Post by Bishop Priss on Nov 28, 2015 6:46:06 GMT
Creation Rites To hear vampires outside the sect talk, all Sabbat are created on the fly, with recruits being drained, fed, bashed over the head with a shovel, buried and left to claw their way to the surface in a starving frenzy. Needless to say, this is not always the case. Additionally, this method is not actually a Creation Rite.
Most Sabbat use the "shovelhead method" only in times of Jyhad. This method consists of collecting a number of victims, Embracing them with the tiniest quantity of blood possible, bashing them over the head with a shovel (to knock them unconscious before they frenzy) and burying them in a mass grave. The newly Embraced Cainites rouse quickly, and they must dig themselves out of the grave to sate their frenzy, often at the expense of the weaker vampires entombed with them. This method is simple, relatively quick and quite effective at stripping victims of their Humanity. In any event, vampires created this way have not actually received their Creation Rites. In fact, the Sabbat does not even consider them vampires yet, and it has little reservation against throwing legions of these frenzied horrors against their foes. The mere fact that one is not a vampire until he receives his Creation Rites is a matter of hypocrisy to the Sabbat-they accuse the elders of manipulating pawns to do their bidding, while they themselves hurl waves of lesser Cainites against their foes.
The Creation Rites themselves are much more serious, marking the passage from nonentity into True Sabbat. Only True Sabbat – those members who have proven themselves in combat or intrigue against the enemy and received the Creation Rites – may select recruits for the sect. They scrutinize potential recruits carefully over several days, weeks and (in some cases) years, looking for strength of conviction, determination and physical prowess. After the Embrace, the new vampire is eligible for the Creation Rites only after he has demonstrated his worth to the sect – perhaps the very night of his Embrace, perhaps years afterward.
Creation Rites always take place in the presence of a priest. The ritus itself is quite simple – the priest merely touches a flaming brand to the initiate's head and leads him in an oath of allegiance. The ceremony that precedes the Creation Rites, however, varies widely, and it is wholly in the hands of the Cainite's sire. Some Panders and Brujah antitribu have ceremonies not unlike gang initiations, which involve pummeling the vampire in question until the sire decides he's had enough. Tzimisce ceremonies are much more civil and formal affairs, often involving recitations of one's lineage and praise of one's sire. Some vampires require no ceremony at all, deciding that they have all the proof that they need from a given vampire's performance while still others require Byzantine trials or bizarre acts like bestiality, kidnapping, murder, self-mutilation or other depravity.
The Rites serve several purposes, both practical and symbolic. The flames help reduce the new Sabbat's fear of fire, while the ceremony teaches him what is expected of a Sabbat member like himself. Immediately following the Creation Rites comes a Vaulderie, which binds the Cainite to the pack, his new, immortal family.
System: Without the Creation Rites, a vampire is not truly a vampire to the Sabbat. Such an unfortunate may not participate in Sabbat rime or functions until he has received the Creation Rites, and is in fact considered vampira non grata, to be kicked about, abused and ordered around at any of the "real" vampires' whims. Oath of allegiance
Festivo dello Estinto The "Festival of the Dead" occurs during the entire second week of March. All Sabbat in a city take part, and nomadic packs make their way to the nearest Sabbat-held city to celebrate. The purpose is to revel in being a vampire, celebrating immortality by laughing in the face of death and decay. The celebration culminates in a Blood Feast of epic proportions, and nightly Vaulderies take place among (and sometimes between) the collected packs of the Sabbat. The revels are tailored to each individual pack, and the event has as many differences in celebration as it has commonalties. Some packs participate in ritual scarification. Some may waltz in slow circles around a bonfire, using disinterred corpses or bodies borrowed from the local morgue for dance partners. Others will re-enact passages from the Book of Nod. Against the backdrop of all this revelry, the bishops and archbishops watch with interest, encouraging their malignant "children" to indulge in what it truly means to be a vampire while participating in their own bloody, bacchanalian excesses. One popular event uses up to six Sabbat "contestants," each with a live human victim. The vampires use whatever means they can come up with to dismember and kill the victim, causing the most suffering and wasting the least amount of blood to spillage. The results are voted on by a panel of judges. The winner receives the honor of drawing first blood in the nightly Blood Feast.
Sabbat spend the entire week socializing and gorging on vitae. The packs hunt at will, giving little thought to hiding from the eyes of mortals. Often, mortals are singled out and used for games of fox and hound. Anything relevant to vampiric nature goes on at this celebration of immortality, and packs often mingle to trade war stories and concoct secret plans of their own.
System The festivities of the Festivo dello Estinto open once the highest-ranking priest in town declares it underway. For this week, very little is taboo, and as much happens behind closed doors as does amid the festival's events proper. Generally, this is a time of undead celebration-rivalries are put aside and Monomacies are forgotten as the Sabbat unite in a show of solidarity to bring Hell to Earth.
Fire Dance To most vampires, fire is something to be feared, respected and avoided, yet not to the Sabbat. While they still fear it, they are not above turning it loose on their enemies. In a sense, this fearlessness shows how truly fanatical the Sabbat are. They gladly take something that is anathema to vampires and use it against their foes, hoping it destroys more of their foes than themselves. To be fully Sabbat, one must face the Rötschreck and master it. Additionally, mastery of fire emboldens the Sabbat to use this powerful weapon against others of their kind.
This ritus has no particular time or place; priests may create one whenever a morale boost or rally becomes necessary. It is generally held before War Parties, and several packs at one time converge and participate in the Fire Dance. The ritus is entirely a test of courage. Since the Sabbat values free will greatly, pack members are allowed to refuse to participate in the Fire Dance, but they put themselves at risk of derision and disrespect at their cowardice from the rest of the pack.
To enact this ritus, the priest lights a large bonfire in a place secure from mortal eyes. Through the rhythmic beating of a drum, chanting or both, participating Cainites enter a trance-like frenzy, whirling around the flames, writhing before them and even prostrating themselves in front of the blaze. As the ceremony reaches its peak, the vampires rave and chant, and encourage each other to jump through the flames. They make fantastic leaps, some even turning aerial somersaults over and over again to the point of exhaustion. The Fire Dance comes to a close when the last vampire present has jumped through the flames and collapsed from all the activity.
System For a vampire to even approach the blazes, the player must succeed in a Courage roll (difficulty only 5, because of the trance-frenzy). For a vampire to successfully leap the flames, the player must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6 to simply j ump the flames, though Storytellers should feel free to increase the difficulty if the character tries to leap in a particularly dramatic or acrobatic way, which, doubtless, would impress the other Sabbