery and in part to avoid seeming unreliable.
to the Garden of Eden, she eventually coupled with They have an extensive communications network
Adam again and produced three races of demons: and a series of well stocked libraries, which they
the Shedim, the Lilim and the Rauchin. use to share information, clues as to the Messiah’s
While the bull-faced temple guardians the Assyr- whereabouts and expected arrival, and such.
ians called Shedim are nowhere to be found, a sect of FALSE MESSIAHS
Cainites has taken the name Shedim unto themselves AND SHABBATAI TZVI’S LEGACY
deliberately. Forswearing Caine, they labor to serve Judaism has had more than its share of false
what they imagine Lilith’s wishes to be. Small cells messiahs. Their numbers are many and include such
of Shedim are found throughout both the Sabbat luminaries as Bar Kochba, who mounted a massive
and the Camarilla. Often bitterly jealous of one revolt against the Romans in 132. The most notori-
another, they squabble fiercely over what precisely ous, however, was Shabbatai Tzvi. A Turkish Jew
Lilith’s will is and how best to implement it. Though born in Smyrna in 1626, Tzvi was an erratic but
all of the Shedim agree that they are descendants of brilliant scholar who once performed a wedding
Lilith, what precisely that means varies from cell to ceremony that bound him to the Torah as man and
cell. Most engage in blood sacrifice to Lilith in an wife. Decreed to be the Messiah by the reclusive holy
attempt to atone for the hundreds of her children man Nathan of Gaza, Tzvi accepted this onus and
whom God slew. Others forswear any sort of ritual began to act as if he were in fact the Messiah. He
and prefer simply to destroy that which the children appointed followers as representatives of the Twelve
of Adam have created. Tribes of Israel and dispatched those who came to
Shedim cells are usually small, no larger than see him with parchments stating that he was the
three to five vampires. Most are in contact with at least Messiah and the King of Israel.
one other cell, though that contact is by no means His followers rejoiced, repented their previous
always friendly. On occasion, however, the members transgressions and spread the word. Quickly, his cult
of a cell will begin acting in a most peculiar fashion, grew, until fall of 166, when it came to the attention
speaking in languages they could not possibly know of the Sultan of Turkey. The sultan was not amused
and performing actions that seem dictated by some and had Tzvi brought to him. He offered the self-
outside source. Such cells usually burn out quickly proclaimed messiah a choice: death or conversion to
but accomplish great things in the short time they Islam. Tzvi chose conversion, a move which stunned
are under this mysterious spell. his followers. Even as the years went by, they refused
THE CURE to believe he had really converted, instead thinking
that he was going undercover to perform his labors
Not all Kindred enjoy their condition, and a small
in Muslim lands.
but energetic fraction of vampires actively seek to
reverse the Embrace. This percentage is higher among Tzvi died in 1676, or so the histories say. After his
Jewish Kindred than among the vampiric population death, the false messianic movement sputtered along
at large. Why this is, no one is quite sure, but it may for another century or so, with other pseudomessiahs
have something to do with the notion that Jews who proclaiming themselves, failing, and disappearing.
are neither alive nor dead when the Messiah arrives By the end of the 18th century, the Jewish people’s
will not be resurrected. Vampiric scholars of Judaism taste for false messiahs had petered out, and even
have taken the argument further, and many believe Shabbatai Tzvi’s name was mostly expunged from
that the arrival of the Messiah will signal the im- the registers of history.
mediate destruction of all Kindred. It was at this point that a Kindred calling himself
Faced with this proposed destruction, some Jew- Nathan appeared, preaching to his fellow vampires
ish Kindred have instead clung to a more optimistic that Shabbatai Tzvi was indeed the Messiah and had
interpretation. They are convinced that the touch of been Embraced in order to experience all of God’s
the Messiah will cure them of vampirism and restore creation. Initially laughed at or driven off, Nathan
them to their original, human state. As such, they persisted. Now, two centuries later, he has a small
labor unceasingly to find the Messiah, poring over but dedicated band of followers, primarily Sephardic
scriptures and prophecies in hopes of finding the one Jews from Turkey and Syria, who believe him. They

STATE OF GRACE
54
labor on his behalf, performing tasks for the greater to nervousness is growing in the minds of those
glory of the Messiah, whose triumphant emergence Camarilla elders who know of Nathan’s cult. They
they expect at any moment. Nathan has promised don’t think that Nathan will produce Shabbatai
his followers that within a year they will look upon Tzvi, and they certainly don’t think he will produce
the face of Shabbatai Tzvi. As Nathan has never the Messiah. They are not so sure, however, as to
disappointed his followers before, something akin exactly what he will produce and what the ultimate
cost will be.

CHAPTER ONE: THE FAITHS OF MEN

55
 Chapter Two:
Tainted by the
Blood
Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.
— Martin Luther

For some Kindred, the tenets and doctrines Just as many Catholics, for example, might feel
offered by the religions as practiced by the kine that their interpretation of Christianity is more
aren’t quite right. They don’t need to be replaced valid than, say, that of the Mormons, so do most
entirely, just … tweaked a tiny bit. It makes sense, Kindred worshippers of the following faiths feel that
after all. The Torah, the Bible, the Qur’an, the their “warped” view of the religion is, in fact, the
Tao — none of them really have anything to say correct one. They don’t see themselves as having
about the Kindred. Yet the Kindred exist, and so changed anything. Rather, they have simply come
these sacred writings must be reinterpreted with to understand the religious teachings and doctrines
that fact in mind. better than the kine who first disseminated them.
It’s important to understand that, for the most
part, this wasn’t done deliberately or consciously.
No Kindred sat down and simply decided to twist the The Twisted
precepts of Judaism or Islam into something barely
recognizable. Rather, it happened as all religious
Cross
It should come as no surprise that most Western
evolution occurs: slowly and gradually. It happened
Kindred who cling to any religion at all choose some
because some Kindred weren’t comfortable with
variation of the Christian faith. The vast majority
these faiths as they existed — not surprising, since
comes from Christian-dominated societies. It’s the
none of them plainly acknowledge the Kindred’s
most accessible and most common faith throughout
existence, and most heavily imply eternal damna-
much of the world. And the Kindred are already
tion for all concerned. Rather than simply abandon
inclined toward, if not Christianity itself, at least
the religion in which they already believed, they
the Abrahamic traditions, by their very natures and
decided instead to view it from a different angle.
their creation myths. Even those Kindred who don’t

Chapter Two: Tainted by the Blood

57
believe in the Caine story have likely heard it. All sively, spiritual. Unable to function without some
the legends and popular media portray vampires as sense of their place in God’s order, they deliberately
vulnerable to crosses, holy water and communion seek— in some cases, even create — these varia-
wafers, and while these stories may be largely inac- tions on the faith in order to give meaning to their
curate, they still present a powerful image, especially existence. Unlike their less devout counterparts,
for the newest generation of Kindred. the faith of these Kindred colors everything they do
With that in mind, however, most faithful — their nightly activities, their view of the world,
Kindred find it difficult to reconcile many precepts even the way they choose their victims. Although
of the Christian denominations. Neither angel nor hope for a better existence in the next world is
demon, neither of Hell nor Heaven, and certainly still the motivating factor for many of them, quite
not mortal: Where do the Kindred fit into the a few aren’t concerned with the state of their soul
scheme of things? They exist completely outside after Final Death — many are convinced they’re
God’s order, at least as it’s defined in the Bible. Do already damned and have accepted their fate. In-
they, in fact, spring from God’s curse on Caine, the stead, they use the doctrines of their faith to guide
first murderer? How could that be? How could God their behavior in this world. For some, that means
send such a scourge against mankind in punishment abiding by God’s laws and commandments as any
for the sins of a single man? mortal might. Others become cruel, cold, monstrous
Perhaps hardest to deal with is the notion that beings, their “higher calling” serving as little more
the Kindred are beyond salvation. If they are soulless than an excuse to release the worst the Man and
creatures, they’ve no chance of attaining their eternal the Beast have to offer.
reward in the next life. If they are not, surely their
souls are blackened beyond redemption, bound for fire DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
and brimstone. Even a full confession covers only what Because the Kindred have developed numerous
has come before, and Kindred nature forces them to variations on Christianity, it’s impossible to discuss
sin again tomorrow night, no matter their intentions the doctrine of these faiths in any detail without
to the contrary. A number of Kindred, then, choose a discussion of each sect individually. While the
to reinterpret Christian doctrine in a way that affords details vary wildly, however, some generalities can
them, if not hope for redemption and the kingdom be applied to most of them.
of Heaven, at least a greater understanding of the At the risk of stating the obvious, these faiths,
reasons behind their damnation. despite their often bizarre aspects, are easily recog-
nizable as branches of Christianity. All acknowledge
FOLLOWERS AND FLOCK God as the creator, Lucifer as the source of evil,
These Kindred-centric forms of Christianity Caine as the first vampire and Jesus Christ as the
differ greatly from one another, but they all tend to son of God. Some reach those conclusions through
attract two specific sorts of worshippers from com- torturous and twisted lines of reasoning, but they
pletely opposite ends of the spectrum. Some of those all possess these facets in common.
drawn to these sects and denominations are casual With some few exceptions, most of these
worshippers — Sunday Kindred, as it were. They sects differ from mainstream Christianity on one
aren’t consciously seeking any particular revelation. (or both) of two points: the nature of Caine and
Rather, they maintain their faith in Christianity God’s curse, and the nature of Christ. While they
because it’s what they were raised with as mortals might also disagree on minor philosophical issues,
and it’s all they know. They gravitate toward these it is these two figures — and the interpretations
variations rather than more traditional forms because thereof — that mark most Kindred versions of
these simply feel right. Catholicism, Protestantism, Christianity as different. Similarly, the creation
Orthodoxy and the others offer little to the casual myth is universal to most of these religions. They
vampiric worshipper; at least these Kindred-oriented believe in the six-day creation of the universe (or
branches acknowledge their existence, their hopes at least accept that account as symbolic), and they
and fears. For these worshippers, religion is not an accept as truth the existence of Caine and Abel.
overwhelming aspect of their existence, nor is it Of course, what happened after Caine’s murder of
something they think about on a regular basis. his brother varies dramatically.
The other sort drawn toward these sects are These sects also adopt the traditional view
those Kindred who are indeed deeply, even obses- of the afterlife. They acknowledge Heaven, Hell
STATE OF GRACE
58
and the judgment of God. Where the sects begin reported that, inside a small cave, she had found a
to differ is on how the Kindred themselves will be tomb that was clearly not Egyptian, but probably the
judged, if they haven’t been already, but the fact final resting place of some traveler. In it, sealed in
of judgment remains. ceramic vessels, she’d discovered a series of writings
Most of these sects maintain that the Kindred in Aramaic. After careful study and translation, she
have an assigned and deliberate place in God’s order. and her master discovered that they held nothing
They can’t agree on what that place might be, but less than an alternate version of the story of Caine.
they agree they have it. Some theorize the Bible lacks According to the unknown author, the version
any mention of the Kindred because God wished set down in the Torah was a falsehood, created so
them kept secret from his mortal children, while mankind wouldn’t learn of the presence of a superior
others claim that it was the efforts of the Kindred race among them. According to this writing, God’s
themselves that excised all mention of their race “curse” was no curse at all but a blessing.
from the writings of mankind. Although this is the only written evidence, and
Finally, most of these faiths maintain a code of Cadwell has long refused to allow the parchment
behavior that must be obeyed. Comparable, perhaps, to undergo scientific examination to determine its
to the Ten Commandments and similar guidelines, authenticity, the notion that Caine was blessed
each demands that the Kindred earn their place in rather than cursed is a common one among Kindred
Heaven, or at least fulfill their purpose on Earth. Christian sects. According to this interpretation,
God was pleased with Caine’s offering of his brother’s
These codes are less strict than Paths of Enlighten-
blood. As one translation of Cadwell’s find states,
ment, but they still require a degree of discipline to
“Thou hast learned well this lesson I have set be-
maintain. Some of these faiths, in fact, require their
fore you, and I am well pleased. Be thou, then, as
worshippers to adopt a Path, as their teachings are
a lion among lambs, and share in the power of the
incompatible with Humanity.
heavenly host. Thou wilt walk amongst them as
BRANCHES ON THE TREE kings, and show them the way to me.”
Of course, most who hear this alternate take
It would require a work far longer than this to maintain that it’s merely a convenient fabrication,
discuss all the various interpretations and denomi- intended to make the Kindred feel better about what
nations of Christianity the Kindred have developed they are and what they do. Still, some do believe,
over the centuries. Thus, rather than list specific and believe devoutly.
sects, what follows is a discussion of various pre- Those who believe in Caine’s blessing feel that
cepts of Kindred Christianity that are common to they are entitled to do as they will with the kine
multiple denominations. Players and Storytellers around them, as long as they don’t go overboard.
may base a character’s belief system on any one As man was granted dominion over the birds and
of the following precepts, or mix and match them the animals, so are the Kindred higher than man,
(perhaps even with precepts from other religions) but still a part of God’s order.
to create unique faiths.
Some theological debate still exists as to why
CAINE the Kindred have been denied the daylight by God’s
As mentioned above, the nature of Caine and gift. Some more fanatical worshippers maintain that
his curse is one of the primary points of divergence they’re so full of God’s holiness and power that the
between some sects and their more traditional fore- addition of the light of the sun is simply too much
bears. Many of these sects do take the traditionally for their physical forms to survive. Others maintain
accepted view of him as the first vampire, but as that that the light of the sun is, in fact, the Lord’s final
viewpoint is discussed in numerous other sources test of their worthiness. When a Kindred is truly
(including the previous chapter), this discussion holy, has truly accepted her place as God’s chosen
focuses instead on less common interpretations. and cast off all lingering doubt, the light of the sun
Caine’s Curse as a Blessing will no longer burn. Most believers scoff at both
these notions but have yet to develop any more
It was during the Western world’s growing fas-
viable theories.
cination with Egypt in the late 19th century that
a ghoul thrall of the Toreador Ulysses Cadwell The “blessed of Caine” are more selective than
returned from an archaeological dig. The ghoul the average Kindred in choosing their childer. It
would be inappropriate, after all, to pass such a bless-
CHAPTER TWO: TAINTED BY THE BLOOD
59
 ing on to the unworthy. They certainly never use it
as a form of punishment or vengeance, as many vam-
pires do. At the same time, they acknowledge that
some mortals, even worthy ones, lack the strength
of will to acclimate themselves to the predatory and
nocturnal nature of their new existence. As such,
these Kindred make a practice of watching their
potential childer carefully, often for long intervals,
before blessing them with the mark of Caine.
This doctrine is found most frequently among
Camarilla Kindred. Some Sabbat and independent
Kindred maintain this belief as well, but because
diablerie is often considered a sin by most who be-
lieve in the blessing of Caine, it is far less common
in the smaller sect.
Caine and Kindred as the Wrath of God
For as long as Kindred and religion have ex-
isted, some of the children of Caine have taken
it as their holy edict to serve as God’s murderous
angels, slaying those who transgress against divine
law. By and large, these are lone Kindred, possibly
deranged individuals who, like mortal serial killers,
have simply lost their grip on reality.
Some who believe in this doctrine are quite sane,
however. They maintain that the curse of Caine was
not a punishment, though, unlike the believers in
Caine’s blessing, they hardly consider it a reward.
Rather, in slaughtering his brother, in becoming
mankind’s first murderer, Caine proved that he had it
in him to serve as God’s instrument of vengeance on
the unrighteous. To hear these Kindred tell it, Caine
didn’t Embrace the second generation out of a desire
for companionship but because he needed helpers in
hunting down and punishing the wicked.
Not all these Kindred work alone, either. Some
have chosen to band together in packs or coteries,
the better to destroy those who have transgressed.
If rumor is to be believed, the Sabbat Inquisition
harbors an entire pack of Cainites who follow this
doctrine. It matters little to them if their target is
vampire, mortal or anything else, if they believe
he has transgressed against the will of God. Sup-
posedly, they were inducted into the Inquisition
because other authorities in the Sabbat were too
scared to take them in.
Those Kindred who consider themselves the wrath
of God are usually violent, vicious creatures who feel
no compunction about killing mortals (and even other
Kindred) who they believe have broken God’s laws.
They still believe in an angry, fire-and-brimstone deity,
one who would approve of their vengeful response to

STATE OF GRACE
60
 outside His purview. They are not bound by His laws
THE FLOOD nor by the physical laws that govern His world. It
means they are forever denied Paradise, but by the
Some of these “avenging Kindred” same token they cannot be Damned. Vampires exist
believe the great deluge described in the in this world only, and when they are gone, they
Bible is a metaphor, not to be taken liter- are gone utterly, their souls, if they have any such
ally. According to them, the “flood” was thing, sent spiraling into oblivion.
nothing less than the birth of the third and
These Kindred don’t abide by any specific code
fourth generations, who instantly set out
of behavior; in fact, the very nature of their beliefs
in vast numbers to cleanse the Earth of the
tends to discourage such things. Some few retain their
wicked mortals. Noah and his family were
Humanity, since nothing in their beliefs requires
spared by virtue of their grace and inherent
them to do evil, but few have the willpower to control
goodness, not by some ramshackle ship.
themselves without the promise of eternal reward
A few even believe that Gehenna does or punishment. Thus, most Kindred who subscribe
not herald the end of the Kindred as a race to this belief swiftly fall to wassail unless they find
but rather the coming a second “flood.” The their way to a Path of Enlightenment. They appear
Antediluvians will awaken, they say, and lead in roughly equal numbers in both sects, though most
their faithful followers in a second cleansing of those in the Camarilla are quite young.
of all the evils in mankind. Some of them
This faith is spread primarily by those who
have even decided to get an early start.
have followed it for years or decades on end. As
the faithful Kindred grows in power, he becomes
even the most minor of transgressions. This particular frustrated at the actions of his lesser brethren, who
doctrine is most common in the Sabbat and among allow themselves to be bound by laws that do not
schismatic Assamites, though it is not unheard of apply to them. Most often, his efforts at educating
within other clans or the Camarilla. Few of those others are born not out of any true desire to spread
who hold to it are able to maintain Humanity for the faith but out of sheer frustration at the blind-
more than the briefest duration. ness of the Kindred race.
The Thief of Power
CHRIST
This interpretation of Caine has existed at
least as long as religion itself. It is not, however, As with Caine, Kindred perceptions of Jesus
spoken aloud. This particular heresy is discussed vary wildly by sect and denomination. All the faiths
only in whispers, even among those who believe, being discussed accept Christ as the son of God and
and few who follow it will admit their beliefs in the messiah; if they did not, they wouldn’t qualify
mixed company. as Christian. That does not mean, however, that
they interpret him, his life and his death in anything
Some few Kindred exist who maintain that God
resembling the way mortals do.
didn’t curse Caine, nor bless him nor grant him power
in any way. According to this doctrine, Caine empow- Christ as Kindred
ered himself through his own efforts and force of will. It should come as no surprise that many Kindred
By shedding the first human blood in all of creation, interpret Christ’s resurrection as a metaphor for
he discovered the secret that God never meant men vampirism. In fact, if anything, it’s surprising that
to know: that the blood, the vitae itself, is power. more of them don’t.
According to ancient and obscure myths, Caine did This isn’t to say that such Kindred believe Jesus
not shed Abel’s blood for God but fed on it himself. was a vampire during his life as chronicled in the
This first mortal death carried with it an enormous New Testament; they don’t. Or at least most don’t.
power, granting Caine a strength that, while not the Rather, they maintain that the story of the resur-
equal of God’s, was more than God cared to contest rection is, in fact, proof that Jesus died as a mortal
with. Rather than attempt to strip Caine of his new and became Kindred.
power, God instead bestowed upon him sufficient So who Embraced him? Well, according to
vulnerabilities — such as the curse of the sun — so the doctrine, no one. Just as Christ was birthed by
that Caine might never challenge His rule. a virgin, so his transformation was, for lack of a
These Kindred believe that because God did better term, a “virgin Embrace,” bestowed by God
not deliberately create them, they exist completely Himself.

CHAPTER TWO: TAINTED BY THE BLOOD

61
 More than a little theological debate has only to the time of Christ, not to Caine. They do
occurred as to the meaning of this spontaneous not believe that Jesus himself was their forebear,
transmutation. Some interpret it as a message from however. Rather, the power and holiness of Christ
God stating that the Kindred are no less His chil- transformed those who were closest to him. The
dren than the mortals, that Heaven is not denied clans of Kindred, they maintain, are descended
them just because of what they are and that He has from Christ’s Apostles.
not forsaken them. For those who believe, this is a Substantial debate continues as to which clan
message of indescribable comfort, something to give descended from whom, and the faithful are no closer
them strength and direction in the nights ahead. to solving it now than they were millennia ago. Only
Others, however, take a more extreme stance. They one particular bit of ancestry has been agreed upon
claim that Christ’s Embrace does not suggest that Kin- — the Salubri obviously descended from Judas. It’s
dred and kine are equal in God’s eyes, but rather that the only way to explain how an entire clan of Jesus’
the Kindred are the true children of God. Kine exist favored could have been entirely replaced by a new
only as sustenance and raw materials for the Kindred one, just as Judas was replaced by a new Apostle,
to use as they see fit. After all, if the Embrace was good about whom the Bible says very little. Much of this
enough for God’s only son, they must be the chosen of sect’s time is taken up in the search for a fourteenth
the Lord. These Kindred are some of the worst predators clan, descended from the Apostle Paul, who came
mankind knows, since they no longer have any vestigial late into the fold. Because the Kindred are descended
belief or morality holding them back. If they truly are from Christ’s Apostles, it is their responsibility to
the chosen of God, then He certainly doesn’t care what shepherd and guide the mortals without harming
they do to the mortals around them. them any more than their natures require. They
Some few Kindred even believe that Christ believe their thirst for blood and violent urges are
was not just a vampire but the first vampire, and the result of Lucifer’s attempt to turn them from
that all records and tales of Kindred before the their true purpose — an objective that has, alas,
crucifixion are nothing but falsehoods intended to succeeded with the vast majority of Kindred.
lead them astray. Beyond this strange notion of their origins, this
Believers in the “Christ as Kindred” philosophy sect bears a strong resemblance to several Baptist
can be found across all sect lines. Because it’s easier denominations. Unlike most other Kindred Chris-
for them to maintain their Humanity, those who tian sects, many of which hearken back to the days
consider Christ’s Embrace as a sign of equal favor of church supremacy, this sect has adopted the less
for Kindred and kine are more common in the Ca- ceremonial, less hierarchical structure of Protestant-
marilla, while those who consider Kindred dominant ism over the more formal and ceremonial trappings
are more frequently encountered in the Sabbat. of Catholicism.
Christ as Caine These apostolic Kindred are among some of
the least vicious of Kindred, as far as their natures
An even more extreme interpretation of the permit. They are, almost to the last, adherents to
“Christ as Kindred” doctrine maintains that Christ Humanity and exist almost exclusively within the
and Caine were one and the same. Some vampires Camarilla.
maintain that Caine died and was reborn in the
body of Jesus. Others have it that he walked the OTHER VARIATIONS
Earth for thousands of years and that the story of Caine and Christ represent the most common
the virgin birth was a fabrication to explain to points of departure between Kindred and mortal
the masses — who would not have been prepared Christianity, but not the only ones. Christian dogma
to accept Caine as their savior — where he came allows for a wide variety of alternative interpreta-
from. Their behavior is very much like that of their tions, and the Kindred have latched onto many of
brethren, save that they’re even more likely to treat them. Only a couple are discussed here, but almost
the kine as animals. After all, if Caine was the son any major theological aspect of Christianity is open
of God, and they are descended from Caine, does to reexamination through undead eyes.
that not make them demigods? The Rapture
Kindred as Apostles According to Revelation, the final judgment
Like some of their brethren discussed above, will occur seven years after the Rapture, when all
these Kindred believe the vampires date back faithful Christians are taken from Earth. During this

STATE OF GRACE
62
time, 144,000 men and women will come to God and while they’re certainly prepared to do harm
and Jesus despite the absence of God in the world to those who get in their way, slaughtering the
and will be allowed into Heaven on Judgment Day. innocent isn’t something they care for. As long as
Some Kindred sects — indeed, some mortal ones they’re pursuing their wants and desires without
as well — maintain that the Rapture has already letting God dictate to them a list of proscriptions
occurred, and thus that God is completely absent and restrictions, they’re following the essential
from the modern world. Whether the final judg- doctrine of their creed.
ment yet lies ahead or whether all is lost and the It’s also important to draw a distinction between
world is simply drifting into the void depends on Luciferians and Infernalists. Very few of these Kin-
who you ask. dred have anything to do with infernal practices.
Precisely when this happened is up for debate. To bind oneself to anyone, even someone equally
Some Kindred maintain the Rapture was a rela- opposed to God and Heaven, is simply to trade one
tively recent occurrence, others that it occurred enslavement for another.
at the death of Christ, and a few even argue that it Nestled within the Luciferian sect is another,
happened with the death of Abel — who serves as smaller cult. These mysterious Kindred believe the
the Christ figure in this particular interpretation war in Heaven was actually a battle between two
of the mythology — and that only Adam and Eve gods, the true Creator and a usurper. When the
qualified. true God was thrown down, Lucifer and a handful
Like several other doctrines, this belief spawns of angels remained loyal to Him while the others
two separate and opposite reactions from Kindred turned to the new order. These Kindred believe they
who adopt it. Some go wild, deciding that they oppose the usurper god — and Jesus Christ, his avatar
might as well earn the damnation to which they — not merely out of anger but in order to restore
are already doomed. Others adhere — or attempt creation to its proper lord. Even most Luciferians
to adhere — to strict moral behavior in the hopes remain ignorant of this sect’s existence.
that they might be among the fortunate few who The majority of Luciferian Kindred follow
can yet be redeemed on Judgment Day. Paths of Enlightenment, with the Paths of Cathari
These Kindred are found in both sects and among and of Night being particularly common, but some
the independent clans. Those who still hope for manage to retain their Humanity. The Sabbat and
redemption tend to adhere to Humanity, whereas independents claim more Luciferian Kindred than
the others either fall to wassail or cleave to Paths does the Camarilla, but the larger sect still boasts
of Enlightenment. its fair share.
Luciferian Kindred
It’s an axiom as old as conflict itself. “The enemy THE TWISTED
of my enemy is my ally.”
To some of the Kindred, God Himself — He CRESCENT
who cursed Caine, who damned them to an eternity As the fundamentals of the Abrahamic trinity
of endless hunger and darkness, who permits them have already been heretofore discussed, including
no hope of redemption in the afterlife — is their the general ways in which Kindred “of the book”
enemy. They are only too eager to throw in their most often tend to view the teachings of said book
lot with another of the Lord’s adversaries. through their own rose-tinted glasses, let us now
Some would argue that a Luciferian cult has focus a little on the youngest of the three, the fastest
no place in a discussion of Christian sects, but the growing monotheistic religion on earth: Islam. In a
truth is these Kindred believe in all the same things religion that some perceive as revisionist in and of
as their more traditional brethren. They’ve simply itself, due to its claim as the latest and thus truest
chosen to ally themselves with the opposition. (or at least most “up-to-date”) gospel of God, it is
Luciferian precepts are based on a dismissal of easy to see why and how some desperate Kindred
God’s laws. This does not necessarily mean these might be attracted to Islam. Perhaps no other major
Kindred are out deliberately committing atrocities religion offers as sumptuous a banquet of spiritual
in the name of their diabolical patron, though choices and attractively malleable interpretations
many unsophisticated ones do just that. Others as does Islam, especially when compared to Judaism
are merely concerned with going their own way, and Christianity.

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63
 Although Islam holds true to the vast major- truth most often do so for one of two reasons. For
ity of the same core tenets of its two monotheistic some, it is simply the only way to reconcile all the
forebears (contrary to popular opinion), a world of various behavioral, cultural and moral impositions
moral ambiguity does indeed swirl in those few areas and expectations placed upon a follower of Allah.
where it does differ. The most fundamental differ- Although Islam does indeed preach that no creature
ence between Islam and Christianity, and the one is inherently denied salvation, the Qur’an itself
that causes no end of headaches among the undead, was understandably written with normal mortals in
is the issue of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Whereas mind — to a target audience of human beings, if you
Christian vampires believe that the young carpenter will. Indeed, nowhere in the vast body of Islamic
from Nazareth was the son of God — truly, that he thought and lore is even the slightest reference to
was God — their Muslim counterparts acknowledge the undead. Yet all Muslims are theoretically equal
only Christ’s status as a messenger and prophet. before God and thus expected to do all the same
They hold that no man (no one man, truly) is the things as every other true believer. For some Kin-
equal of God and that He exists above and beyond dred, these expectations are simply too high (or too
the scope of all earthly motion and understand- unreasonable, not taking into account their special
ing. Although the Holy Qur’an asks its adherents natures), and they go looking for ways to interpret
to acknowledge a great deal of shared history with Qur’anic law from their own particular bias or slant
their Judeo-Christian fellows, the line is drawn while still attempting to remain true to all the core
(quite definitively) on this point. beliefs that make them Muslims.
Unlike Jewish and Christian Kindred, those Another reason some Ashirra are drawn toward
who follow Islam as it is most commonly preached revisionist thinking has to do with the fact that
and practiced are already gifted with a certain sense Islam, unlike most other religions, is not so much
of acceptance. No measure of “twisting” dogma or a religion as a universal way of life, not only for
interpreting scripture is required: Islam is all about individuals but for the entire community of man
submission to God, and when that submission is — a community from which the accursed vampire
practiced genuinely and with conviction, the faithful was forever excluded on the night of his Embrace.
are rewarded with the gift of salvation when the end These Kindred despair at how removed from the
circle of life they seem to be and thus dig deeply
finally draws nigh. Islam teaches that no creature
(and often desperately) in Islamic lore to find any
born of God is ever truly and irrevocably damned,
wording or reference, anything that might function
and that all power to determine one’s standing in
as a spiritual “loophole,” that might show them that
the afterlife rests solely in each individual’s hands.
they are indeed still an important part not only of
Interestingly, though Islam proscribes for God an
God’s plan, but of the world of men as well. They
arguably more overwhelming role in the affairs of
long for proof that, although Damned, they may
man, it does so while He simultaneously removes
remain a vital part of a religion they are painfully
Himself from the practicality of those very same aware is based solely around the world of the kine
affairs. and their relationship with God. Some of the truly
Due to these and a host of other reasons, fanatical, desperate for acceptance and the chance
many Muslim Kindred are drawn to reinterpret all to show their own submission to God, have taken to
monotheistic doctrine through the lens of these wholesale fabrications of dogma and belief, twisting
disparities. For many troubled Ashirra, the Holy or doubting the words of the ‘ulama (the Muslim
Qur’an provides no true answers, only more ques- community) or even of the Prophet himself (peace
tions, especially when held up beside the great book be upon him) in order to make a niche for the things
from which it supposedly advanced humanity. These they so desperately wish to believe.
distraught self-thinkers, like the rest of us, are thus
left to determine the greater messages and meanings DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
hidden within these texts on their own. Not nearly as many Kindred branches of Islam
FOLLOWERS AND FLOCK exist as Kindred branches of Christianity. This is
due primarily to the fact that Islam, at its core,
Those who seek to use the Qur’an as a base point is truly meant to be one faith for all the world.
from which to realize (“compile” might be a better Even tonight, almost fourteen centuries after the
word) their own personal vision of God’s most perfect religion’s humble beginnings in Arabia, only a

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64
few different schools of Islamic thought exist, as
opposed to the dozens of different denominations
of Christianity that have sprouted up in the same
amount of time.
The primary religious rift that tears mortal Islam
apart is the Sunni-Shi’ite split, one that is not so
much doctrinal as historical. Most Muslim Kindred
don’t much care for this argument one way or the
other. They believe that the fundamental precepts of
the faith to which they adhere have little or nothing
to do with which family tree of successors should
have “led” Islam following Muhammad’s death in
632. Their concerns rest more fully in the teachings
themselves and in whatever their own place may be
within the religion the Prophet left behind, often
summed up in the following phrase:
How do I remain the thing that I have become, and
yet also remain a good Muslim?
Ultimately, the search for the answer to this
one question is what leads most Muslim Kindred
down the path to “twisted Islam.” The various sects
that have developed and will develop because of
this search often bear striking similarities; indeed,
most differ from any other upon only one or two
small points. Overall, even those Ashirra who seek
to break out of the box — to find, intuit or even
outright craft their own answers — typically do so
with a healthy respect for the parent faith from
which they depart. They understand the futility
in trying to “fool” God by fooling themselves and
simply wish to find a more complete (or at least
satisfying) answer to the question of their place in
His grand design.
Therefore, the most significant point of depar-
ture for most neo-Muslim theologians is the hotly
debated issue of Kindred existence. Almost all
Kindred agree that their mutual undead condition
is the product of a curse from God; the place where
some begin to differ is on the issue of why? As with
other monotheistic undead, the “Caine question”
(the identity of the first vampire) deeply pervades
the thoughts of many Muslim Kindred.
ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES
Although many Muslim Kindred hew to the
basic timeline laid out within the Bible, few are
willing to buy into the story of Caine lock, stock
and barrel. Although most find the notion of the
world’s first murderer being punished like no other
to be a reasonable one, some have difficulty getting
their minds around the notion that God — their god,
the one true God — would operate so severely, by

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65
 THE LEGACY OF HAROUN EL-LA’IL
During the golden age of Islam, the city of Cairo was the not only the religious and cultural
center of the religion but one of the most prominent cities in all the world. Its status as the
home of Suleiman ibn Abdullah, the founder and mullah of the Ashirra sect, drew the interest of
Muslims the world over, many of whom traveled to Cairo during this time to dwell, to learn and to
pray. One such Kindred was a clanmate of Suleiman’s named Haroun el-La’il, a wealthy Lasombra
known throughout all the cities of Islam.
According to accounts of the time, Haroun merely wished to settle down in the greatest city of
Islam, there to engage his fellow Ashirra and partake of the gifts of the qadi and the world’s oldest
university, Al-Azhar. Regardless of his intentions, what Haroun ultimately accomplished was nothing
less than the end of one era and the dawn of another. Before the Lasombra’s arrival at the mosques
and hammams of Cairo, almost all Ashirra kept whatever doubts and insecurities they had about
the teachings of the Qur’an to themselves. To do anything other than to stay the “true” course was
blasphemy and the height of arrogance before God. Young Muslim neonates were cowed into blind
acceptance by their elders, often to the detriment of their own spiritual advancement.
Haroun would change all this.
Within a few short years after the Lasombra’s arrival, the Ashirra of Cairo were in something
of an uproar. Never before had a respected member of the sect spoken so openly or questioned so
vehemently the basics of the Qur’anic code. The incident that started it all was Haroun’s campaign
to relieve all Ashirra from their duties to the Sawm, the religious fast. Before then, all Ashirra re-
stricted their blood intake during the holy month of Ramadan. When Haroun came, however, he
traveled from mosque to mosque (from house to house, even) politely reminding Muslim Kindred
that the Qur’an requires only that Muslims fast during the daylight hours of the month of Ramadan.
Theoretically, the Lasombra postulated, a Muslim Kindred could rise at his usual time (dusk), hav-
ing already fulfilled the obligations of the Sawm. Technically, no further blood denial was required.
Many among the Ashirra noted the strength of Haroun’s argument, and in no time other Kindred
of Cairo were holding off on their self-imposed starvation.
So began the slippery slope of Islamic revisionism, a force that has seen numerous peaks and
valleys in the centuries since but has never seen (and probably never will see) its own destruction.
Indeed, Haroun el-La’il is often credited by his supporters with being the father of moderacy among
the Ashirra. To others, he is nothing less than a stain upon the very fabric of the faith itself.

damning one mortal in such a way that countless

mortals to follow him would suffer for actions not might be shown the path (or, some would say, held
of their own doing. Others still are afraid that by in check). “Look!” they say, “at what happens when
acknowledging the accepted vampiric creation myth one believer sheds the blood of another!”
they are somehow acknowledging the supremacy of Whether a true part of Ashirra doctrine or
the Bible over the Qur’an, and by extension of Jesus simply a convenient excuse, the Caine myth finds
over Muhammad and of Christianity over Islam. no few adherents among Muslim undead. Beyond
This, however, is not the norm, merely an example this, however, remains the underlying question of
of how rashly and reactionary some behave where why? In order to find these answers, some look to
matters of religion are concerned. the place where they have found answers so many
Some Ashirra try to use the popular Caine times before. According to the Qur’an, all worldly
myth to their own advantage. To them, the story of existence (including that of the Damned) is a period
Caine and Abel — of brother killing brother — is a of test and trial, a challenge to each creature’s will
parable, a lesson from which all Ashirra may learn. to stay true to the path. Along these lines, some
Ashirra means “brethren.” and all those within the Ashirra believe that God has cursed them with added
sect are encouraged to view one another as brothers tests and trials, ones to which they must bend until
in every sense. By accepting the Caine myth, wise Judgment Day. Passages of the Qur’an specifically
Ashirra are empowering themselves with an edu- state how each will be judged and rewarded accord-
cational tool, a means by which younger sectmates ing to how he has performed in his time on Earth.
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66
Perhaps, then, the Kindred are those who are given more than a few quietly hope and pray that these
the most opportunity to excel, those whose list of apocalyptic radicals are actually right about Allah’s
good works might put others’ to shame, given the plan for the Ashirra.
time in which the undead have to accumulate them.
By the same token, this extra time in which to do
good is balanced by the raging Beast Within and PEOPLE
by temptation. Ashirra with this worldview think
of themselves as the most challenged of Allah’s
OF THE BOOK
children — those who have been given the chance As the oldest strictly monotheistic religion
to demonstrate just how far a true believer can go and the origin of the Caine myth that Kindred
if he stays the course. know so well, the teachings of Judaism are nearly
as relevant as those of Christianity as far as many
RESURRECTION DAY Kindred are concerned. Although many Christian
Just as Christians do, Muslims believe that an Kindred don’t realize it, Judaism is also a far more
end of days will eventually come. A time shall arrive Kindred-friendly religion than Christianity — at
when God closes the book on the world and takes least, depending on whom you ask. Certainly,
a final accounting of the deeds of all men. Unlike many mainstream Jewish Kindred see themselves
Christians, however, who call this period spoken of as inevitably Damned and condemned to break the
in the book of Revelation as Judgment Day, Muslims Commandments by their very existence; however,
refer to this time as Resurrection Day. nearly as many have come up with creative ways
During Resurrection Day, the good will be lined to be Kindred and still keep to Jewish law. As the
up and paraded into a paradise of lush gardens and Christians mentioned earlier in this chapter, these
oases, while the evil are filed through the Gates of Jews run the gamut from ultra-Reform to downright
Hell (after a recounting of all past misdeeds). The fanatical, but many fall somewhere in the middle,
pious are promised this reward in exchange for trying to keep to traditional interpretations when
spending their existences in recognition of their possible but feeling free to fudge things whenever
duty to themselves and to God. For most Ashirra, they have to. Because of Judaism’s emphasis on
this promise means one very simple thing: a release learning and questioning the teachings of Torah,
from the torment of vampirism and a return to the it’s just as common for a Jewish Kindred to believe
spirits of their families and loved ones in the grace in performing the ritual sacrifices of ancient Israel
of God. as it is for one to create a new interpretation of
For others, however, Resurrection Day means keeping kosher. The important thing to remember is
something altogether different. These Kindred take that, like their mortal counterparts, Jewish Kindred
the concept literally, believing that when God takes select their beliefs based on their background and
his accounting of souls, the good among the Damned upbringing; in most cases, a vampire whose mortal
will occupy a special place. (The bad, of course, parents raised him Orthodox is not going to suddenly
will simply find their way to Hell.) They hold that decide that keeping the Sabbath no longer matters
rather than being led into the gates of Heaven to to him. Like morality, religion — no matter how
join other departed souls, the remaining Ashirra will little it may resemble the mortal belief system on
experience a true resurrection here on Earth. These which it’s based — is a way of keeping the Beast at
Kindred believe that their reward for staying true bay, of clinging to what’s familiar when thrust into
to Islam (and by virtue of not dying prematurely) a new and unfamiliar existence. Thus, it’s far more
is to inherit the Earth (and their humanity) after common that Reform Jews become more observant
God’s accounting. The newly human Ashirra will be after the Embrace than Conservative or Orthodox
the ones left behind to start the world anew when Jews decide to give up some aspect of their faith.
all is said and done. Rather than despair, they will It’s also worth noting that many of the Christian
rejoice, knowing that it will be through them that sects mentioned in the previous section can apply
the cycle of all life will continue, that it will be to Jews, as well. Although points of dogma obvi-
them leading humanity into its next age on Earth, ously differ, nothing prevents Jewish Kindred from
and that when they do finally pass on, they will deciding to act as God’s avenging angels and pun-
be as heroes to the blessed souls awaiting them in ish the wicked; whom exactly they see as “wicked”
the kingdom of Heaven. Although most Ashirra will probably differ somewhat from their Christian
dismiss this belief as ignorance or even blasphemy, counterparts, though. The heresies mentioned below
CHAPTER TWO: TAINTED BY THE BLOOD
67
are more specific to Judaism, though some of them Torah, the Ten Commandments are far from the
could be (and probably have been) adapted by some only ones. Nearly all of the book of Leviticus consists
Kindred to fit Christianity or even Islam. of various commandments to the Israelite people,
and the Torah itself (not counting the rest of the
READINGS OF THE BOOK Hebrew Bible) includes 613 different command-
Like Christians, Jews vary a great deal on how they ments. Obviously, most of these commandments
interpret the basic tenets of their religion; however, aren’t in dispute, but it’s often the most important
unlike Christianity with its multitude of largely con- ones — like dietary laws, Sabbath observances, and
tradictory and separate sects, Judaism’s major groups even monotheism itself — that have come under
tend to fall along a continuum from less religious fire from schismatic Jewish Kindred.
to more religious. Among Kindred, the distinctions I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD
between Reform, Conservative and Orthodox blur It may seem difficult to believe that monotheism,
somewhat, but generally it isn’t difficult to tell an
which most people credit Judaism with creating,
observant Jew from a more casual one even among
could be a bone of contention among even the
the undead. This comes down to two major points:
religion’s vampiric followers. After all, the First
how “traditional” the beliefs of a particular Kindred
Commandment says, “I the Lord am your God who
are when compared with the generally accepted read-
brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of
ings of Torah, and how much room for she leaves for
bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me,”
interpretation and human error. A strictly Orthodox
doesn’t it? The answer to this question is actually
vampire who believes God Himself wrote the Torah
a bit trickier than English translations might make
and handed it to Moses will likely have a much more
it appear.
strict and literal reading than someone who thinks
it’s only meant to be taken as allegory. In the original Hebrew, many different names
are used for God, which is reflected in the trans-
Another interesting difference between more and
lations by expressions like “the Lord,” “the Most
less religious Jewish Kindred is in their choice of com-
High,” “the Creator” and of course “God.” One
panions. Reform and Conservative Kindred tend to be
of the expressions used is “Elohim,” which when
far more comfortable traveling and associating with
non-Jews, while Orthodox Kindred often associate only literally translated means something close to “the
with each other, avoiding even less observant Jews in Hosts of Heaven,” but it’s most often translated as
favor of those who share their beliefs. Much of this is “the Lord.” The most common interpretation is
cultural; where Reform and Conservative vampires may that this is something like the use of the “royal we”
allow for creative interpretations of not only Torah but by monarchs: God is speaking not only for Himself
of the oral traditions of Judaism, Orthodox vampires do but also for all of the angels and higher beings who
not, and associating with those who do is the first step serve Him. Some Kindred, particularly those who
in allowing themselves to slip up. While less observant converted to Judaism from a polytheistic religion,
Kindred often have little trouble with sharing a coterie see this as an indication of the existence of more
or pack with non-Jews, the Orthodox will nearly always than one god. It’s not generally disputed that, at
stick together, particularly if their brand of Orthodoxy least in Genesis, God claims only to be the greatest
is one that doesn’t currently survive in the mortal of the gods, not the only god, and from there it’s
world. This is as much to avoid secular and Reform only a small leap to polytheism. Many scholars now
Jews as to “keep each other honest” where following believe that early Judaism had two strains — the
the more difficult commandments is concerned. As Elohists, who worshipped the Sumerian household
for those vampires who have been around since long gods of Abraham, and the Yahwists, a later group
before terms like Orthodox and Reform even existed, who tried and eventually succeeded at turning Juda-
generalizations are difficult to make, except to say that ism into an entirely monotheistic religion. Among
they tend to keep their own counsel, no matter with Kindred Elohists are two main schools — the Lilin
whom they choose to associate. or Bahari, and the Nephilists. Both believe in alter-
native creation stories for the Kindred, in addition
BEYOND THE TEN to many variations in religious practice.
COMMANDMENTS Lilin
The Lilin, sometimes known as Bahari after a
Although they’re the best known and some of
the most important of the commandments in the word in one of the texts they hold sacred, are a group

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68
best known in the Sabbat for following the Path of one female Bahari has been known to breastfeed
Lilith, though neither Sabbat affiliation nor devotion vitae to a newborn.
to the Path is universal among them. Among Elohist Because of the Kabbalistic nature of most of the
Jews, each individual Lilin has her own interpreta- stories about Lilith, the Bahari find many of their
tion of Lilith’s story and background. It’s generally new recruits among both Jewish and non-Jewish
agreed that her name comes from a Sumerian wind Kabbalistic and Hermetic thaumaturges. In recent
spirit and fertility goddess, and some still worship years, the emergence of Lilith as an icon of the
her in that aspect. More Lilin do subscribe to the mortal feminist movement has also helped increase
one of the two Jewish legends about her, though. interest in the Bahari sect among other Kindred as
The first describes Lilith as Adam’s first wife, who well. New recruits are, more often than not, young,
left him and became the mother of demons, while idealistic female vampires, usually Embraced within
the second tells of Lilith’s creation as the consort the past few decades and often either affiliated with
of the angel Samael, who later fell from grace and or partial to the Anarchs; a fair number are older
became Lucifer. The Bahari of the Sabbat combine and more traditional, however. Usually attracted
the two tales, saying she ascended to Heaven to by feminist ideals and the stories of Lilith as the
consort with God before returning to Earth and first liberated woman, some of these women find
giving birth to her demonic children, but Jewish far more than they bargained for, but many find an
Lilin usually choose one or the other of the tales. entirely new purpose in unlife. While every Lilin
Generally, though, they accept the demonic aspects has her own interpretation of the various Lilith
given to her by the various Jewish tales, and some legends, these young recruits exemplify the trend,
try to emulate the powers she was said to have. sometimes even combining her with other mytho-
Among these powers are dominion over young logical figures such as Hecate or Circe to create
children — boys up to eight days old and girls up their own specially tailored belief system, to which
to 20 days — and control of the realm on the other they in turn try to convert others.
side of mirrors. Some Lilin with thaumaturgical Nephilists
prowess have cooked up rituals that allow them to According to Genesis, the Nephilim were the
spy on any mortal with a suitably prepared mirror offspring of human women and angels who came
— or with a mirror at all, by some accounts. Lilin down from the Heavens to sleep with them and
have also been known to kidnap the young children teach them the secrets of Heaven; by some accounts,
over whom Lilith claimed control, raising them as the Nephilim were giants. The Book of Enoch, an
their own, as Lilith raised the demonic children apocryphal book not included in the canonical Bible,
she was cursed to bear. These “children” of the explains the events more fully, saying that God was
Lilin usually grow to become the most twisted and angry with these angels, who were forbidden from
cruel of the Bahari, their childhoods nurtured with fraternizing with mortals. Another apocryphal book,
apocryphal tales of the Dark Mother, and their sur- the Book of Jubilees, says that when the unions
rogate parents Embrace them when they’ve reached of angels and mortals took place, evil spirits were
an appropriate age. created at the same time as the Nephilim. When
Parenting strategies for these “children” vary God commanded the angels to destroy these spirits,
widely but usually aren’t very pleasant. Because their leader, a spirit called Mastema, came to Him
Bahari believe that Lilith was purified by the pain and made a bargain that one tenth of the spirits
and trials she suffered in the wilderness, many of would be allowed to stay and continue punishing
these children undergo unspeakable tortures in the and destroying mankind.
name of responsible parenting. Lilin have been The Nephilists believe that vampires are the
known to ghoul children for years to increase their descendants of either the Nephilim or the evil spirits
tolerance for pain and to keep others unaware of who were led by Mastema. According to them, the
their true age, even Embracing them while they’re only reason most Kindred don’t know this is that the
still small and using them as bait to acquire more Yahwists excluded the books of Enoch and Jubilees
children. Strangely, the Lilin generally do not feed from the Bible. Those who believe they’re descended
on their charges, considering that something akin from the Nephilim (and thus part angel) usually strive
to incest, but the reverse is not true: More than to do good, in the hopes that God might eventually let

CHAPTER TWO: TAINTED BY THE BLOOD

69
 them up into Heaven to serve Him directly. Those who
think themselves descended from the evil spirits and
Mastema most often indulge what they see as the evil
nature they were given, often turning to the Path of
Night, Path of Evil Revelations or Path of Cathari.
A PROPER DIET
Keeping the Jewish dietary laws (kosher in
English or kashrut in Hebrew) is an issue of primary
importance to many Jews, Kindred among them. For
Kindred, the first dilemma stems from the drinking of
blood itself, which is prohibited by tradition. While
some Jewish Kindred, like their Muslim counterparts,

“JEWS FOR JESUS?”

Like polytheists, at fi rst glance it would
seem that Christians — even Christians who
follow Jewish practices — might have little
place in a discussion of Judaism; those Jews
who identify as Nazoreans or Ebionites would
disagree. Unlike mainstream Christians, who
discarded the vast majority of Jewish practices
under the direction of the Apostle Paul, the
Nazorean and Ebionite sects simply add to
traditional Jewish practice a belief in Jesus as
the Messiah and believe that Jesus’ original
disciples did the same. Although these beliefs
are known in the mortal world only through
scholarship, vampires who were alive at the
time of Jesus still carry the torch. and to them
being called “Christian” is an insult. Christi-
anity, to these Kindred, is a Latin-speaking,
quasipolytheistic abomination bearing only
passing resemblance to their own faith; any-
one, they say, who does not follow the laws
of Torah cannot call himself a follower of
the Messiah. They believe that Jesus’ brother
James — by some accounts his twin — was the
legitimate heir to the ministry and that Paul
was an usurping upstart who had never even
met the man he claimed to venerate. Young
Christian (or Jewish) Kindred who question
these beliefs can expect to be cured of their
“apostasy” very quickly and effectively. These
Kindred see their faith as the only true way
to follow the teachings of Y’shua ben Joseph
— Jesus’ true, Hebrew name — but their in-
terpretations of how Jewish doctrine should
be interpreted can still be as schismatic as
any other Jewish Kindred.
For more on the Nazoreans, see p. 28.

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attempt to get around this restriction by offering pire’s age and level of devotion to tradition, this
prayers over blood they are about to drink or by can range from feeding only on rabbis or Orthodox
injecting themselves rather than literally drinking, Jews to staking out a particular house or block to
the more devout tend to resign themselves to being make certain no chometz (unkosher food) enters
forced to break that particular commandment. The the area. Some Kindred go even further, breeding
usual rationalization for this is that God gave the entire bloodlines of mortals and controlling their
commandments to the children of Seth, not the diets to be completely sure they keep kashrut dili-
children of Caine, and that therefore God must gently. Although a few mortals have been raised in
have meant only that mortals aren’t allowed to captivity for this purpose, it’s generally agreed that
drink blood. Some, of course, try to transcend their feeding on mortals who keep kosher of their own
dependence upon the vitae, which most often leads accord is best, thus it’s far more common for one or
either to torpor or to a rapid shift in beliefs once the several Kindred to “claim” a neighborhood (or, in
effects of a lack of blood begin to manifest. As for older nights, a ghetto) that’s already an Orthodox
the Kiss itself, most Jewish vampires agree that it area and make sure it stays that way.
satisfies the requirement of near-painless slaughter
… at least, for those who choose to kill when they
feed. Usually a vampire will use this as justification THE MANY
for feeding only on kosher animals, not for killing
humans when feeding.
AND THE ONE
Most Jewish Kindred do try to obey the major- If Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion,
ity of the dietary laws, steering clear of animals Hinduism may hold the distinction of oldest reli-
designated as unclean. These include birds of prey, gion, period. The question of whether or not it’s a
shellfish and mammals without a cloven hoof. Many monotheistic religion, though, is one that’s been a
avoid animals altogether, finding their blood to be puzzle to most Westerners since they first came into
less than palatable, but these vampires often have contact with Hinduism. On the one hand, Hindus
an even tougher time deciding on their prey than have (by some counts) millions of gods to choose
those who stick to animal fare. After all, it’s easy to from, but at the same time all of these gods are just
know which animals are and aren’t kosher from the different incarnations of the same three (Brahma,
Torah, but how can a vampire know which mortals Vishnu and Shiva), and even Vishnu and Shiva
are or aren’t kosher to feed from? are often said to be aspects of Brahma, as well. To
a Christian, the Hindu religion presents a hopeless
Jewish Kindred tend to fall into one of two
conundrum about the nature of God and the Trinity;
groups on this issue. For many, since blood itself
to a Hindu, though, the issue of monotheism isn’t
is against the laws of kashrut, they feel they have
an important one. The religion simply is what it is,
freedom of choice when it comes to prey. Indeed,
teaches what it teaches, and it has both many gods
it seems far more logical to many Kindred of this
and few gods (or one god) at the same time. It’s the
type to feed on non-Jews, or even upon the dregs of
meaning behind things, not the surface appearance
society, rather than pollute the chosen people with
of them, that has real importance, and worship-
the curse of Caine. These are the vampires who are ping a particular incarnation of a god is a way of
more prone to using their lust for blood as an excuse venerating the aspect of that god’s personality or
to hunt down those they see as wicked. life which most appeals to a person.
The second school of thought on Kindred and A fundamental teaching of Hinduism is that
kashrut teaches the opposite: Rather than pol- apparent reality (referred to as maya) is in fact just a
luting the Jewish people by feeding upon them, façade that hides the underlying truth of existence
Jewish Kindred who feed only on those who keep (Brahman). A nearly endless cycle of death and re-
the laws of kashrut are demonstrating their devo- birth (samsara) is a natural part of the order of the
tion to God. Just as Orthodox Jews avoid eating universe but is also seen as a painful thing, and Hindus
milk and meat within several hours of each other strive toward a state called moksha, when perfection
to keep the commandment not to boil a calf in its or self-actualization is reached and the person is no
mother’s milk, these cautious Kindred feed only longer subject to samsara. The wheel of samsara is
from mortals who they know keep the dietary laws driven by Dharma, which is both the natural way of
of the Torah. Depending on the individual vam- things and the goddess in charge of it; each person

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71
also has an individual purpose, or svadharma, and the Krishnati believe that they have been gifted with
extent to which a person fulfills that purpose impacts the ability to free people from the pain of reincar-
on his karma – the sum of all his good and bad deeds nation. The sect has two major schools of though
throughout all his incarnations. In order to reach on how this can be achieved. The first believes
moksha, a devout Hindu must work toward personal that the Kiss can be used on mortals as a foretaste
fulfillment and also help those around him, so as to of the bliss of moksha, so that they will recognize it
avoid negative karmic debt and advance himself along when they achieve it themselves through medita-
the path of Dharma toward enlightenment. tion. The second school believes that moksha can
The religion’s emphasis on meaning over form be given by draining a mortal to death, because
makes differentiating “mainstream” Hinduism from when the soul dies in a state of bliss, it will stay in
“heretical” Hinduism more difficult than in most that state for eternity (although as a shade, not as
religions, since mainstream Hinduism has so many a physical body). Among Krishnati, the Embrace is
different gods and methods of worship. What gen- typically reserved for Hindu holy men and women,
erally distinguishes the sects in this chapter from usually already devotees of Krishna, who will most
those mentioned elsewhere is that these sects, while likely make good converts to the sect. Those who
practicing what may be considered a perfectly ac- practice Tantrism are also considered good potential
ceptable form of Hindu belief in some cases, often Krishnati, as they already know more about states
violate the mores and customs of Hindu culture far of bliss than most other mortals.
more readily than most Hindus would. Most Hindu The first school of the Krishnati is far more
vampires still retain a reverence for life but at the common in the Camarilla than the second, because
same time understand that, in order to reenter of the second school’s emphasis on killing mortals.
the natural cycle of death and rebirth, they must Many of the first school remain on Humanity,
eventually die. Some of the vampires in this sec- while the second school favors the Path of Paradox,
tion disagree, seeing their removal from the cycle though the Path of Self-Focus and Path of Ecstasy
of samsara as proof of their enlightenment or com- aren’t unknown.
mitting what (in the eyes of most Hindus) amounts
to murder in the name of their radical beliefs. DAKINI
The goddess Kali is probably one of the more
KRISHNATI fearsome figures in Hindu mythology, known for
Lord Krishna is one of the most frequently wor- drinking blood, destroying demons and sometimes
shipped gods in the Hindu pantheon, being seen as entering murderous frenzies. It’s not surprising,
a great lover, warrior and trickster at various times then, that she is one of the more popular figures
in his life. His lover aspect is the most dominant, of worship among Hindu vampires. Kali is usually
and this is true among his Kindred followers as much pictured as having black skin and fangs and as being
as among his mortal ones. The undead Krishnati the consort of Lord Shiva the Destroyer; in fact, at
subscribe to an interesting philosophy about their times when Shiva is otherwise occupied, she takes
existence — they believe that the bliss brought on his place as the Destroyer.
by the Kiss is evidence that the Kindred have not The dakini as a sect are known in mortal mythol-
only been removed from the cycle of samsara but ogies, being the female cohorts of the goddess Kali.
have been gifted with enlightenment in the process. According to the myth, women who had been abused
This works backward from the idea that moksha is a (most often physically or sexually by a man) would
state of complete bliss, reasoning that the pleasure turn to the dakini for retribution. This is largely
conferred by the Kiss could only be created by some- true among the Kindred Dakini sect, as well — the
one who himself is already in a state of moksha. As Dakini gain many converts from women who have
an example of Kindred who aren’t enlightened, the been wronged. They don’t conceal their existence
Krishnati point to the Giovanni and those few of as thoroughly as do some vampires, leaving clues
other clans whose bite holds only terror and pain. for those women who might want to seek them out.
To Krishnati, the Beast is something of an illusion, Because Kali is depicted as having black skin and
the reflection of the primal urges present in every going into blood frenzies, a large number of female
human being, which only appears to be more powerful Assamites can be found among the Dakini, and the
in a being that has achieved inner peace. older ones are often made priestesses because of their

STATE OF GRACE
72
skin color. Beyond avenging women who come to and other supernatural creatures. Many also believe
them, the Dakini emulate their goddess by seeking that the greater variety of Atman one can consume
and trying to destroy those they consider demons. — from mortals, vampires and various other types
These often include Lupines, Cathayans and even of supernatural creatures — the more thoroughly
certain types of vampires or mortals, depending on one’s own Atman becomes completed, leading to
the particular Dakini’s outlook. reaching moksha more quickly. Some of the Brahmin
Because of its emphasis on retribution and kill- caste of the Ravnos have come in contact with the
ing, the Dakini sect is not really represented in the Brahmanist sect at times in the past, a few even
Camarilla. It has a considerable following among joining it for a while, others trying to discourage its
female Hindu Cainites of the Sabbat, and also those particular ideas, though they are long gone tonight.
of the Ravnos and Assamite clans. A “brother” sect The ability to consume the essence of the Restless
also exists, devoting itself to Lord Shiva and em- is prized among Brahmanists, as it allows otherwise
phasizing the destruction of evil mortals more than inaccessible soul essence to be absorbed, and those
demons. Occasionally the two sects meet for orgies who linger after death, refusing to reenter samsara,
of blood and sex — again emulating the relation- have no use for their Atman anyway. Those few
ship between Shiva and Kali — but the rest of the times a vampire has appeared who has the ability,
time they operate separately. The Path of Paradox he has been elevated to almost prophetlike status
is common in both sects, and the Path of Blood is among the sect.
often found among the Dakini as well. Brahmanism is naturally far more common
among independents and Sabbat than Camarilla
BRAHMANISTS vampires, as it’s hard to maintain Humanity for long
Where most Hindus worship a god or set of gods (or survive long among Camarilla vampires) when
whom they find particularly relevant or appealing, diablerie is a part of your regular routine. The sect’s
Brahmanists instead worship Brahman, the ultimate emphasis on Hindu doctrine and the destruction
reality and truth itself. It might appear that some dif- of the unworthy fits well with the Path of Paradox,
ficulty would exist in establishing doctrine for a sect which some Brahmanists adopt when their Human-
like this, but the Brahmanists take a very practical ity begins to wane. Some Brahmanists have also been
approach, basing their ideas directly on the Vedas known to follow the Path of Metamorphosis, Path
and Upanishads. According to these sacred texts, of Power and the Inner Voice or Path of Self-Focus.
within each person is a soul (Atman), which is a Most believe they can achieve moksha by reaching
spark of the divine nature or “subtle essence” — in the pinnacle of their chosen path, though only a
other words, Brahman itself. Brahmanists believe few manage to achieve this goal.
that the Kindred have a special ability that makes
them unique among all creatures — the ability to
consume Atman from another creature and add it to
their own. They feel that because they are already
OTHER FAITHS
Throughout the world and throughout history,
removed from samsara, this is the way in which they certain faiths seem to have had less potential for
will achieve moksha; when a Brahmanist’s store of divergent interpretations than the norm. Certainly
Atman is great enough, he will find enlightenment. this is in part because fewer people practice Tao-
Most Brahmanists have respect for those who fol- ism, for example, than Christianity, but many
low Hinduism, and even other religions with an of the Eastern religions teach such open-ended
emphasis on achieving enlightenment (such as philosophies that it’s difficult for a believer to
Buddhism and Taoism), but most feel that Atman disagree much without altering the entire fabric
is wasted on most Judeo-Christians and Muslims of the religion. Still, even these religions do have
and thus consider them to be fair game. their Kindred variants, the most notable of which
Unlike most diablerists, who diablerize in order are explained below.
to improve their generation, the Brahmanists don’t
discriminate — Atman is Atman, no matter who it BUDDHISM
comes from. In fact, a Brahmanist believes he can Because Buddhism has many different schools
diablerize any intelligent being, including mortals and emphasizes a personal approach to achieving

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73
 HINDUISM AND THE PATH OF PARADOX
Although the three Hindu sects detailed in this section all lean toward the Path of Paradox, it’s
a mistake to assume that the path embodies mainstream Hindu belief. On the contrary, although
the Path of Paradox draws heavily from Hindu theory and practice, it differs with Hindu practice on
several main points. It’s also a mistake to think of the Path of Paradox as a catch-all path for “those
Eastern religions.” Whatever points it differs with Hinduism on, the path is really a Hindu one,
and most Buddhists, Taoists and so on would have a difficult time accepting many of its teachings,
especially that vampires are somehow “outside of the natural order.” To members of these religions,
everything that exists is part of the natural order, and the notion of having to do something specific
in order to become part of the cycle again is completely foreign to their thinking. With its emphasis
on individual purpose and direction, the Path of Paradox is far more likely to be attractive to atheist
or agnostic Kindred than to Buddhists or Taoists.
Most Hindus would agree that a being that has been made “immortal” without first achieving
moksha has been removed from samsara unnaturally. The Path of Paradox teaches that it’s possible to
learn one’s svadharma by advancing maya, furthering the illusions of existence so as to understand them.
Most Hindus believe that rather than advancing maya, a person’s duty is to try to see through it so as to
gain understanding of dharma and knowledge of Brahman. While this one difference might be ascribed to
the differences in attaining enlightenment for a Kindred as compared to those that work for mortals, the
path’s reliance on killing to return other vampires to samsara is more than most Hindus can deal with.
Enlightenment is a personal matter, and the idea of forcing it on someone else — particularly by such
violent means — is repulsive to most Hindus.
The main reason the Path of Paradox has found itself in the sects mentioned above is that as a Brah-
manist, Krishnati or Dakini, it’s very difficult to maintain Humanity, and the Path of Paradox shares many
of the same assumptions and ideas as Hinduism. Kindred with very little Humanity remaining have done
far crazier things than altering their belief system a little. In some cases, Kindred have even claimed to
have switched from Humanity to the Path of Paradox (or, more rarely, the Path of Self-Focus) without
a teacher, because of their devotion to the religious beliefs on which the path is based. After losing the
firm grip on Humanity they once enjoyed, these rare vampires say that one night while meditating they
experienced what felt like an epiphany, feeling a resurgence of their faith accompanied by a renewed sense
of purpose. Only later did they realize what had actually happened.
None of this changes the fact that the teachings of the Path of Paradox are against the beliefs and
morality of most Hindu vampires who care at all about maintaining their Humanity or their religion.
Players who feel their character is the exception to this rule might benefit from seeing their characters
utterly destroyed by the monsters they claim to want to join.

nirvana, it’s difficult to define what approaches him back into the cycle of death and rebirth, and
are off limits. The Buddha spoke to his followers this is a good thing to do only if the person is utterly
against killing, stealing, lying and using intoxicat- unredeemable or unworthy. Some vampires in this
ing substances, and most Buddhists hold to these sect practice Humanity, and the Path of Paradox
teachings. The one major exception is the vampiric is also common.
Tantriya school, which draws on the beliefs of
Tantric Hinduism and the Hindu Krishnati sect. TAOISM
Like the Krishnati, the Tantriya Buddhists believe Something of a cross between nature worship
that their removal from the cycle of death and re- and a philosophical system, Taoism might best be
birth makes them enlightened beings and that the expressed as the belief in “the Force” of Star Wars
Kiss can be used to give mortals a glimpse of the fame. It’s much more complex than that, though,
state of nirvana. Unlike the Krishnati, the Tantriya and since Taoism teaches that the tao that can be
believe that it’s only a glimpse — killing someone expressed is not truly the tao, it’s nearly impossible
for any reason, even through the Kiss, just sends to teach someone how to be a “proper” Taoist or

STATE OF GRACE
74
how to conceptualize the tao properly. Most Tao- in the Sabbat, using them to form a personalized
ists do believe that the tao is in all things and that approach to the Path of Honorable Accord. Con-
understanding it takes years of meditation and fucius’ teachings on leading a state properly have
study. Some Kindred take a more direct approach also formed the basis for Eastern Kindred to adopt
to understanding the tao; since they believe that the Path of Power and the Inner Voice.
it’s within all things, they seek to feed on as many
different types of animals as possible. They believe SHINTO AND OTHER NATURE
that by doing this they can come to understand the RELIGIONS
common bonds between all living things, and that
it’s in their nature as vampires to understand living Modern Shinto is a form of ancestor worship
beings by their blood. Some who are influenced by that’s peculiar to Japan and the islands surround-
the Hindu Brahmanists take a similar approach, try- ing it. Over the years, it has mixed quite a bit with
ing to absorb the tao from others through diablerie, Buddhism, but certain ideas like leaving gifts for
though their brethren who follow more traditional departed family members and seeking guidance from
forms of the religion shake their heads, saying that the kami spirits are from Shinto alone. The most
the tao is never where a person seeks it but always common practice for less traditional Kindred who
around them. practice Shinto is to treat Caine or Lilith as kami
spirits, calling on them for advice and help. Some
CONFUCIANISM Japanese Kindred have been known to substitute
a figure called the Jade Emperor for Caine and a
Confucianism is much less a religion than a set “Scarlet Empress” for Lilith, though they don’t often
of moral directives, though many Confucianists also explain why to outsiders. It’s not uncommon for
adopt a religion like Taoism along with it. Confucius Kindred from other shamanistic cultures to treat
himself did believe in divination using the I Ching, Caine and Lilith as ancestor spirits according to
an ancient Chinese system of fortune-telling. As the practices of their own individual belief systems,
far as schismatic Confucianists, they’re difficult though the traditional followers of these faiths
to find — Confucianism’s only doctrines revolve generally look down on such Kindred for forsaking
around being a decent and honorable person. Some the true ancestors in favor of vampiric ones.
Kindred take these ideas to extremes, particularly

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75
 Chapter Three:
Beyond the Ken
of Mortals

We must be greater than God, for we have to undo His injustice.

— Jules Renard

For some Kindred, the faiths and creeds practiced not only survived but thrived beyond their creator’s
by mortals are insufficient, nothing more than feeble expectations. Most, however, developed slowly, pieced
attempts by the ignorant to explain a world they can- together bit by laborious bit as their precepts and
not possibly comprehend. In their eyes and in the doctrines evolved. Some have originated only in these
depths of their blackened souls, a religion that does not Final Nights, but others are far older than most mortal
acknowledge the Kindred — indeed, that is not fully faiths practiced tonight.
constructed around the Kindred, who are so clearly a For all their variations, these religions do have one
dominant part of God’s Earth — is no religion at all. aspect almost universally in common. They require the
These Kindred, then, practice no religion bearing adoption of an inhuman, alien mindset very nearly
even the slightest resemblance to the beliefs of the the equal of that required for many of the Paths of
kine. They follow instead the precepts of strange, alien Enlightenment. That’s not to say that all these creeds
faiths, created over the course of years or centuries require their followers become cruel, deranged killers
by the Kindred themselves. They have very little in and torturers of small children, any more than do the
common with one another, save that they all focus on Paths themselves (though that sort certainly exists).
Kindred, not kine, as the primary movers of history. Rather, they simply have to step aside from patterns
And why not? What good is a religion not oriented of thought and behavior that bind them to a world
specifically toward those who practice it? defined by mortal perceptions. As such, it’s extremely
Most of these religions did not appear overnight, difficult for Kindred following Humanity to last long
nor were most deliberately constructed, though some while following the tenets of these faiths, and the vast
few did indeed begin as the creation of a single Kindred majority of their worshippers cling to various Paths of
— perhaps as the basis for a cult of followers — and Enlightenment instead.

Chapter Three: Beyond the Ken of Mortals

77
 Because they require at least a degree of inhuman-
SHORT-TERM GAINS ity, most of these faiths are much more common in
the Sabbat and the independent clans than they are
Despite the fact that some of these religions in the Camarilla. Some young Camarilla Kindred do
are truly ancient, the majority of Kindred follow these creeds — assuming they have some means
who practice them are relatively young — of learning about them — but most either drift back
older neonates and ancillae, primarily. These toward more traditional forms of worship or succumb
vampire-oriented religions do wonders for quickly to wassail. Those few who do neither walk a
short-term understanding of the Kindred fine line between their faith and their mortality, or
condition. They allow younger Kindred to else become some of the very rare Camarilla Kindred
find their place, give them the hope that a to follow a Path. In either case, they rarely attain any
purpose and a guiding principle exist behind positions of influence, as their brethren are usually
their apparent damnation. More than a few made uncomfortable by their presence.
Kindred would likely not have survived their
first century with their unlives and their souls
intact without discovering or being inducted FAITHS OF THE
into one of these religions.
In the long term, however, adopting one of
DAMNED
these faiths can be disastrous on almost every We cannot include every possible creed or religious
emotional and psychological level. A strong movement the Kindred may have developed in the
sense of isolation tends to go hand in hand past twelve thousand years. Those described below are
with the Embrace. The Kindred are truly set the most common, though still extremely rare in their
apart from the masses of kine surrounding them, own rights. They can either be used as is or function as
and companionship between Kindred is almost models for Storytellers and players to create their own
always tainted by ambition, status and mutual belief systems. Remember that any required actions or
suspicion, if not by outright manipulation and behaviors are not sufficient to take the place of a Path
betrayal. Adopting a religion so drastically dif- of Enlightenment or other moral system, though some
ferent from anything else around only adds to might allow for certain modifications or reinterpreta-
that alienation. The instant camaraderie this tions of the Hierarchy of Sins.
engenders with one’s fellow believers is often
transitory and never quite makes up for the CONSUMPTIONISM
larger emotional separation from the people God, as Nietzsche so succinctly put it, is dead. It
and Kindred of the world. was not, however, a recent passing; the almighty has
Furthermore, as stated above, most of these been dead for thousands and thousands of years, ever
faiths require a mindset and behavior incom- since Caine diablerized him.
patible with Humanity, yet, unlike the Paths of Consumptionist Kindred believe that God was, if
Enlightenment, they do not offer an alternate not an actual physical entity, at least a spiritual being
moral code strong enough to keep the Beast in who could be reached with the proper magic and ritual.
check. If a worshipper also manages to come to The killing of Abel, according to their doctrine, was
one of the Paths of Enlightenment, she may have not a sacrifice but the culmination of a ritual intended
a chance; if not, she’s almost certain to be dragged to summon God made manifest. Caine, always an am-
into the clutches of the Beast by her chosen faith. bitious sort, then proceeded to draw from God all His
Between wassail and isolation-induced suicide, power, consuming the essence of the Most High.
Kindred who practice these faiths have much For many years, Caine walked among mortals as
higher mortality rates than those who follow a god, doing as he pleased, ruling as he chose. After a
more traditional religions. time, however, he grew lonely. He could never know
This also means that those few followers of the presence of an equal — was he not God, after all?
these religions who do survive to become elders — but none of the kine could comprehend his majesty,
are very often truly inhuman, utterly fanatic his power or his isolation. Thus Caine Embraced the
(even if they cloak that zealotry beneath a nor- second generation and in so doing spread out and diluted
mal demeanor) and exceedingly dangerous. the power of the blood — the power of God.

STATE OF GRACE
78
 Over the millennia, the other Kindred repeated When the two sects were first founded, Consump-
Caine’s act, passing portions of their own share of God’s tionists were found equally in both. It quickly became
might on to their childer, and their childer after that, clear that few of them could pass unnoticed in the
until the modern era, when the Kindred have grown Camarilla, with the sect’s emphasis on preserving its
so numerous and so distant from Caine that the latest members’ Humanity, and by the modern nights only
generations carry hardly any power of God at all. a tiny handful remains within the larger sect.
The world, Consumptionists believe, will come to DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
an end only when the last Kindred, having reabsorbed
all God’s power into a single form once more, recre- The Kindred Are Holy. We carry within us a
ates Caine’s feat and becomes God, allowing him to piece of God Himself. We are of God, and eternal.
sweep away the ruins of the old world and give birth Slay no Kindred, nor allow your Kindred to be
to a new one. slain, unless his power is taken by another who
might use it.
Consumptionism is one of the oldest of the Kindred
faiths. It predates Christianity by thousands of years Consumptionists frequently form cults of kine
and might even predate Judaism and the Abrahamic around them, because they truly believe that they are
concept of God, at least as understood by mortals. It divine beings. Few are foolish enough to ignore the
has never been a large sect. Its steady diminishment Masquerade outright, but they do have a tendency
began with the spread of the Abrahamic faiths, and it to reveal more of their nature and abilities to their
has shrunk even further since the creation of the Mas- followers than most archons (or even templars) are
querade. Consumptionists tend to keep their religious likely to appreciate.
affiliations secret from other Kindred, since those who Unless circumstances offer them no other option,
have heard of them are aware of their penchant for Consumptionists never kill another vampire unless they
ritual diablerie and tend to distrust them and persecute can also diablerize her. If a Kindred dies without also
them on that basis. being consumed, they believe that portion of God’s
might is released into the world and thus cannot be
CHAPTER THREE: BEYOND THE KEN OF MORTALS
79
claimed by anyone until the final night when God is Restrain yourself not for the sake of the mortals.
reconstituted in the body of the last vampire. They fulfill their place in God’s world by provid-
Venerate those nearer the source than you, for ing for you, as you do by feeding on them. Their
they hold within them a greater part of God’s might, strength and their lives will eventually go to the
and so are holier even than you. Do not obey them one who is to come.
blindly, but grant them all honor and respect due an It’s a logical step, inasmuch as religious zealotry is
embodiment of the broken God. ever logical. If the Kindred are divine and will ultimately
Consumptionists are expected to honor and — be responsible for returning God to the world — and
under most circumstances — obey those of lower if the Kindred are required, by their very natures, to
generation. As stressed above, this doesn’t mean mind- feed on mortals — then by definition they must have
less compliance, but a Consumptionist had better be the divine right to do so, and that must be the purpose
able to demonstrate good reason for failing to heed the for which mortals exist in this world.
commands of her superiors in the sect. Kindred who Where things really get messy is in determining the
do not follow Consumptionist doctrine do not have exact meanings of this doctrine. Some Consumption-
to be obeyed, as they clearly do not understand the ists interpret “restrain yourself not” to mean that they
way the world works. shouldn’t hesitate to feed when, where and on whom
Age is meaningless to Consumptionists as a they choose. Others take it as permission to indulge
measure of worth, though elders are respected for the their wildest whims, even if feeding doesn’t enter
power they wield and the wisdom they’ve (supposedly) into it. Those who believe this way rarely survive to
gained. Only the number of generations between an become elders, since a religious commandment that
individual and Caine himself truly matter in determin- allows, even requires, the fulfillment of all whims
ing a Kindred’s degree of holiness. goes against the very nature of Humanity and most of
The world draws nearer its ending, for no Lord the Paths of Enlightenment, and plays directly to the
remains to chart its course and avert destruction. desires of the Beast.
Gather your strength, and take God’s might from FOLLOWERS
those who are unworthy, for in the Final Nights, it Consumptionism appeals most frequently to Kin-
may be you who are responsible for bringing God dred who seek not only a justification of their existence
back into the world. but also a confirmation of their superiority to kine,
One aspect common to all Consumptionist sects and even to other vampires who do not believe as
is the practice of ritual diablerie. Any “unworthy” they do. Most Kindred are arrogant, but it requires a
Kindred is fair game, and almost every Kindred outside particularly powerful ego (or psychosis) to truly believe
the sect fits that particular description. This doesn’t that you’re nothing less than a piece of God and might
mean the Consumptionists waylay vampires in the well become God on the last night. At the same time,
street and drag them into back alleys to suck them dry, despite their egotism, most Kindred are relatively di-
but they do watch for any and every opportunity to rectionless when they first come to Consumptionism,
partake of another’s power and soul. For rather obvi- lacking any sort of focus for their existence. The faith
ous reasons, Consumptionism is far more common in not only bolsters their preexisting belief in their own
the Sabbat than anywhere else, and they’re known superiority, it gives them an outlet for expressing that
(by those who know of them at all) for deliberately superiority and a direction to follow.
provoking duels of Monomacy. Consumptionists must have absolute confidence in
Consumptionists believe that at the end of the their own abilities, as their brethren may well attempt
world a single Kindred will have consumed the essence to consume their souls if given the slightest excuse to
of all the others, in essence becoming God. declare them unworthy of God’s power. They tend
First person to say “There can be only one” will be toward strong Natures — Director, Fanatic and the
staked and left for the sun. Consumptionists certainly like. Depending on whether they spend most of their
do not go about hunting their brethren with katanas time with other Consumptionists, their Demeanors
and drinking straws. They believe that, when the time may either be the same as their Nature, or else they
comes, circumstances will arrange for a single Kindred might put on a face that they believe will hide their
to be left standing. Their ritual diablerie accelerates true beliefs. In no case, however, do they allow them-
the process, true, but don’t make a war out of it. selves to appear weak.

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PATHS believe that Caine stole God’s power and essence.
Consumptionists most frequently follow the Path Rather, they believe that God chose to divide Himself
of Caine, Path of Honorable Accord and Path of Power among many inferior beings — avatars, in a manner of
and the Inner Voice. Some few Assamites have also speaking — in order to experience and examine from
managed to mesh Consumptionism with the Path of within the world he’d created. Unfortunately, after
Blood, though the fit is imperfect and often breaks two or three generations, most of the Kindred forgot
down in later years. what they were. Only when all Kindred acknowledge
that they are but parts of God can God reform himself
RITUALS and resume his place on the Throne of Heaven. The
The most frequent Consumptionist ritual is the Divisionists would prefer to accomplish this by convert-
God’s Heart Mass — which, despite the term “mass” ing the other Kindred to their beliefs, but if they have
and the fact that it is held on Sunday evenings, bears to destroy and consume the heathens so that the sum
no resemblance to any service out of Christianity. All total of God’s power is shared only among those who
Consumptionists in a given city gather in a room sealed believe, that’s an acceptable solution as well.
from all outside light. There, the highest-generation
Kindred among them leads a prayer in honor of the DEIMOSIANISM
lowest-generation Kindred present, who serves as a Despite the similarities in appearance and sound,
stand-in for the reformed God to whom they will all Deimosianism has nothing whatsoever to do with de-
eventually contribute. Following the prayer, each Kin- mons, at least not in the Judeo-Christian sense of the
dred present spills a bit of her blood into a communal term. Rather, the name comes from “Deimos,” child
vessel, from lowest generation to highest. They then of Mars and god of dread.
each sip from the chalice, in the opposite order.
Deimosian Kindred completely dismiss the Caine
Once a year, on the Sunday nearest the winter mythology as propaganda and outright lies, stories told
solstice, Consumptionists conduct a ceremony to re- to mislead the Kindred into forgetting their purpose
enact the victory of Caine over God. This ceremony in the world and adhering to foolish, mortal religions.
is identical to the God’s Heart Mass, up to the point The Deimosians have a much more esoteric origin for
where the participants drink from the communal the race of Kindred.
chalice. Each participant takes only the smallest sip,
When the human race was young, little more than
thus ensuring that a portion of the blood remains in
family and tribal units trying to eke out a meager sur-
the vessel. At this point, one of the kine is brought
into the chamber, drained by a randomly chosen par- vival, the barriers between the realm of the corporeal
ticipant (though never the lowest-generation Kindred and the realm of the spirit were weaker than they are
present) and then Embraced with the mixed blood of now. The myths and legends of humanity remember
the Mass. Under most conditions, a mixed Embrace of a great many creatures and magics that no longer ex-
this sort results in a Caitiff childe. Only if one of the ist, but at the time they were quite real. Wild beasts,
participants is of substantially lower generation than starvation, murder, war — early man had a great deal
the others will her blood run true and the childe rise as to fear.
one of her clan. As soon as the Embrace is completed, The fears of man were made manifest in spirits
the fledgling is killed and ritually diablerized by the of the other world, each specific terror generating a
lowest-generation Kindred present. She then offers new entity that would plague mankind in turn, thus
a blessing on the other Consumptionists, and they spreading the very horror that spawned it. Some of
depart. Truly devout Consumptionists fast for three these fears slipped through the walls between worlds,
nights following the recreation of Caine’s ascension, thin and fragile as they were in those ancient days, and
but most don’t bother. embodied themselves in corporeal form the better to
interact with their mortal prey.
VARIATIONS
Where the spirits had formerly fed and gained
In addition to “orthodox” Consumptionism, nourishment from the very fears that created them, they
another, even smaller sect of Kindred calls itself Divi- found that physical forms required physical sustenance.
sionists. They behave much as their Consumptionist Few notions frightened the primitive mortals of the
parent sect and believe in most of the same doctrines. day more than the notion of being consumed alive
Where they differ is in their view on how the Kindred by hellish creatures their uneducated minds couldn’t
arrived where they are tonight. Divisionists do not begin to comprehend.

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 These, then, were the ancestors of the Kindred It’s important to note that while Deimosian
clans — what those who subscribe to Abrahamic Kindred believe they are descended from spirits
dogma call the Antediluvians. of terror made manifest, that doesn’t mean they
Deimosian doctrine ascribes a very specific fear to wander around screaming “Boo!” and terrorizing
each clan. These, they maintain, were the spirits from the neighbors. Their faith offers an explanation for
which the clans descended, which is why they still have their existence and their place in the world, not an
some penchant for or affiliation with that particular indication as to how they’re supposed to act. In fact,
terror even tonight. Of course, some of these “hor- most Deimosians act in whatever fashion comes
rors” aren’t nearly as prevalent in the modern world, most naturally to them. After all, if a supernaturally
but remember that these spirits supposedly haunted powerful, undead, blood-drinking predator isn’t
mankind from the very dawn of civilization. frightening enough, little they can do will make
Clan Fear themselves any more so.
Assamite Murder, death (being killed, not Deimosianism has been traced as far back as the
the actual state of death) late Greek classical period and the early Roman Empire.
Deimosian myth has it that a vampire called Peisistratos,
Brujah Rage, violent bloodshed
who was also a student of the great philosophers, set
Followers of Set Serpents and other poisonous out to determine why none of the creation myths of
vermin the religions known to the world at that time made any
Gangrel Wild beasts mention of the Kindred. After a substantial amount
Giovanni (and their forebears) Death of thought, he determined that the only reasonable
(the state of death, not the act explanation was that whoever (or whatever) created
of dying) the world was not responsible for creating vampires.
Lasombra Darkness It’s known that Peisistratos was a great believer in gods
Malkavian Madness, possession and spirits, and that most likely led him to develop his
Nosferatu Deformation (in ancient days, a theory of the “children of Deimos,” as he called the
deformed child was a sign of evil or spirits from whom the Kindred supposedly descend.
demonic taint) For quite some time — many generations, in fact
Ravnos Betrayal, deceit — Deimosianism remained a tiny cult, localized to a
Toreador Addiction single community in Greece. It wasn’t until the Roman
Ventrue Juterna Cunomora discovered and converted
Tremere* Witchcraft
to Deimosianism that the faith began to spread beyond
Tzimisce Injury and disfigurement its initial borders (due mostly to Juterna’s wide-ranging
Ventrue Enslavement influence, forceful personality and penchant for
*Heated debates still rage among those few Deimo- slaughtering any of her childer, ghouls and servants
sians who have heard of them as to where the Salubri who didn’t subscribe to her own beliefs).
fit into the equation. Most agree that the strange Tonight, the Deimosians make up a small but no-
soul-stealing powers the Salubri were said to possess ticeable minority of the Sabbat, with sporadic followers
qualify them as well as the Tremere for “witchcraft,” who declare allegiance to neither sect. They’re almost
and indeed the ancients who first developed Deimo- unheard of within the Camarilla, due primarily to the
sianism seemed to place them in that category, but Paths they’re almost forced to follow.
that explanation doesn’t hold water for others. The Some few Deimosian Kindred — fewer than a dozen
issue is a popular one for discussion among Deimosian throughout the entire existence of the faith — believe
Kindred and isn’t likely to be resolved to everyone’s they have found corroborating evidence for their beliefs
satisfaction any time soon. among creatures other than vampires. According to
The clans did not all emerge at once, from one single them, the spirits from which Deimosians believe they
grandsire. Rather, they appeared slowly, spread out over descended bear some similarities to spiritual entities in
many centuries as civilization grew and evolved. Unlike Lupine lore. The Lupines themselves have been known
standard Kindred historians, Deimosians maintain that to attack Deimosians with an even greater ferocity
the Toreador are the youngest of the initial thirteen than they do other Kindred; apparently whatever the
clans, which is why the fear they represent — addic- werewolves think these spirits are, they’ve no interest
tion — is somewhat less visceral and more subjective in befriending them.
than most of the others.
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82
DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
Unlike many other religions, Deimosianism lacks
a codified set of rules and commandments. Deimosian
Kindred are expected to do very little, and they are
prohibited from doing even less. Rather than saddle its
followers with a strict set of guidelines, Deimosianism
simply encourages — even demands — that the Kindred
act according to their natures and instincts.
The precepts of the religion maintain that because
the Kindred descend from spiritual manifestations of
mankind’s fear, their proper place in the world is terror-
izing and preying on the kine. Since this is, in essence,
what Kindred instincts drive them to do anyway, little
conflict occurs between a vampire’s desires and the
code required by her faith.
Where the Kindred begin running into trouble
is in attempting to maintain control over the Beast.
In demanding that they follow their baser instincts,
Deimosianism doesn’t allow its followers to maintain
the mindset or behavior required to follow Humanity.
Perhaps more surprisingly, the religion frowns on other
codes of behavior, such as the Paths of Enlightenment,
as well. Obviously, any sane vampire, and even most
insane ones, acknowledge the need for such a code,
but only a few are acceptable to the Deimosians. Dei-
mosian Kindred who attempt to maintain Humanity
or many of the Paths have, by default, fallen away
from the teachings of the religion and are likely to be
shunned — it not hunted down and slaughtered — by
their former brethren.
FOLLOWERS
Deimosianism tends to attract Kindred of a par-
ticularly sadistic and inhuman bent. The thought
processes required to accept its precepts as a core of
faith are extremely difficult for anyone who still thinks
like a human being to master, and arguments have
been made that nobody who follows Deimosianism
is entirely sane. While that’s a bit of an exaggeration,
the truth remains that Deimosian Kindred must fully
accept themselves as other than human and must purge
themselves of all traces of compassion for the kine on
whom they feed.
Most Deimosian Kindred are ancillae. A few elders
have managed to balance the opposed callings of Path
and faith, but most Deimosians either succumb to
wassail or convert to a more traditional religion before
they reach such an exalted age. Neonate Deimosians
are rare. Most young Kindred who attempt to join the
sect are lured in by the notion of complete freedom
without truly comprehending the beliefs they must
accept in order to share in that freedom. Most quickly

CHAPTER THREE: BEYOND THE KEN OF MORTALS

83
decide that their true calling lies elsewhere, and most The next youngest Kindred present then selects a
of those who remain fall to the Beast before managing different victim, recites the Litany and feeds lightly
to adopt a Path of Enlightenment compatible with from that victim. This continues until each vampire
Deimosianism. present has fed from one mortal. The youngest then
The majority of Deimosian Kindred, twisted as begins again, selecting a different victim — and his
they are (at least by mortal standards), tend to have Litany must include a feature of the victim other than
Natures such as Monster and Deviant, though more the one mentioned in the first “round.” This continues
control-oriented personalities are not uncommon. throughout the night, the mortals growing steadily
Most tend to have similar Demeanors, as few feel the weaker (and presumably more terrified) until each
need to hide what they are. Kindred present has fed from each victim. At this time,
if any of the kine still live, the eldest Kindred present
PATHS has the right to finish them off.
Power and the Inner Voice is the most common
Path among Deimosians. The Paths of Cathari, Night VARIATIONS
and Death and the Soul appear as well, but even these Other sects exist that believe the Kindred descend
maintain some precepts that clash with the dogma of from spiritual entities made manifest, but they do not
Deimosianism, and can be difficult to maintain. subscribe to the notion that these were embodiments
of humanity’s fear. The precise nature of these spirits
RITUALS varies from cult to cult. These are not technically
The majority of Deimosians are also Sabbat offshoots of Deimosianism but rather sister religions
and practice that sect’s ritae accordingly. The faith that bear more than a passing resemblance.
does come with its own ceremonies and rituals, Over the years, a handful of Deimosian Kindred
however, which are practiced in addition to all have succumbed to the lure of a great spiritual entity
other considerations. hated and feared by the Lupines. This creature is, ac-
By far the most frequent rite Deimosian Kindred cording to those who now serve it, the creator of the
perform is the Litany of Phobos, so named because, spirits from whence the Kindred sprang.
in Greek mythology, Phobos was the spirit of panic,
brother to Deimos. The Litany is supposed to be XALOSEK
recited each time a Kindred prepares to feed. It is a
According to the Xalosine Kindred, “Xalosek”
chant, recited in Greek, that includes both a prayer
roughly translates to “the way of Xalos” or “in the
of thanksgiving to Deimos, Phobos and the Kindred’s
footsteps of Xalos.” None of them can (or will) say what
ancestor spirits, and a brief description of the victim.
language this comes from, only that it is truly ancient.
This description must include at least one detail not
immediately apparent, so the faithful often stalk a To date, no attempt at identifying the language has
given meal far longer than the average vampire. Strictly been successful.
speaking, the Litany should be performed in full view Xalosine doctrine does not acknowledge a God,
of the intended victim, but this is rarely practical. at least not in the sense of the Creator. Some believe
Feeding without first reciting the Litany isn’t a major the Earth is eternal, others that it developed through
sin, but it is considered a minor infraction. cosmic accident and random chance.
The Feast of Deimos occurs upon every new moon, After the evolution of animals, Xalosines believe
which is the first of the month according to the ancient that the first sentient being was Xalos, the First Kin-
Greek (or, more accurately, Athenian) calendar. The dred. He appeared fully aware, perhaps from another
Feast of Deimos requires that at least two Deimosian world, and spent eons simply wandering the primordial
Kindred be present. If only one practicing Deimosian Earth.
dwells in a given region, she merely commemorates the Xalos, however, grew lonely and wished for com-
occasion with an extra recitation of the Litany. panionship. He took some of the animals of the Earth
The festival, when it does take place, requires the and altered them, shaped them in body, mind and soul
presence of as many kine as participating Kindred. with his great power. Thus Xalos created man. For a
The kine are bound or otherwise immobilized for time, Xalos was pleased with his new companions.
the duration of the ceremony. The ceremony begins But Xalos, for all his power, created man imper-
with the youngest Kindred present selecting a vic- fectly. Perhaps it was the remnants of the beasts from
tim from among the kine, reciting the Litany, and which they’d been shaped, or perhaps Xalos had simply
then feeding — but only a bit — from that mortal. made some terrible mistake in sculpting their minds
STATE OF GRACE
84
and souls. Whatever the case, Xalos quickly discovered Xalosine Kindred believe they have a divine
that his creations possessed an almost limitless capac- mandate to study and contain the Beast, the voice of
ity for evil. They were selfish, cruel, murderous. Some all humanity’s evils. They practice fighting it down,
were strong enough to overcome these urges, to act controlling it for brief periods. They believe that a
as they knew they should, as their creator wished for vampire who learns to take full control of her Beast,
them, but many did not. Blood was shed, and death able to draw upon its violence and its rage without
came to Xalos’ creations. losing conscious control, can draw the evil from the
Perhaps, Xalos thought, they simply did not un- mortals around her, leaving them purified.
derstand the harm they did to one another. If they Unlike most other Kindred faiths, Xalosek draws
could see the larger world, as he did, perhaps they many adherents who still maintain their Humanity and
might cease their evils. Xalos selected the best from exists in equal numbers in both the Camarilla and the
among them and shared with them a bit of his own Sabbat. Sabbat Xalosine must hide their true feelings
power, carried in his very blood. This was the first toward the kine, as the Sword of Caine frowns on those
Embrace, and the creation of the second generation who show compassion to their dinner.
of Kindred. DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
These Kindred were not like Xalos, however. They Never relent in your quest to understand and
were weaker, which was to be expected. They also pos- tame the Beast within. It is the darkness within
sessed strange weaknesses, because frail human forms humanity itself, but it is our responsibility. They
could not properly contain Xalos’ power. Unlike their are imperfect because we did not know how to
father, they had once been human, and they could make them what they should be. Quell the evil
not completely shed their connection to their fellow to serve and to help them, and in so doing honor
mortals. In the back of their heads and to the depths our father’s wishes.
of their souls they heard the voices of mankind, not This is more than a restatement of Xalosine
as individuals but as a single chorus. Unfortunately, doctrine, though it functions primarily as a reminder
the wickedness inherent in humanity was so strong, it of their purpose. Most Xalosines also interpret this
blotted out the good, and only the most violent urges to mean that they should respect the mortals; why
came through in mankind’s song. Many Kindred suc- bother helping them if they are unworthy? Because
cumbed to this voice, becoming bestial things, acting of this, most followers of Xalosek do their utmost to
on the worst urges humanity had to offer. Some learned avoid harming those from whom they feed and the
to deafen themselves to the sound for a time, keeping people around them. This doesn’t mean the Xalosine
this hideous Beast in check, but it always emerged to Kindred are pacifists, and they have the same mean
wreak havoc. streaks and bestial rages as any other vampire. Rather,
A very few, however, found a balance. They learned they attempt to curb those impulses as much as is
to release the Beast in controlled fashion, to channel its feasible. Should they kill by accident or in frenzy, or
violence and its rage to useful purpose. Xalos watched when circumstances dictate, they accept that as an
these more closely than his other children, and he unfortunate part of the process of taming the Beast
learned that, when they were about, the violent ten- and move on.
dencies of the mortals around them were lessened. Those who have fully succumbed to the Beast
He understood, then, that the Kindred “Beast” came without learning to control it are to be pitied, for
from the mortals around them, and that with sufficiently they can no longer serve humanity or ourselves. Be
strong will they could contain that evil, take the burden merciful to them, and grant them a swift end.
from humanity’s shoulders. This he made the ultimate Xalosines who fall into wassail are lost, subsumed
purpose of his children, to undo the damage he had by the evil of humanity. Those with even the slightest
wrought with his imperfect creation of mankind. shred of hope for redemption are to be helped whenever
This was the tale told by the Setite Amanda At- possible, but it is the holy duty of all Xalosine Kindred
tenborough to her coterie in London in 1837. This is to hunt down and destroy all wights, whether they are
the first recorded instance of Xalosek, though Atten- of the order or not.
borough maintained that she was passing along lore Mortals fail to understand Xalos, and call him
that had been passed down to her from prehistoric God. The Kindred fail to understand Xalos, and call
times. She was spreading the word of Xalos and his final him Caine. We know the truth, but leave them their
instructions — and much to her surprise, a handful of illusions until they are ready to accept that truth,
Kindred heeded that call. for they would not understand.

CHAPTER THREE: BEYOND THE KEN OF MORTALS

85
 Quite simply, do not speak of Xalos or Xalosek to tion and disease on it develop in response to its needs.
anyone outside the faith, unless you truly believe him Although this is a relatively new theory, it has attracted
to be a potential convert. a fair number of scientifically minded Kindred, most
FOLLOWERS of whom had a distaste for traditional religion but still
were looking for a purpose in unlife.
Xalosek attracts those rare Kindred who still feel the Gaianism provides that purpose, though its radical
need to do some good, to make the World of Darkness philosophy is certainly not for everyone. Gaians believe
a little less dark. Some feel that they have committed that vampirism, far from being a curse bestowed by a higher
some sin and are seeking a way to atone. Because so power, is a mutation or virus that developed because of a
few elders can maintain that shred of Humanity and need for mortal population control. The mortal population
decency into old age, the majority of Xalosine are is growing now at an ever increasing rate, and without
neonates and young ancillae. They must be extremely population control it’s a known fact that epidemics and
strong of will and conscience, as they’ll be expected starvation are all that can eventually result. Therefore,
to dance with the Beast on a regular basis and come say the more humane Gaians, vampires are actually being
out on top. merciful and sparing many mortals a great deal of pain
Caregiver, Martyr, Masochist and Penitent are eas- by weeding out (relatively speaking) a few.
ily the most common Natures among Xalosine Kindred. The Gaian sect began as a loosely knit group of like-
Demeanors vary, as some attempt to hide their true minded Kindred who believed in the Gaia Hypothesis,
calling by putting on any mask they can maintain, but soon it merged with an older and larger group of
whereas others show very little discrepancy between nature-worshippers (both Greek and otherwise) who
what is within and what shows without. believed in the power of the Beast and considered
PATHS vampires to be the ultimate predator. The scientific
Humanity is quite common in Xalosek. Among practitioners of the philosophy are greatly outnumbered
those who do follow Paths, the Feral Heart and Hon- now, but a few are still around; the majority of the sect
orable Accord are most frequent. subscribes to the older ideas of predation.
Most Gaians believe that it’s their purpose in the
RITUALS natural order of Earth to act as predators and enforce
Few rituals or ceremonies must be practiced on natural selection on mortals. Though some Gaians put a
specific dates or specific occasions. The vast majority much more scientific spin on the idea, most believe that
of Xalosine rituals are intended for use whenever the it’s not evil to act according to one’s nature, and that the
individual feels the need for them. Most are medita- nature of the Kindred is a predatory one. More scientifically
tions, mantras, relaxation exercises and anything minded Gaians point to the law of natural selection and
else that can be used to calm the soul — and quiet to vampires’ extraordinary powers as evidence that they
the Beast. are the natural masters of humanity, but in practice this
VARIATIONS also translates to killing mortals whenever necessary and
not apologizing for their own vampiric nature.
Xalosek has only two known branches, and they
Most Gaians feel that the weaknesses of the vam-
differ on only one point: Xalos himself. Some believe
piric condition are side effects of their mutation, but
that Xalos still walks the Earth, watching over his
at the same time they don’t make excuses for their
children and awaiting the day when mankind will be
weaknesses. Most accept the Beast as the reason for the
freed of the burden of evil he unintentionally thrust
heightened instinct that accompanies their condition.
upon them. Others believe that Xalos is long dead, and
As for vampires’ problems with fire and sunlight, Gaians
they act out of honor for his memory and the rightness who are inclined toward scientific speculation say that
of his cause. The two sects often engage in heated it’s the inherent weakness of their cells that’s to blame;
philosophical debates on the subject, but otherwise it’s only because Kindred are Embraced from weaker
tend to get along without incident. mortal stock, rather than being born with their pow-
GAIANISM ers, that they have these weaknesses. Unfortunately,
this is the only way for vampires to be created, since
The Gaians take their name from the Gaia Hy- the Kindred state renders its carrier infertile – though
pothesis, a scientific theory first advanced in 1976. recent rumors about high-generation Kindred who
According to the Gaia Hypothesis, the planet Earth is can have children have aroused great interest among
a giant organism, and the patterns of weather, evolu- Gaians and are being investigated.

STATE OF GRACE
86
DOCTRINE AND DOGMA has yet been sufficient to sustain vampires — only
You are one of the instruments of Gaia, set upon when a vampire returns to the service of the Earth,
the Earth it to protect it from the overwhelming who created him to protect it, can he truly be com-
spread of mortals. Personal goals are irrelevant. You pleted. “Salvation” is an illusory concept, dreamt up
were created as a force of nature and an instrument by fragile minds that couldn’t cope with reality. Gaians
of natural selection. are always on the lookout for those who they think
will subscribe to their philosophy, generally hunters,
Because they believe in no higher power other outdoorsmen, hitmen and others intimately acquainted
than the Earth itself — the supreme and most power- with killing.
ful being, as far as they’re concerned — the will of the
Earth is the will of the Gaians. As in most religions, FOLLOWERS
most Gaians do have other pastimes besides practicing Gaians most often come from either scientific
their faith, but Gaians’ interests are often related in backgrounds — though the sect has also attracted
some way to the path they’ve chosen. Gaians usually environmentalists, animal rights activists and (former)
have no qualms about killing when they feed, just as vegetarians — or animist religions. Gaians can be found
any other predator would. Most feel that controlling in both the Camarilla and the Sabbat, though they’re
the mortal population is both their right and their duty more prevalent in the latter because of the emphasis
to the Earth that created them. on killing. The most common clans in the sect are
Your instinct is a gift from the Earth and makes Gangrel, Brujah and Nosferatu.
you superior to the enemies you hunt. Trust the Loner, Rogue, Deviant, Fanatic and Guru natures
Beast and let its insight guide you, for it gives you are most common, though the group has something to
the power to accomplish your purpose. Indulge your offer interested parties of nearly any personality type.
instincts and act according to your nature, for such Demeanor is usually similar to Nature in this sect,
are the gifts of Gaia. though not always. Because of their emphasis on the
A major tenet of Gaianism is the balance that power of instinct, Gaians often favor disciplines like
must be kept between instinct and reason. The instinct Auspex, Animalism and Protean, though they see all
inherent to the Kindred form is seen as an asset, but Disciplines as potentially useful.
Gaians also believe that they were created from mortals,
rather than some other species, because mortals possess
PATHS
reason — which is why, with both instinct and reason, While some Gaians still cling to Humanity, most
the Gaian is the ultimate predator. Gaians walk a fine Gaians see killing as a natural part of vampiric existence,
line, embracing their instinctual nature along with so Paths are more common. Popular paths include
reason while denying the Beast’s most extreme urges. Power and the Inner Voice, Honorable Accord, and
Abilities such as Awareness, Empathy and Investiga- the rarer Paths of Harmony and the Scorched Heart.
tion are common, and some Gaians have also found Some Gaians have also adopted the Path of Death and
solace in the rare Path of Harmony, which also teaches the Soul and Path of Ecstasy.
a balance between reason and instinct. RITUALS
Those who worship imaginary gods, whether With their disdain for traditional religion, the
mortal or vampire, are fools who cannot help you. Gaians understandably don’t have any rituals to speak
The only Law is the law of nature and survival of of. National meetings do occur every year, although
the fittest, and the only Word is the will of the Earth. many of the Sabbat Gaians don’t attend.
Try to convert those vampires who show promise,
but do not expose too much to the foolish who have VARIATIONS
forgotten their place. You are only Kindred with those Several varying viewpoints exist within Gaianism.
who know their true purpose; all others are as the Some Gaians take issue with the idea that the Earth
mortals, blind. “Supernatural” is a term given only is the only creator and no God exists and worship the
to that which is difficult to understand; in reality, goddess Gaia (or Demeter, or Cybele, or any of a num-
all that exists is natural, for it flows from the same ber of Earth gods or goddesses) supplementary to their
source: the Earth. work as predatory forces. These Gaians are the most
Many Gaians harbor a great feeling of superiority likely to stay on Humanity, but it’s still a difficult path
over those who they feel have created shallow belief to take when so many other Gaians kill so freely.
systems and imaginary gods to fill the insecurities in The other main dispute within the sect is over
their subconscious. The Gaian knows why no religion the role of emotion in vampiric existence. Where
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most Gaians accept emotion as both a component perhaps passing it on to their new sect; its teachings
of instinct and a holdover from their mortal days, are old enough that many Primordians have said they
some consider it to be only one or the other, which feel they “fit” somehow, on a deep, inner level they
alters their belief systems a bit. The few remaining can’t explain.
scientific Gaia Hypothesis scientists are among those Primordia teaches that in the beginning was the
who hold the second position: Emotion is entirely void, and within the void were three entities or spirits.
different from instinct, a mortal weakness, and as The three spirits were primal forces of the universe, but
such should be eliminated in favor of truly instinctual at the same time they possessed an intellect beyond
living. These are the Gaians most fond of the Path the understanding of any being alive tonight. They
of Death and the Soul, Path of the Bones and Path were greater than mere gods; they were the sum of all
of the Scorched Heart. things to come, and it was their playground. Being
On the opposite end of the spectrum are those young spirits, they were curious and flighty, and so they
Gaians who believe emotion is the human equivalent occupied much time speaking and playing with each
of instinct and should thus be indulged at every op- other, testing their limitations. They found that they
portunity. These Gaians, in addition to the standard had none, for they contained within themselves all
predatory acts, still engage in all manner of other vices, the power that had existed or ever could exist. They
including drugs, sex and any other taboo they think of were the Primordia.
violating at a given time. It’s not evil to act according Soon, though, the spirits became bored with
to your nature, they reason, so why hold back? These this existence. They tired of inventing new games to
Gaians most commonly follow the Path of Cathari, play with each other and wished to create playthings
Setite Path of Harmony or, in a few cases, old Western that were outside themselves. And so they set about
Road of Paradox. creating the cosmos: first the stars, then the planets.
In the process, they found that each had a different
PRIMORDIA affinity — the first, for the act of creation itself; the
Primordia, or the Via Primordia as some of its second, for maintaining the creations once they had
adherents like to call it, is one of those Kindred belief been called into existence; the third, for destroying
systems whose development is impossible to trace, but creations that the three found unsatisfying. In creating
its adherents believe it to be even older than the Caine the universe, the Three each divested themselves of
myth. It has no written doctrines, no holy scriptures, some of their essence, for to create something outside
being passed from sire to childe completely by oral themselves, they had to give up control over a small
tradition, but as long as anyone can remember, some part of themselves. Still they were far more powerful
Kindred have had a mystical bent, and some of these than any sun or star in their universe, and eventually
have always been drawn to the Primordian tradition. they tired of setting the heavenly bodies in motion
It takes many forms, shrouded in the gods of a hun- around or into each other.
dred different ages, but it has endured for thousands And so it was that the Three decided to experi-
of years now and shows no signs of disappearing. The ment with creating life. As the pattern had now been
belief systems of modern Primordia show quite a bit established, the first acted as creator, the second as
of influence from today’s scientific theories, but it’s an preserver, and the third as destroyer, and together they
adaptable religion, and its adherents don’t really seem fashioned parts of their essence and their intellects into
to notice a contradiction between religion and science. living beings. No two species were identical, and all had
Knowledge is knowledge, after all, and all knowledge their own quirks, so the Primordia had much to watch
is important to Primordians. for a long time. But after observing their creations for
many years, the Three again began to grow tired of
The teachings of Primordia are simple enough on
their endless and all-powerful existence.
the surface, though they draw from many different
religious traditions, and many Primordians spend This time, they decided that they must split them-
long years contemplating their meaning. It shares selves into smaller spirits, so as to experience the whole
certain tenets with Consumptionism and others with of their creation more fully. The Three each decided
Deimosianism, but Primordia is distinct from both, that they would infuse these minor Self-spirits into
though converts between it and other religions aren’t certain of the living beings of creation, while a part of
unheard of, since Primordia’s belief structure is an their essence would remain above to oversee creation.
adaptable one. Even those who eventually leave the And so this is what they did, in the earliest ages of
fold take something of Primordia’s outlook with them, civilization of men, for the Earth had a great variety

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of life in which the Three could amuse themselves. of the Beast — but only some of them inherited
They each chose many among the various animals and Creation essence as well. The Primordians believe
men of the time, but in not consulting each other in that the spirits who created the Kindred and forgot
the choices, the Three found themselves sharing pos- themselves will one night be reformed through a
session of some of the new playthings on Earth. They perfect vampire. This vampire will act as the vessel
also discovered that they could not leave the bodies for all three of the spirits to reintegrate completely
of these new creatures, and that to nourish their own — into a single great spirit, according to some —
great powers, mortal food soon became insufficient, and the spirits’ power will then simultaneously tear
giving way to a thirst for the life blood of others. These the vampire apart while setting the spirits free and
hybrids of Creation, Destruction, and Preservation remaking the world in a more perfect form. Most
eventually became known as the Kindred. In time, the Primordians refer to this person as the Avatar.
lingering essences of the Three forgot themselves and Some say the appearance of the Avatar will be a
their original natures, splintering into many different spontaneous occurrence, while others say it will be
spirit forms and taking on new aspects. It was these a constructed mutation or new bloodline, but all
spirits who became known and worshipped as gods agree on one thing: When the perfect one comes,
by the peoples of the world; and the spirits became all others must yield their essences to him so that
content with this existence, forgetting the greatness he can integrate all three spirits and recreate the
they had once possessed. world. Until then, Primordians strive to gain as much
Primordians believe that each of the clans’ pro- power and as many converts as possible, hoping that
genitors was created by a different union of two or all when the spirits reform, the power they’ve amassed
three of the Primordia spirits, and these essences are may allow them some amount of control in the new
passed down to their childer even to this night. All god-consciousness.
Kindred have some of the essence of the Preserver Or, in other words, the messiah is coming, and
spirit — that’s why they can exist for so long without he’s going to eat your soul and recreate the world in
feeding — and the Destruction spirit — in the form his image.

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DOCTRINE AND DOGMA to fighting (to help subdue those whose essence must
Primordia shares principles with many other reli- be taken) are often pursued with the most fervor. For
gions, mortal and Cainite alike, including Christianity Disciplines, many Primordians feel it’s necessary to
and Hinduism. Since Primordians believe that their develop one’s in-clan Disciplines to the fullest potential
religion encompasses all other religions, converts are to learn as much as possible about their own essences
welcome from any religious tradition as long as they before experimenting with others, though many do
believe in the doctrines of the sect. Primordians share pick up a few levels of Auspex, Obfuscate or Fortitude
certain ideas with both Consumptionists and Deimo- anyway just to be safe.
sians, as mentioned above, but their application of FOLLOWERS
these ideas is a bit different. Primordia is one of the more varied Kindred reli-
According to the traditions of the Primordia faith, gious groups; many of its members retain the trappings
the clans are claimed by different combinations of spir- of another religion, seeing the Three as the Christian
its. The Nosferatu, Ventrue, Giovanni and Tzimisce are Trinity or the Hindu Triad while still upholding the
said to have inherited the Preservation essence alone; teachings of Primordia over those of their old religion.
Malkavians, Toreador, Tremere and Ravnos have both Some newer converts come from neo-Pagan traditions
the Preservation essence and the Creation essence; that emphasize universality of all gods. What all Pri-
and Brujah, Gangrel, Lasombra, Assamites and Setites mordians share is an interest in the supernatural, a lust
are of Preservation and have a greater than normal for power and the belief that the undead state is one
Destruction essence. These designations are based on of exaltation, not a simple “curse.” Deep within the
the Disciplines, philosophy and ”average” mindset of unbeating heart of many Primordians is the secret desire
each clan. As for Caitiff, some Primordians believe they to be the one who amasses the most power, so that when
take whatever essences their sire held, while others the reintegration of the Primordia occurs, she will be
feel that it differs on a case-by-case basis. able to exert the most control over the newly formed
Like the Consumptionists and the Hindu Brah- god. For most Primordians, this is a secret desire not
manists, Primordians engage in ritual diablerie, but to be shared with fellow Primordians, a private failing
for somewhat different reasons. Because Primordians that most don’t realize so many of their brethren also
believe that all power in the universe proceeded share. A few, mostly those on the Paths of Night or
originally from the Three who created it, they also Cathari, openly brag about how they will be the new
feel that helping the Three to return to a more con- god once the Avatar comes, but other Primordians
solidated state helps the spirits to regain their vast usually find themselves very uncomfortable around
and superior intellect. If the supreme vampire were such Cainites, shunning them for making light of their
to come while the Three were still scattered among own moral lapses.
thousands of different Kindred, even he would lack Because of its emphasis on diablerie, Primordia
the power necessary to bring the Three together is very uncommon in the Camarilla, being confined
within himself — and if that were to happen, every- mostly to the independent and Sabbat clans. Toreador
one would be confined to this imperfect world for and Tremere who do find their way to the sect are
eternity, without any possibility of a final reward. welcomed with open arms, since vampires of Creative
Primordians believe that they are doing the Three essence are rare in Primordia. Most of the members of
a great service by helping to collect spirit essence Primordia are neonates, and the few older vampires
within themselves through diablerie. Most believe who have survived have done so by adopting a Path.
that if they do a good enough job of collecting the Natures and demeanors vary widely, but derangements
essences of other Kindred, the Avatar will be able to are pretty common, particularly Sanguinary Animism
take care of the rest. and Megalomania.
Primordians believe that everything that exists PATHS
was created by the Three Primordia, and so every bit
of knowledge they can learn will make them better Approaches to Primordia can are as varied as the
keepers of the Primordian way. Most have a decidedly Kindred who practice it, but nearly all who survive in
spiritual interest, though, so Knowledges such as Occult the religion more than a few years adopt some path
and Professional/Expert Abilities relating to astrology other than Humanity. The Paths that integrate most
and religion are more common than sciences or “book successfully into the Primordian belief system include
learning.” All skills are similarly considered to be im- the Path of Metamorphosis, Path of Blood, Path of
portant, but those that relate to gaining knowledge or Caine and Path of Self-Focus.

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RITUALS Whether the ritual has any true magical significance
remains unknown to all but the oldest vampires in the
Most rituals in Primordia are based on the rituals
sect, but it is known that no vampire who has received
in the cultural or religious tradition of each individual
the ritual has ever been known to return as a wraith.
believer, as each Primordian tries to demonstrate devo-
tion to the Three in his or her own way. One ritual, VARIATIONS
though, has endured through the centuries as a dis- The variations of Primordia are too numerous to
tinctly Primordian practice. It’s known as the Rite of mention all of them by name. Some Kindred prefer to
the Three, and it’s performed when a member of the call the Three by names of bygone Greek, Egyptian,
Primordia meets an untimely end. Sumerian or other gods, but no major points of divergence
Primordians’ ultimate goal is to stay active and exist; Primordia is a pretty personal religion anyway. A
gain power long enough to meet the Avatar eventually few Primordians claim that the religion has its roots in
and be diablerized by him, so as to help bring about the theology of the Lupines, but those few who have
the reintegration of the Three and the recreation of managed to approach the Lupines on the subject and
the world. Frequently, though, the Jyhad gets in the return have mentioned being called children of the
way, and then comes the Rite of the Three. Although “evil” Destruction spirit, regardless of their clan. Most
its origin has long been lost to the ravages of time, Primordians who pay any attention to these stories say
Primordians believe that it allows the essence stored that, as children of only one of the three spirits, the
within a perished Kindred to be transferred to the Lupines or other supernaturals may have some idea of
remnants of the Three who still observe from above. how things began, but their conception of it has been
Since those spirits will become part of the new god- twisted by only having access to one side of the story.
consciousness when the Avatar is torn apart, it’s the Some of the African followers of Primordia have
next best thing to meeting the Avatar face to face. Still, chosen for themselves the name “Lesser Children of
since the person’s consciousness is lost with death, it’s the Orisha.” When asked by other Primordians what
only the spirit essence that survives, so no matter how the greater children might be, these Kindred smile
much power the dead Kindred might have gathered, mysteriously but do not answer.
her chance of heading up the god-consciousness is lost
when she dies. ANTECAEDISTS
The Rite of the Three is performed by the most The word “antecaedist” literally refers to someone
powerful Kindred who knew the deceased; power is who wishes for a return to “before the fall” or “before the
determined both by generation and by mastery of attack.” The term has been applied externally to one
Disciplines and esoteric knowledges. The rite must be of the most fanatical, but also one of the most moral,
performed within three nights following the Kindred’s of the Kindred-created religions; members more often
death. If it’s a neonate, a body usually remains, but in refer to themselves simply as “the faithful.” It’s not so
the case of older Cainites, ashes can be used instead. much a return to the time before the Fall of Lucifer
If no remains exist, the ritual can be performed using that they want; rather, their goal is to fix the situation
a piece of parchment with the subject’s True Name that started the problems leading to the Fall. This, they
written upon it. The remains or parchment are placed believe, was nothing less than the usurpation of God
on a raised altar, and the person performing the ritual by an outside entity.
sprinkles incense and copper powder on it while reciting In the beginning, say the Antecaedists, was God
the names of each of the Three — Creator, Preserver, the Creator, the one and the true, who made the world
Destroyer — usually in the magical language of Eno- and all the beings upon it. Somehow, sometime, though,
chian. Three circles are made around the body when God came under attack from an artificial and external
the powder is sprinkled: the first oriented from head Godhead, and it took God’s office by merging with
to foot, perpendicular to the ground, the second run- Him. Theories on how this happened abound — some
ning along the waist perpendicular to the ground, and Antecaedists believe a war of the gods of many different
the third going around the entire body, parallel to the lands occurred in ancient times, while others believe
ground. Upon finishing tracing each circle with a hand, the Godhead was nurtured in the young Creator’s fertile
the performer of the ritual sprinkles more powder. At subconscious and subsequently broke away and assumed
the end of the ritual, the body or parchment is set on control. However it happened, though, the Antecaedists
fire (by supernatural means, if possible), and the fire all agree on one thing — the Godhead is evil and must
burns blue, red and green because of the ritual powder. be removed so that God can be purified once again.

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 Antecaedists typically consider all of the acts of a great crisis of faith after her death, Valya first hunted
cursing and vengeance in the Old Testament to be down and killed all those who had been responsible
the act of the Godhead, while the just and loving and then took to investigating obscure theology in an
acts represent those times when the Creator was able attempt to learn how something so terrible could have
to regain control of itself for some time. This is why happened to his beloved. Some of the texts suggest he
the Hebrew sometimes refers to God by one of His had help in his research from a mortal sorcerer of some
names and other times as Elohim (“the Hosts”), for considerable influence, and it’s known that he had help
the Godhead had several parts. The battle between from others in spreading his findings throughout Europe.
the two raged throughout the Old Testament, with Those who helped him are referred to in the writings
each drawing power from believers (the Godhead from by Tarot symbols, as the Magician, the Fool, the Devil
Elohist Jews, the Creator from Yahwists) to fight the and the High Priestess. It’s been speculated that the
other. Finally, the Godhead thought of a new idea — it Magician might refer to the lost Medici child Angelo
would send its avatar to Earth to perform miracles and de Medici, who resurfaced and supposedly traveled to
gain it many new followers, so that it could overpower Romania several times around the same period as the
the Creator forever. dates on Valya’s writings. The identities of the other
That was 2,000 years ago, and Jesus Christ was that three are a matter of speculation among Antecaedists;
avatar. By all accounts, the plan worked, judging by some sources speak of the High Priestess being French
how widespread Christianity has become. Most An- or the Fool being of Roma descent, but the validity of
tecaedists believe that the Creator was able to survive these is in dispute. Nonetheless, the four are second
only by creating Islam as the spread of Christianity in importance within the sect only to Valya himself,
threatened to overwhelm it. Although none of the since they were the first to spread Valya’s teachings
originators of Antecaedism were themselves Muslim, to others. Some Antecaedists even refer to them as
most Antecaedists believe that Islam’s emphasis on “the prophets.”
a single God (rather than a Trinity) places it with DOCTRINE AND DOGMA
Judaism as an anti-Godhead religion. In the modern God is your God; there is none else. Worship only
nights, far more Muslims exist than Jews, which is why Him. Giving praise or prayer to saints or messiahs
the Antecaedists credit Islam as the force keeping the only strengthens the evil Godhead. Your faith will be
war in heaven from being lost completely. rewarded when God is purified once again.
As for the war in Heaven itself, Antecaedists This is probably the most important doctrine
believe that the angels were originally just extensions of Antecaedism — whatever you do, don’t help the
of God’s will with very little free will of their own. Godhead in any way. Since they believe that the
When the Godhead usurped control, though, some of Godhead is responsible for all the suffering that was
them gained self-awareness, realizing that something ever inflicted in the name of God, including wars
had gone wrong. Samael, now called Lucifer, was at started by Christians, they consider it to be evil and
the head of these angels, who fought valiantly to free want nothing less than its eventual removal. Most
their Lord from His bondage, but the Godhead, pos- also believe that once God is restored to control of
sessing the throne of God, possessed all the powers of Himself, He will reward those who helped free Him
God as well and cast these rebels out of paradise. Most from the Godhead’s control.
Antecaedists don’t believe Lucifer was sent to Hell, Religion and belief are powerful. Work to
since that would imply he was evil, but they do agree strengthen those faiths that worship the Creator, and
that he and his supporters were barred from ever enter- undermine those that give power to the Godhead.
ing Heaven again, confined to the imperfect physical Always strive to be moral in these acts, but if you
world, which was painful enough given their perfect must resort to desperate measures, do not balk at
forms and nature. your duty.
Antecaedists trace their roots back to the four- Antecaedists believe that most of the command-
teenth-century Romanian Tzimisce koldun Lord Valya. ments in the Old Testament — excluding those that
According to early Antecaedist writings, Valya was commanded a certain class of people (witches, people
one of the rare Tzimisce even before the nights of the of a certain bloodline) should be put to death — were
Sabbat to remain on the Via Humanitas. He apparently given by the Creator, and so they strive to follow them
also had a wife, a virtuous mortal Christian woman as much as possible. If it comes down to violating her
who eventually allowed herself to be burned as a witch moral code or aiding the Creator in some way, an An-
rather than raise a fist against her aggressors. Suffering tecaedist will often choose the latter. The cause is the
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most important thing, and whatever is in the interests PATHS
of the Creator is always the moral thing to do, whether Humanity is by far the most common path among
a particular person’s limited view of morality is able to Antecaedists; for all the problems it has with traditional
accept that or not. This isn’t to say that Antecaedists Christianity, Antecaedism is still a moral creed. Those
don’t value morality, just that when push comes to who do choose to follow paths have the greatest suc-
shove, it’s the religion and not the moral code or path cess with the Path of Honorable Accord, the Path of
that usually wins out. Antecaedists are a zealous lot. Power and the Inner Voice or more rarely the older
Always keep your eyes open. The Godhead Road of Heaven.
works in mysterious ways: Sometimes even the
Beast is its ally. RITUALS
Although it allows for occasional lapses, this The Antecaedists don’t have any rituals that are
is a warning against allowing oneself to fall to the peculiar to their sect, though many of the individual
Beast. A ravenous, amoral Antecaedist is of no use members still perform the standard life-cycle rituals and
to anyone. observe the holidays of Judaism or Islam. Antecaedism,
for many, is a belief system that complements and com-
FOLLOWERS pletes their religion rather than replaces it. Because they
Antecaedists find converts from many traditions, believe that the Godhead currently controls the afterlife
including Jews, Muslims, Luciferians and disillu- and that heaven has become nothing more than mindless
sioned former Christians. Some in the sect are even servitude of the Godhead as a result, the Antecaedists
still Christian, though invariably of one of the few have been searching for a ritual to use when one of their
denominations that rejects the idea of the Trinity. A number dies, to prevent the person from being absorbed
few Hindus have joined as well, though the presence by the Godhead. Thus far, no one has been successful
of a triad of major gods in their tradition makes some in creating such a ritual, and most Antecaedists admit
Antecaedists uncomfortable. A fairly large contingent they really aren’t sure where to start.
of Nazoreans has also joined, though “fairly large” is a VARIATIONS
matter of scale. Generally what the followers share is
a belief that something is fundamentally wrong with Several variations exist within Antecaedism, but
Christianity, whether its doctrines or the atrocities none really claims to be the correct one; it s more a
that have been committed in its name throughout matter of philosophy. Not all Antecaedists agree on
the years. From that point, some find their way to the the origin of vampires some accept the Caine myth,
Antecaedists, or an Antecaedist finds them first and while others believe that vampires are the offspring of
explains the doctrine. Lilith and Lucifer, created as Lucifer s army against the
Godhead. Those who accept the Caine myth dispute
Since Antecaedism predates both the Camarilla about exactly when the war in Heaven took place
and the Sabbat by more than a century, it has more whether it was before or after Caine was cursed, and
than its share of supporters in both sects, though it’s thus whether it was the Creator or the Godhead that
more common in the Camarilla. Sabbat Antecae- cursed him. Most believe that the Godhead did the
dists tend to take a more radical approach than their cursing, and so when the Creator is returned to power,
Camarilla brethren: feeding only on mainstream He ll remove the curse so unjustly imposed on Caine
Christians, for example, rather than trying to spread in response to his honest sacrifice. Those who believe
subtly anti-Godhead doctrine within the churches. the Creator did the cursing also think they might be
Whether Camarilla, Sabbat or independent, though, forgiven when He is returned to power, but generally
nearly every Antecaedist considers his membership in they are much more stringent about upholding God s
that organization to supersede any sect affiliation or laws (however they see them, based on their religious
duties. All skills and knowledge are considered to be traditions) since they want to enjoy His good graces.
important, though Occult and religion-related Abilities
Nazoreans and certain of the more historically
and influences are more common among Antecaedists
minded Jews and Christians in the sect sometimes
than among most Kindred. Disciplines are seen as a
debate just who was the avatar of the Godhead. Some
personal matter, but most Antecaedists won’t hesitate
believe that Jesus was actually an attempt by the
to teach their Disciplines to their brothers and sisters Creator to reassert power but that his teachings were
in the sect. perverted toward serving the Godhead by Paul, who
was the Godhead s true avatar.

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93
CHAPTER FOUR:
THE FACES OF
FAITH

This chapter synthesizes much of the infor-

mation presented elsewhere in this book. It is a
collection of cults and conspiracies built around
core faiths from the esoteric to the malevolent.
Remember, once again, that many of these beliefs
are rare or secret. Storytellers, beware of overusing
them, lest their value lessen due to ubiquity.

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95
 FIRST BLOOD

To all outside appearances, First Blood is a Cainites they encounter are not of Xalosek, and
nomadic Sabbat pack. Consisting of anywhere therefore aren’t working to remove the taint of
from four to six Cainites (depending on recent evil from mankind, no harm is done to the cause
events), it seems to behave as any similar pack by killing them off in obscene numbers.
would be expected to. What the rest of the First Blood is led by the Ventrue antitribu
Sabbat doesn’t know is that First Blood is actu- Chloe Edison, ductus, and the Tzimisce Jebediah
ally a mobile cult of Xalosines with an unusual Peacock, pack priest. The pair has been together
interpretation of the doctrine. for nearly a century, an astonishing unlifespan
Unlike the majority of Xalosine Kindred, for active Sabbat soldiers. Both have been of-
First Blood’s members believe they can best fered higher positions in the sect, and both
learn to control and understand the Beast by have turned them down in order to continue
unleashing it at every available opportunity their Xalosine work. Jebediah’s sire was one of
— not merely under controlled conditions — Amanda Attenborough’s first converts, and the
and allowing it to run wild. By observing their priest maintains a fanatic devotion to Xalosek
own frenzied behavior, as well as that of their far stronger than his loyalty to the Sabbat it-
packmates, they believe they will gain a greater self. Edison, although just as faithful, is a bit
understanding of how the Beast affects vampires calmer and more rational in her devotion and
physically, psychologically and emotionally. has prevented Jebediah from talking his way
Of course, frenzy isn’t a neat or safe habit into serious trouble on more than one occasion.
to get into. Rather than cause random destruc- The pair of Cainites, and most of their under-
tion and the deaths of many of the mortals lings, truly believe that their frequent frenzies
whom the cult is actually devoted to helping, are slowly but surely guiding them toward a
First Blood vigorously hurls itself into any and complete understanding of the Beast. Because
every violent confrontation available. Since the of this, they’re perhaps overly anxious to snap

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its chains. They’ve developed a reputation for
berserk brutality even among other Sabbat
packs, who normally steer clear of First Blood
during combat.

H ISTORY
First Blood didn’t begin as a cult of Xalosek.
It was originally a normal Sabbat war pack, led
by a sadistic Brujah antitribu called Luther. It
spent years terrorizing Camarilla towns in the
American West in the latter part of the nine-
teenth century. Some of the local princes even
put up wanted posters with Luther’s face on
them, hoping that the proffered reward would
inspire some hapless mortal to hunt him down.
The kine would die horribly, of course, but at
least he might lead the Camarilla sheriffs to
the pack.
When Luther was assigned a new priest, he
didn’t really even notice; the Brujah had never
been much for the ritual aspects of Sabbat exis-
tence. Jebediah Peacock had been born in this
part of the world decades earlier but had spent
most of his time post-Embrace in the Old World.
It was there that he learned the doctrines of
Xalosek from his sire, and he was ready to put
them to use now that he’d come home.
Slowly, Peacock began to question the other
members of First Blood, seeking those who
might prove amenable to the ways of Xalosek.
He found one; Amanda Edison, Luther’s second,
who was seeking some sort of meaning in the
constant violence and bloodshed. She found it
in the Tzimisce’s preaching and quickly became
a devout convert.
Luther was not particularly well liked by
his pack, and it wasn’t difficult for Peacock and
Edison to turn the others against him. Luther
met a grisly end, his ashes sprinkled over the
American desert. As ductus, Edison arranged
over the years to have all her packmates who
wouldn’t convert either transferred or “lost in
battle.” Tonight, the pack consists entirely of
devout Xalosines who use their Sabbat activities
to cover their true purpose and to explain their
constant frenzies.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH

97
 THE
PATMOSTINE ORDER

Named for the isle of Patmos, where St. Gates of Heaven. They believe the Kindred
John received his Revelations, the Patmostine themselves, not any of the remaining mortals,
Kindred combine several unusual doctrines into are those who will be saved on Judgment Day.
a Christian sect with a truly peculiar view of A worthy soul is permitted to remain; the un-
the world. worthy are dragged into Hell regardless of the
The Patmostine Kindred believe that the power of the Blood passing their lips. In other
Rapture has come and gone. Not every member words, only someone worthy of Heaven — even
of the sect agrees when the event took place, if no mortal or Kindred can comprehend why he
though most concede it was almost certainly after is worthy — will survive the Embrace. They’d
the death of Christ. They maintain the “seven certainly prefer it if all Kindred were as selec-
years” that are supposed to pass between the tive as they are in choosing childer, but their
Rapture and the Day of Judgment are symbolic, unshakable faith that God will not allow an
not literal, much as some people interpret the six unworthy soul to survive the Embrace forces
days of creation. Thus, no way exists of knowing them to acknowledge any and every Kindred
when these seven “ages” will have passed, but they meet as worthy of Heaven, regardless of
the evidence suggests that Gehenna is almost how despicable that Kindred may be.
upon us, and the Patmostines are certain that The Patmostines have taken it as their mis-
the Four Horsemen ride closely behind. sion to track down and Embrace the most worthy
The Patmostines also believe that Caine mortals they can find, thus securing them a place
was blessed, not cursed, by God. In fact, the in Heaven come Judgment Day. They have to
Patmostines believe that the Kindred received hurry, as they believe the 144,000 figure is a
their undying status so they could survive all the maximum, not a guarantee. Some 40,000 Kindred
years from the Rapture to the final judgment, exist in the world tonight, and certainly no more
that they might usher the worthy through the than that who have met Final Death through

STATE OF GRACE
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the millennia. If Judgment Day arrives before
144,000 have been Embraced, many who might
have been saved will instead be damned.
Kindred who meet Final Death are still guar-
anteed their place in Heaven, of course. But the
fewer Kindred who survive to find and Embrace
others, the greater the odds that worthy souls
will be missed.

H ISTORY
The Order was founded during the 1530s,
while the repercussions of Martin Luther’s Ref-
ormation still rippled across the Western world.
A devoutly Catholic French Toreador named
Louvel Tarneau, horrified that God would al-
low His church to be riven asunder, purportedly
suffered a crisis of faith. Legend has it that he
retreated to his haven and refused to feed for
weeks yet, despite all known laws of Kindred
physiology, never entered torpor. Finally, after
more than a month, he emerged from seclusion
and began gathering other Kindred around him.
He’d had, so he claimed, a revelation. He now
understood the true purpose the Kindred served
on God’s earth — and also God’s refusal to
protect His church.
God … was gone. The faithful were gone.
And it was up to Tarneau, his followers and
indeed all Kindred, everywhere, to locate and
preserve those who could still be saved.
Despite extreme difficulty in assembling
Kindred willing to devote their unlives to find-
ing and preserving worthy souls, and despite the
reported Final Death of Tarneau at the hands
of an Assamite assassin in 1902, the Patmos-
tine Order still survives and thrives tonight. It
maintains contacts and influence in religious
organizations, media, universities and com-
munications companies, always seeking those
select few mortals whom it believes worthy
of preservation. Although the group remains
relatively unknown outside its own ranks, it has
begun to attract the eyes of suspicious archons
with their penchant for Embracing those they
deem worthy regardless of the individual’s wishes
or their standing in mortal society. It’s only a
matter of time before their religious doctrine
runs headlong into the Masquerade.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH

99
 DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN

The Daughters of the Sun are a small and All Daughters of the Sun are, whether they
largely eremitic group based primarily in Arabia know it or not, dedicated to these three sister-
but claiming followers all throughout the Middle goddesses. The cause of all those who do this cult’s
East. According to local history, the god that was work is slowly but surely to reinvigorate the lost
to become Allah had known a previous incarnation names of these three daughters of Allah, primar-
as a moon god in pre-Islamic Arabia. The idol of ily through the gradual weakening of Islam. The
this god, along with that of all the other pagan vast majority of those actual Kindred within the
deities of the day, was housed for many years in cult proper hail from the Malkavian clan. The
the great Ka’ba in Mecca. Beside this idol of Allah remainder, those who do much of the cult’s work,
(then known as Al-Ilah) sat the idols of three other are either mortals directly indebted to the group’s
highly popular deities, collectively referred to as vampiric leaders or those who do the cult’s work
Allah’s “daughters.” These three sister-goddesses unwittingly. The Daughters realize that they are
were Al-Ussa, goddess of passion and the (un) pilgrims in an unholy land, surrounded by those
living embodiment of the planet Venus; Al-Lat, who would see them fail horribly in their goal … or
the goddess of astrology, wisdom and learning; and worse. Because of this, their operations are highly
Manat, the goddess of fortune and fate. When the secretive and circumspect, with information being
Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived, however, handed down on a strictly “need to know” basis. In
he cast down all the false idols in Mecca, and in that regard, the cult has quite a detailed and effec-
so doing killed the nexus of worship for all other tive bureaucracy, spearheaded by the close circle
gods but Allah. The worst of this damage was done of tightly knit Malkavians who comprise the core
to the worship of Allah’s three daughters, whose of the cult’s leadership. The cult is predominantly
previously substantial cults of personality all but female in make-up, and even its few male members
vanished overnight. are likewise referred to as “daughters” (even in
highly traditional areas of the Middle East).

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HISTORY
To understand the core doctrine to which
they subscribe, one must fi rst recall the paradigm
that was pre-Islamic Arabia. Before the arrival
of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Arabs
worshipped as many as 360 different gods, gods
whose likenesses — indeed, whose very focus of
worship — were housed in idols placed within the
great Ka’ba in Mecca. When Muhammad came
and cast down all the false idols, proclaiming that
“there is no god but God,” these other deities were
brushed aside, forgotten now in favor of Allah.
At the time this occurred, Al-Ussa herself (or at
least the ancient vampire who had assumed her
name and thus her followers) lay buried in torpor
beneath the Ka’ba, drawing off the energies of
those who daily came to bathe her in their adula-
tion. The almost overnight rise of Islam, and the
associated rise in the area’s True Faith levels, has
permanently trapped Al-Ussa beneath her own
former temple, a site now dedicated to a god of
men and mortals. As the force of Islam grew, so
too did the oppressive din of the Keening (the
supernatural cry emanating from the Ka’ba), the
force of which has been driving Al-Ussa madder
and madder over the last fourteen centuries.
Nonetheless, Al-Ussa remains the strongest of
these fallen idols. Although she is the only one of
the three sisters who cannot emerge from her place
of torment of her own volition, hers is the voice
with the farthest reach and the one that drives the
hearts and minds of all Daughters. According to
cult dogma, the other two “goddesses” — weak from
the oppressive power of Islam — have voluntarily
taken their own places of rest elsewhere (well away
from the power of the Keening), awaiting the time
when the force of Islam’s faith has ebbed to a level
whereby they might be free to rise and aid their
entombed sister. All Daughters’ efforts, from the
top down, are directed at achieving this ultimate
goal. Thus, they actively encourage dissent and
even violence between Muslim factions and work
to pull existing Muslims away from their faith, in
truth if not in name.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH

101
 THE
SHEPHERDS OF ISLAM

Technically an offshoot of the broader Ashirra strive to collect and maintain a comprehensive list of
sect, the Shepherds of Islam are a group of Muslim all those Kindred who endured through that special
Kindred dedicated to the preservation of their religion time in history. Shepherds call these Kindred “Wit-
in the sacred place of its origination, the Holy Land. nesses” and strive to keep such individuals undead at
Although all Muslims are expected to feel likewise, all costs, even risking their own unlives to ensure that
Shepherds are separate and distinct from other Ashirra God’s plan for them is carried out. Whenever a new
in that they consider themselves neither Sunni nor Witness is found, he is typically invited to join, thus
Shi’ite, but a third type of Muslim altogether. Whereas becoming one of the “inner circle” of Shepherds. A
Sunni Muslims recognize the authority invested great many mortal believers are employed in this en-
in each historically accepted caliph (starting with deavor, forming a fairly extensive network worldwide.
Abu Bakr) and the Shi’ites believe that Ali (being Indeed, the faction’s great strength, if it can be said to
a blood relative) should have been the first caliph, have one, is its unwavering support among the mortal
the Shepherds claim that the stewardship of Islam Muslims with whom it shares its duties.
should have fallen to them alone. They believe that On the face of things, the Shepherds are most
Allah himself, in His wisdom and compassion, chose actively engaged in battling the forces of polytheism
them to be the deathless caretakers of the words of in the Holy Land. Recently, countries such as Egypt
the last and greatest Prophet (peace be upon him). have seen an explosion in nonmonotheistic thought
Islam, always a vibrant and living religion, would live and practice, a fact which greatly concerns the Shep-
on — could only live on — in those who had person- herds. They know the evils of Set’s ministrations and
ally witnessed the Word and would always be around they see similar evil in all those who would open
to relate it to others. their minds to the acceptance of false idols. Sadly,
To the Shepherds of Islam, all the arguments that most Shepherds don’t realize that in their continuing
have arisen since, from the growing morass of interpre- efforts to bring monotheism to bear in the Middle
tations of the Hadith to the discrepancies among so East, they are probably doing more harm than good.
many bickering caliphs, could be answered simply by Currently, their biggest concern comes not from the
asking those who were there. To this end, the Shepherds rise of Set but from the return of the other Egyptian

STATE OF GRACE
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polytheists. Shepherds have discovered new and
emerging cults devoted to the worship of such long-
gone deities as Ra, Osiris, Isis, Thoth and Horus, and
they have dedicated themselves to quelling these
archaic uprisings before they grow strong enough to
pose a threat to Islam.

HISTORY
The originator of the Shepherds movement, if
it can be said to have been only one, was a hawkish
Brujah (called mushakis in Arabic) named Khalid ibn
Sahl, a contemporary of Suleiman ibn Abdullah, the
Lasombra mullah of the Ashirra. In life, Ibn Sahl had
been a warrior from the Arabian fringe who, in the
nights following his rough Embrace, heeded the call
of the first vampiric imam. The Lasombra’s words had
been intriguing enough, but when Ibn Sahl finally came
face to face with the Prophet himself, it was a meet-
ing that would forever alter the course of his accursed
existence.
Ibn Sahl fought bravely and nobly alongside
the Prophet’s armies in the early nights of Islam. He
brought peace when peace was needed and returned
with information critical to the cause under the direst
of circumstances. The Brujah even took part in the
pilgrimage to Mecca, along with the mullah himself
and Tarique, the Nosferatu founder of the Hajj. What
started as a personal rivalry with the Lasombra, however,
grew into a full-fledged dispute on June 8, 632, the night
Muhammad died. Ibn Sahl believed that it was folly to
place the successorship of Islam in the hands of a mortal.
Mortals always died, and soon enough would come a
time when a caliph who had never heard the word with
his own ears would be the supreme religious authority
for all Islam. Thus, he quietly took it upon himself to
be the unliving steward of Islam for eternity.
These nights, the Shepherds are led (for all intents
and purposes) by none other than Mahmoud ibn Kha-
lid, Walid Ibn Sahl — the seventh-generation childe
of Khalid ibn Sahl. Although his operations take him
all over the Holy Land, Ibn Khalid’s base of operations
remains in Arabia, where he is free to conduct sect
affairs while simultaneously returning periodically to
the desert wastes of Najd, where he routinely meditates
upon the magnificence of his sire and of the cause that
has given his damnable existence both hope and mean-
ing for the last thousand years. Ibn Khalid bears the
weight of his sire’s name with both modesty and grace,
and has slowly but surely proven to his peers (as well
as to himself) that he is truly his sire’s childe in every
respect — a reputation in which he takes no small
amount of pride.

CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH

103
 THE
DIAMOND THUNDERBOLT

The word Tantra is derived from the root word tan, end, followers of this doctrine are taught to freely exchange
meaning “to weave.” Many things are interwoven on the blood with other mortals and vampires, in a pure and more
Tantric path, including the lives of all men and women. actualized exchange of this sensual energy. In addition to
The purpose of this dynamic was the creation of partner- creating high numbers of ghouls and even new Kindred,
ships devoted to the realization of ultimate truth. Thus, this free exchange of “nectar” results in the formation of
a sensual union between two souls constitutes not only a a unique and powerful blood bond between and among
much-needed sacrifice on both parts but a much needed believers, similar to the Vinculum created through the
fulfillment of the underlying enlightenment principle — practices of the Sabbat. Unlike the Vaulderie, however,
that of being simultaneously united and yet distinctly wherein a portion of each participant’s blood is mixed
separate. This sacred communion generates waves of bliss into a bowl with the resultant mixture then sipped by all
and harmony that turn the world itself into a mandala involved, followers of this doctrine engage in one-on-one
(container of essence) and shower forth a rain of cosmic blood transfusions with multiple partners simultaneously,
nectar that satisfies the spiritual hunger in the souls of all often spending hours upon hours engaged in ritual blood-
Earth’s inhabitants. sharing. The result is a group of very tightly knit vampires,
The Diamond Thunderbolt, a cult of vampires originat- each bound to the most powerful blood circulating through
ing in Beijing, has taken this fundamental Tantric belief to the “orgy.” The Kindred to whom this potent blood belongs
a new level. Their own doctrine revolves around the fact becomes the Regnant for all the individual bonds created
that a key component of Buddhism is the notion of karma, through this practice.
or the belief that one carries his past with him through A vampiric follower of this philosophy calls himself a
successive lives. As undead who no longer cycle through vajra (pl. vajrae) and perceives himself as a tool of creation,
lives, members of the Diamond Thunderbolt feel that used to maintain the worldly mandala. While the vajrae
they are beholden to try to make a difference in the time may at first seem to be simply a hedonistic cult of Tantric
they have until the end of the world arrives. Being forever vampires engaging in Bacchanalian orgies of bloodlust and
denied true mortal intimacy, they believe they must take abandon, a sincere and deep-seated sense of commitment
their sacred communion in the only way they can: through and belief underlies their sordid practices. A common
the transmission of blood, which they view as the “nectar” Tantric metaphor for passionate union is the image of the
of the world flowing through them in liquid form. To this “churner” and the “churned.” When a diamond scepter

STATE OF GRACE
104
churns his partner, he is engaging in the efficient cause of
the nectar of Buddhahood — bliss is generated by churn-
ing. The notion of churning also refers to the Hindu myth
wherein gods and demons churn the cosmic ocean of milk
to extract its nectar. The goddess Sakti is called through
this process, and her sexual fluids become the immortality-
bestowing nectar the gods are seeking. It is this “nectar”
that vajrae believe sustains them throughout eternity. Thus,
churning one’s yogic partner (and thus stimulating the flow
of Sakti’s nectar) mirrors the stirring of the cosmic ocean for
its potent, life-giving energies. While most vajrae do believe
in the existence of the Antediluvians (whom they perceive
as ancient, fallen vajrae), they believe that the Caine figure
of Kindred legend is none other than Sakti herself, who
will one night return to claim her due. If her followers are
prepared, Sakti will reward them (and only them) with a
release from their earthly burdens and duties, sending them
gracefully into the waiting arms of Nirvana.

HISTORY
Although the practice of Tantra has been a part of
Buddhism more or less since its inception, the vampiric cult
that grew to embrace its teachings first began its existence
in Beijing some years after the Boxer Rebellion. One of the
20,000 “peacekeepers” sent to China was a young British
soldier and sometime poet named Jameson who, during
his brief tenure among the living, had pursued Buddhist
thought and Tibetan culture with as virtuous a hand as
could have been expected of an Englishman of his age at
that time. Although Jameson was mortally wounded dur-
ing one of the final clashes with the entrenched Boxers, he
found himself saved at the last moment by a sympathetic
Kindred of Buddhist persuasion. It seems that what little
remained of the Chinese Sabbat who had attempted to gain
a foothold had intended to use the native resentment of
foreigners to their advantage, taking the opportunity the
revolt presented to excise some of the more entrenched of
Camarilla hard-liners in Beijing. Although the execution
of the idea suffered from its own “short notice” (and thus
the subsequent lack of any real planning), the movement
did garner one unexpected success in the form of the young
Briton’s Embrace. Jameson took to undeath with a curious
vigor, spurred by his unwavering belief in the fundamental
principles of Tantric Buddhism.
When Jameson’s sire — the leader of Beijing’s most
powerful nomadic pack — died by means of an unknown
assailant’s sword, he quickly took over as pack ductus.
Since then, the man who was once known as Jameson has
risen to prominence in Beijing’s sorely challenged but ever-
growing Sabbat population and is now regarded as one of
that city’s bishops within the sect. Although he keeps his
political duties separate and distinct from his religious ones,
he has brought unity and purpose to his pack in particular,
and many have been so awed by the undeniable results his
teachings bring, they too have begun to believe and are
starting to follow his leadership by example.
CHAPTER FOUR: THE FACES OF FAITH
105
 CHAPTER FIVE:
STORYTELLING

Man prefers to believe what he prefers to be true.

— Francis Bacon

Your players have it easy. They only have to down the middle, for incorporating these details
wrap their minds around one of these religions, into a standard chronicle, and even for creating
sects, heresies, viewpoints or what have you. You, stories or entire chronicles that feature religion
on the other hand, have to understand them all — as a primary factor.
or at least all those you plan on using. Perhaps the most important fact to bear in mind
This chapter isn’t like the Storytelling chapters is this: In a standard chronicle, Kindred who subscribe
in some other Vampire books. It doesn’t contain any to the altered or unique religions described in Chapter
deep, dark mysteries. It doesn’t offer up any revela- Two and Chapter Three are extremely rare. No true
tions that will alter the course of your chronicle or estimate exists, so the Storyteller has some leeway, but
kick the metaplot in the rear. Nothing is here that they’re uncommon enough that many Kindred never
will force you to beat your players about the head meet someone who practices them. Thus, even the larg-
and neck if they sneak a peek behind your back. est of these religions probably claims fewer than several
Instead, this chapter offers suggestions for dozen Kindred worldwide. It’s simply not reasonable to
working the material in State of Grace into your assume that your players are going to encounter more
chronicle. Religious belief can be a tricky thing than a tiny handful of these Kindred in any given story.
to work with for Storytellers and players alike. Most Kindred haven’t even heard of most of these
Too little, and no real point exists including it; denominations. Besides, if your players start running
too much, and it becomes a parody of itself. What into Deimosians or members of the Patmostine Order
follows is a guideline for walking that narrow path everywhere they go, they’re going to stop thinking of
these faiths as alien or unusual. Don’t overuse them.
CHAPTER FIVE: STORYTELLING
107
“NORMAL” SINGLE-FAITH COTERIES
CHRONICLES It’s highly unlikely that a random group of
Kindred would include more than one particu-
One could make a case that no such thing exists larly pious member, and it’s nigh unto impossible,
as a normal chronicle, but in this case we’re simply statistically, for it to happen to include more than
referring to those that resemble a Vampire chronicle one worshipper of an altered or Kindred-created
as described in the core rulebook. Chronicles and faith. Some small cults exist, however, that are
stories that alter the setting to allow for a greater both branches of a specific faith and coteries
degree of religious activity (and conflict) are de- unto themselves. See, for instance, the First
scribed later. Blood pack in Chapter Four. If the Storyteller
Storytellers have several ways to work elements and the players are amenable, the coterie can be
of religion and faith into their chronicles without created with this model in mind. Whether the
drastically altering the feel of the setting. Any one faith of the coterie is something as common as
of these, or a combination thereof, should work Protestantism or as anomalous as Xalosek, it can
just fine, but again, beware of overuse. serve as the glue that holds the coterie together
despite personal, clan and possibly even sect
RELIGIOUS PLAYER conflicts within the group.
CHARACTERS
Possibly the most satisfying method if you same night the rest of her coterie is scheduled to meet
have any diehard roleplayers in your group, this with the informant who’s supposed to tell them what
requires a certain amount of work on the parts of that new pack in town is doing down by the docks?
both players and Storyteller. If one (or more) of If the entire coterie follows a single faith, maybe it’s
the characters is devoutly religious, this not only due to assist the high priest with a ritual on the same
gives the player a “hook” to get into his charac- night the city health inspector is taking a look at the
ter’s mindset, it also provides the Storyteller with coterie’s nightclub. What if the Sabbat Inquisition
a convenient jumping-off point for determining decided that your pack’s enactment of the Feast of
how Storyteller characters react to him (assuming Deimos is actually a cover for infernal rites?
they know of his religious affiliation, of course). Most Kindred don’t really comprehend the ap-
At the same time, you and your players will both peal of religion to those who have seen the light,
want to beware of crossing the line into lampoon. and almost none of them know what to make of
Some people think that playing a character with the more bizarre belief systems practiced by their
any faith at all means playing an unyielding, story- stranger brethren. The potential for conflict and
disrupting zealot. See “A Word on Storytelling” in misunderstanding is absolutely staggering, and
the Introduction. few Storytellers worth the name should let such
Devout characters, whether they’re in the opportunities pass them by.
minority or make up the entire coterie, serve as INNER DEMONS
great springboards for story ideas. Even if you’ve no
intention of having your chronicle focus on religious The demands of the faith need not cause a
conflict, that doesn’t mean you can’t include the character conflict with those around her in order to
occasional spiritual journey, as it were. feed a good story. Plenty of room exists for conflict
within the character herself.
CEREMONIAL DUTIES As discussed in previous chapters, many Kin-
A faith-based story need not involve any imme- dred religions demand a very specific mindset and
diate danger or conflict. It might involve something behavior from the faithful. Many are incompatible
as deceptively simple as the performance of a ritual with the precepts of Humanity; some don’t even fit
or a holiday observance, and most of those are not in very well with any known Paths of Enlighten-
particularly ornate. In fact, just as mortal celebra- ment. What’s a Kindred to do when the demands
tions, they often involve little more than prayer of her religion clash with the moral code that
or the lighting of candles. stands between her and the Beast within? Which
What happens, though, when the holiest cer- way does she turn, and what are the repercussions
emony of a character’s faith happens to fall on the of that choice?
STATE OF GRACE
108
 It’s vital that this technique not be overused. It lifetime — or unlifetime — experience. No truly
simply doesn’t make sense that a vampire, no mat- devout worshipper is going to turn down the op-
ter how desperate for something to believe, would portunity to do just that, regardless of the dangers
adopt a religion completely incompatible with her such a journey and such a meeting might pose.
preexisting moral compass. The occasional clash Remember that most of these religions have
between doctrine and conscience is fine, but if it worshippers in both sects and among the indepen-
happens too often, the character’s going to real- dents as well. Unfortunately, neither the Sabbat
ize that her chosen faith isn’t right for her, and nor the Camarilla considers religious observance a
the player is going to wonder why she bothered. valid justification for fraternizing with the enemy.
Of course, if a player is careless enough to choose Prince Halton and Sheriff Owens don’t care that
a faith for her character without considering the Reverend Hollis is holding a gathering of his flock
implications, it’s practically your duty to take in the middle of their city this Easter. All they know
advantage of it, but not to the point where she’s is that the characters are a Sabbat pack trying to
going to resent having been offered the choice in creep into Houston from over the Mexican border,
the first place. and they really, really don’t want them there.
GOING TO THE MOUNTAIN Even if you allow the characters to stay at
Considering how rare many of these faiths are home for their religious observances, that doesn’t
to begin with, only a handful of spiritual leaders mean you have to make it easy on them. Maybe
can exist, Kindred who serve as the prophets, high Reverend Hollis is coming to Mexico City, and
priests or simply wise men of the various denomi- the players can hold your ceremony with him there
nations. The opportunity to speak with such an instead. Unfortunately, several of Hollis’ faithful
exalted individual, to receive her benediction or are known as Camarilla Kindred, and that weasel
perform with her in a ceremony, is a once-in-a- Pete from a rival pack saw them talking with the

CHAPTER FIVE: STORYTELLING

109
characters. Now they have templars jumping down elder with a longstanding grudge against their sect.
their throats and the Inquisition crawling up their Just because the task is being performed at the behest
asses with a microscope to meet halfway. of a religious leader doesn’t mean the goal itself has
Amazing what people will endure in the name to have any real religious significance.
of their faith, isn’t it? I DON’T LIKE YOUR KIND
ONE VERY LAST CRUSADE The notion of religious tolerance is a relatively
Most Kindred religious sects aren’t large enough modern one, and it hasn’t precisely caught on
to have a real hierarchy of officials, and even those worldwide even tonight. For many of the Kindred,
that do have little official authority to demand any- especially those who lived during periods of religious
thing of their followers. Then again, why would they warfare and intolerance, faith is something worth
need to demand anything? Surely, if the characters going to war over.
are truly faithful, they wouldn’t mind helping the If a devout prince, archbishop or other elder
church out with a little task, would they? were to discover, then, that one of the Kindred — or
Most religions, even the small ones, have holy even an entire coterie — in his domain subscribed
relics of some sort tied up in their history. Most to a belief he considered antithetical to his own, it’s
don’t have quite the import of the Holy Grail or the not beyond the bounds of reason that he would do
Shroud of Turin, but that doesn’t mean the priests his utmost to drive the offenders from his territory,
are any less anxious to get their hands on them. or even destroy them outright.
Of course, if they were easy to acquire, the of- Storytellers really need to be careful with this
ficials wouldn’t be asking the characters to do it. one. Pitting a powerful elder or a prince against
Precisely how the coterie needs to go about the coterie opens up all sorts of story options, but
finding the item in question depends on the sort it can become very frustrating for the players if
of story you intend to tell. If you’re planning to they’re made to feel helpless. The elder in question
stick with the traditional themes of politics and may hate the coterie for who they are and what
intrigue, the relic might currently be in the pos- they represent, but he’s probably not going to risk
session of an elder in the coterie’s home city. The the wrath of the sect by obliterating them openly
characters might have to jump through all sorts of (assuming he even has the power to do so). He’ll
hoops before the elder would even consider trading do what he can within the rules, he might even
the item to them — and they might well have to send assassins and other secretive agents to make
try a little trickery or breaking and entering if he’s things difficult for the characters, but he cannot
uncooperative. bring his full might and influence to bear, and that
should give the coterie at least a fighting chance
If you want a more action-intensive plot, you
to turn the tables.
might consider going the Beckett route and giving
the players an archaeological challenge. The item Of course, now and again, an elder is going to
in question has been lost for hundreds or thousands be so fanatical about his faith that he is willing to
of years. The coterie’s patron has at least a vague risk the wrath of the sect by violating its customs,
clue to its whereabouts, but the characters are go- if it means striking at the enemies of his faith.
ing to have to do the globetrotting and acrobatics These characters shouldn’t be common — again,
necessary to recover it. you don’t want to cross the line from a devout char-
acter to a parody — but they should exist. You’ll
For more combat-heavy stories or diplomatic just want to ensure that you’ve given your players
intrigue, the item might be in the possession of some means of defeating, or at least avoiding, the
a rival from another city or even another sect. zealot’s schemes.
Alternatively, you might make the coterie locate
the item, as above — but they have to do so before
their rivals beat them to it.
RELIGIOUS STORYTELLER
Keep in mind that the characters’ objective need
CHARACTERS
not be a holy relic, though that’s the standard for As rare as these devout Kindred may be, they
many such stories. They could be trying to rescue a still exist. For all our warnings about overusing
member of their order being held by an enemy for the material in this book, you shouldn’t hesitate
any one of a number of nefarious reasons. Perhaps to use it when it is appropriate. Whether or not
they’re seeking information about the plans of an the players’ characters practice any of these faiths,
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they may well run into at least one or two other
Kindred who do.
You need not even incorporate a character’s
religion into the plot for it to have some impact
on the players. Sometimes an inclination to spiri-
tuality, especially if its in an unusual doctrine, can
go a long way toward making various characters
seem like separate and distinct individuals in the
players’ minds. We all try to make our Storyteller
characters different and distinct from one another,
but every now and again you need a specific detail
to differentiate one Ventrue prince from another.
If one is very obviously a practicing Hindu, that’s
going to provide the players something they can
immediately use to identify him as separate and
distinct from the other elders they’ve met.
TURNING THE TABLES
Every one of the story ideas offered above can
be turned around, made to apply to Storyteller
rather than players’ characters, and still provide
an intriguing story for the players.
Ceremonial Duties
What do the players’ characters do when they
stumble across several of their fellow Kindred per-
forming strange, alien rites in abandoned churches
or atop skyscrapers at the dark of the new moon? Is
it a harmless religious observance, as they claim?
Or is it something more, something vile? How can
the coterie find out, and what happens if they fail
to do so in time?
Even if it’s not evil in its own right, some of
the more fanatic worshippers might decide that the
coterie can’t be allowed to know of their practices
at all and that it needs to be dealt with.…
Inner Demons
It may sound strange, but it’s entirely possible
for the players’ characters to be impacted by an
internal conflict not their own. If the prince suffers
a sudden crisis of faith — particularly if the city
faces some external threat, like a Sabbat Crusade
or a Lupine incursion — it may be left to all those
around her, including the coterie, to hold things
together. Maybe they can manage without her, or
maybe their only hope is to learn what issues plague
the prince and to help her through them — while
avoiding the machinations of the various primo-
gen trying to step up and fill the power vacuum
themselves, of course.
Going to the Mountain
Suppose, rather than the coterie being the
ones in trouble for meeting with members of a
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111
rival sect, they are the ones who discover one of belong to the faiths in question. Are they going
the local Kindred doing the same. Do they turn to assist the prince in hunting down stragglers in
him in without question, or do they investigate an attempt to curry his favor? Will they assist his
further? If the latter, what difference will it make victims in hiding or fleeing, perhaps in exchange
to them that he was performing a religious duty, for a boon down the road, or maybe even out of
not betraying the sect? some vestigial sense of morality left over from their
Perhaps the Kindred in trouble comes to them breathing days? How much will they risk? Will
for help. Maybe they have been allies in the past, they involve themselves at all? If not, what toll
or perhaps they even share the same religious be- does their “silent complicity” take on their own
liefs. The coterie must find a way to prove their morality? If they’re discovered aiding and abetting
companion’s innocence, or at least smuggle him the “enemy,” the prince is going to come down on
out of the city, before the sheriff or the scourge them, hard. Many Storytellers enjoy stories that
comes knocking. force the players to face up to moral (and possibly
One Very Last Crusade even Humanity-affecting) dilemmas. This one’s
a doozy.
Have you noticed that all the movies and stories
about people who “acquire” (read: dig up or steal) If you have a truly devoted group of roleplayers,
holy relics or ancient treasures are never told from you might even get away with letting them portray
the point of view of those who might already have the oppressors. Any Kindred not born of the modern
a prior claim? age might well possess leftover feelings of religious
superiority from the era in which they grew up.
The characters might be the ones who have to
Perhaps the players’ characters themselves — who
protect a religious icon from a coterie of Kindred
would most likely be elders, or at least ancillae, in
zealots bent on retrieving it for the glory of their
this sort of story — are the ones moving against
faith. Perhaps the characters represent a rival faith.
all local Kindred of a specific faith.
Maybe they belong to the opposite sect, and their
opposition to the treasure-seekers is political rather Many groups will probably be uncomfortable
than spiritual in nature. They might assist the el- with this. Something is distasteful, indeed almost
der who is the rightful (or at least current) owner frightening, about acting this sort of part. Don’t
in exchange for, or as a means of paying, a boon. attempt to force it on your players, no matter the
Heck, maybe they just don’t want some fanatic storytelling opportunities you believe it entails.
upstarts stealing one of their prized possessions. Only if they’re really willing to examine this darker
Whatever the reason, putting them in opposition side of human nature should you contemplate run-
to an entire coterie of Kindred who believe it’s ning a story like this.
nothing less than their holy mission to retrieve
something (or someone) the players don’t want
retrieved provides for all sorts of conflict. This
ALTERED STATES
need not be a combat-intensive plotline, though For some Storytellers, including belief as a
it certainly can be if that’s what you’re shooting single aspect of a larger chronicle isn’t enough.
for. As we’ve said before, religious doesn’t mean Religion can be a fascinating topic to examine and
stupidly fanatic, and most of these Kindred are go- the source of innumerable plots and stories. No
ing to try to fulfill the requirements of their faith reason exists why you can’t base an entire chronicle
by the rules and via politics and prestation — at around religious conflict, especially if you’re willing
least initially. to alter some of the defaults and assumed truths of
I Don’t Like Your Kind the World of Darkness itself.
Religious persecution among the Kindred
can be a dangerous thing, even for those on the
MINIONS OF THE CHURCH
sidelines, but it can also be quite profitable if the Most Kindred religions aren’t large enough
characters play their cards right. If, for example, to have much of an actual church hierarchy, and
a prince who lived during the latter years of the mortal religions don’t normally ordain vampires.
Spanish Inquisition decides to persecute any Jewish Nevertheless, if you choose, you might have your
or Muslim Kindred within his domain (assuming players’ coterie serve as agents of a church or re-
any actually dwell there, of course), the coterie ligious leader. Some of the story ideas discussed
has some decisions to make even if none of them above involve the characters doing a favor for their
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112
religious leaders, but in this case they’d actually be The sad truth is that most of these faiths are dy-
serving as employees and agents on a regular basis. ing. Their numbers are incredibly small, sometimes
For basis of comparison, it’s roughly the equivalent consisting of only a single coterie or pack. Many
of a chronicle in which the players portray archons, have been twisted or warped beyond their original
or servants of a prince. precepts as the few remaining faithful attempt to
Such a chronicle would, almost by default, make them more appealing to others or else simply
focus on church activities. The concerns of sect fall into bad habits that slowly become accepted
and the game of prestation cannot be ignored, tradition. It’s not uncommon for Kindred in this
but they definitely take a back seat to internecine position to come to realize that the faith they are
politics and the advancing of church objectives. maintaining bears precious little resemblance to
It also means the coterie would no longer have the faith they originally adopted.
an option as to what they will and will not do in How those few believers choose to ensure
the name of their faith. As agents of the church, the continuity of the faith is an issue worthy of a
they would be required to follow all orders they chronicle unto itself. Do they spend their unlives
receive as a matter of course; it’s their religious on the run, avoiding all possible danger for fear of
duty. Again, Storytellers can easily place them in being slain before they can spread the word? Do
situations where their duty to the church comes they proselytize on the streets of the Rack or in the
into direct conflict with their own best interests, halls of Elysium, risking the ire of their brethren
their political or sect responsibilities or even their in the hopes of finding that one Kindred who will
codes of morality. listen? Do they seek political power, so they might
force their beliefs on others?
YOU DON’T LOOK LIKE A PRIEST
No reason exists why the characters cannot RELIGIOUS DIVISIONS
portray actual “ordained” priests and other officials In the history of the Kindred as Vampire
of whatever faith it is they follow. This works best normally portrays it, the Camarilla and the Sab-
if the characters are at least ancillae, if not elders, bat were founded along political and ideological
but it’s not impossible for even young Kindred to lines that grew primarily from the forces of history
attain such lofty positions. In fact, some few childer around them and the specifics of Kindred interac-
— who are either particularly skilled or whose sires tion. Both these sects were birthed in the Middle
are particularly ambitious — are Embraced for that Ages, however, a period rife with religious fervor.
very purpose. In addition to whatever else their It’s not much of a stretch to say that the Kindred
superiors might require of them, the characters sects could easily have formed along religious lines
would then be responsible for guiding and advis- rather than secular ones.
ing the faithful, conducting ceremonies, serving How would the Kindred world have changed
as emissaries to powerful Kindred whose favor the if the Camarilla had been formed by representa-
church wishes to cultivate and more. The list of tives of the Abrahamic traditions, and the Sabbat
duties is practically endless. formed of various pagan and non-Western faiths
It’s even possible, if the characters belong to to stand up to the Ivory Tower’s religious tyranny?
a particularly small faith — most likely one of Imagine princes — or perhaps they, rather than the
those created by the Kindred themselves — that Sabbat, might have taken Church titles, so perhaps
they may have no superiors. In a religion with only imagine archbishops — leading the Kindred of their
a few dozen members worldwide, the characters domains in prayer before getting down to business.
may represent the entirety of the hierarchy. They Imagine Camarilla Inquisitors who are responsible
obviously don’t need to take orders from their for maintaining not only the Masquerade but the
superiors if they have none. This frees them up to spiritual purity of their brethren, hunting down
do as they will, but it also means that they must the slightest trace of heresy or impiety among
determine, on a nightly basis, the best interests of the Kindred. The war with the Sabbat rages as
their faith and their followers, and must act accord- always, but over religious dogma, not freedom for
ingly. They must analyze the political and religious the Kindred.
situations and take whatever steps are required to
Imagine, then, the reverse, where the Sabbat truly
ensure the continuation and smooth functioning
formed around church or other Abrahamic lines, rather
of their faith.
than merely adopting the titles as they do in the standard
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113
setting, and where the Camarilla was formed of pagan
faiths. Would that largest vampire sect even vaguely
BACKGROUNDS
resemble its current incarnation if it were focused on Whether or not the chronicle itself has a religious
maintaining polytheistic traditions in the face of a focus, any character heavily involved in his faith’s
primarily monotheistic kine culture? How would the church or hierarchy can represent those ties through
Sabbat have attempted to influence mortal history if a careful selection of Backgrounds. Presented here are
its faith in the Catholic Church was as strong as its a few suggestions for tying Background Traits into this
animosity toward the Antediluvians? sort of character concept.
Incidentally, Storytellers need not turn the entire ALLIES, CONTACTS AND MENTOR
setting on its ear to make use of these concepts. Perhaps
These are perhaps the simplest Backgrounds to tie into
the above represents an unusual religious division be-
a church hierarchy, as they can represent individuals in the
tween the Sabbat and Camarilla in a single city, while
ranks with whom the character interacts. The value of an
the rest of the world goes on as described in Vampire
Ally, Contact or Mentor might depend at least partially
itself. Imagine the opportunities in introducing an
on the size and influence of the church itself. The high
outsider coterie of characters into such a situation.
priest and supreme leader of a religion that boasts only 27
For that matter, if you are going to alter the set- total members is probably (though not necessarily) less
ting as a whole, why must the modern sects remain valuable a Contact than a simple clerk at the Vatican.
Camarilla and Sabbat at all? Perhaps the sect division Particularly religious associates might grow reluctant to
occurred during the Crusades, with Christian Kindred assist the character if she ever strays from the faith or
on one side and Muslim Kindred — the Ashirra, in the church, and a religious conversion might even be
some parts of the world — on the other. Even into the sufficient to cost her most of her connections.
modern nights, the Lasombra, Brujah and Ventrue are
the triumvirate of clans that lead a devoutly Catholic FAME
sect, constantly using what influence they have to drive Only if the character actually holds a public posi-
Western nations to expand further into the Middle tion in a major religion is he likely to maintain any
Eastern and Eastern lands of the Assamites, Followers degree of Fame. Exceptions to this rule do exist, though,
of Set, Ravnos and Nosferatu. as more than a few celebrities have used their renown
Indeed, sects need not exist at all as modern Kindred as a means of drawing attention to their religious
use the term. The Middle Ages could have seen the leanings. That said, Fame is a viable option only for
Kindred draw together by faith, Catholic with Catholic, Kindred who follow a well known religion. Those who
Jew with Jew, Deimosian with Deimosian. In the modern subscribe to rare systems, particularly those that have a
nights, these religious groups of Kindred constantly prowl vested interest in remaining secret, will probably find
around each other, making and breaking alliances and, Fame more if a hindrance than a benefit. And, as Jim
on occasion, clashing head on. These conflicts might Jones, David Koresh and the Heaven’s Gate cult have
remain largely political, with worshippers of different proven, the fame that often comes with association with
faiths jockeying for position under the aegis of a local a religious fringe group is rarely positive. How much
prince or other Kindred leader. Then again, they might worse, for the individual and the Masquerade, if one
erupt into open warfare greater than that between the of these groups had been Kindred-oriented?
sects in the default setting, a literal holy war that allows HERD
no mercy, only conversion or destruction.
Kindred who follow strictly vampiric religions miss
out on this benefit, but other religious Kindred have a
TWEAKING THE potential pool of donors waiting for them every Sunday
RULES (or Friday, or whenever). Assuming the character has
no qualms about feeding from the faithful of his own
Regardless of what sort of chronicle you’re running creed, it’s probably not terribly difficult to find some
or story you’re telling, you might want to make a few among the congregation who find the Kiss pleasurable
alterations to the system to account for the presence enough to succumb to it on a regular basis. This is
of these various religions. Faith is a very real thing in especially true if the character holds some position of
the World of Darkness, and while it cannot be mea- authority, though it’s not particularly necessary.
sured in dots or levels, it may very well have at least A Herd is also a great starting point for developing
an occasional affect on game play itself. other backgrounds. A character might well meet his

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next Ally or Contact through the congregation, or The Ventrue antitribu summons forth her will, and
strike up a particularly close relationship that produces her attackers suddenly grow paralyzed with fear. It’s
a useful Retainer. She might even be able to rile the clearly Presence, yet she didn’t bare her fangs or hiss,
Herd up into a functional Military Force, and a mob of as might have been expected. Instead, she recites a
fanatics with bats and boards can be just as frightening strange litany in a language that might be Greek, the
and as effective as a professional mercenary team. repeated words stabbing into her victim’s souls and
INFLUENCE freezing them with an overwhelming dread.
If belief defines reality, as some philosophers main-
The largest of the world’s religions hold a great
tain, then surely the supernatural — already beyond
deal of political and financial power, though this is less
the bounds of science — is more easily shaped still.
true tonight than it was years ago. Kindred who have
Kindred faith is a rare and often alien thing. Storytell-
managed to work their way up into the hierarchy of,
for instance, the Catholic Church find a wide variety ers wishing to add an element of the bizarre to their
of doors open to them, as long as they’re willing to stories might consider allowing the faith of a pious
take advantage. Kindred to alter cosmetically the ways in which her
Disciplines function. As described above, a Deimosian
Even Kindred who belong to faiths too small or too
Kindred might use the Litany of Phobos, rather than
secretive to hold much power in their own right can
hissing and spitting, to channel the power of the Dread
often obtain a surprising degree of Influence through
Gaze. The alternate forms taken by a master of Protean
their religion, if only because some of the other Kindred
might change to fit the imagery most important to the
who share the character’s faith might be willing to pull
myths of his religion. The victim of Dominate might
strings on the character’s behalf. Sharing a religion is
hear what seems to be the voice of God in her mind,
no guarantee of cooperation between Kindred — prac-
repeating her instructions over and over and forcing
tically nothing is a guarantee of cooperation between
her to obey.
Kindred — but at least the connection may inspire
them to hear each other out. Even True Faith, for those extremely rare
Kindred who have it, might manifest differently.
STATUS Kindred who attempt to approach a Christian
Storytellers running a religion-focused chronicle using True Faith to drive him back simply find
may wish to add a “Cult Status” Background to comple- themselves unable to advance, held in check by the
ment Status, Sabbat Status and Clan Status. This holiness and purity of their intended victim. If the
would, of course, represent the degree of standing the Kindred with True Faith was instead a Xalosine,
character has attained within the ranks of her church her attackers might be overwhelmed by the voice
or faith. Cult Status is difficult to gain and easy to of the Beast in their minds, growing disoriented
lose, since even the appearance of impropriety can whenever they attempt to draw near.
demean a character in the eyes of the devout. On the Selective use of this technique will not only
other hand, Cult Status need not come into play only throw your players for a loop, it also gives the real
when the character is engaged in church activities. It’s feeling that faith is truly an integral part of the
possible that other Kindred who are uninvolved with chronicle, the world and the Kindred condition,
the church but who, for whatever reason, have made without requiring any new abilities or changing
a study of religions and cults might recognize an indi- the balance of the rules.
vidual with a particularly high Cult Status. Whether It’s important to remember, however, that these
this is a good thing depends entirely on circumstances changes should be cosmetic only. They represent
and the deviousness of the Storyteller. changes in how a power manifests but not in what
it does. If an alteration changes the roll required
COSMETIC ALTERATIONS to use a power, makes a Discipline more or less
The characters tense as the wounded Gangrel effective, or does anything whatsoever to change
before them snarls in defiance and then abruptly dis- the mechanics, that alteration is inappropriate for
solves before their eyes. Much to their bewilderment, this purpose. The idea is to make Kindred of these
however, he turns not into a bank of mist but into a other faiths seem different, more mysterious — not
rolling cloud of dark smoke. stronger or weaker than their brethren.

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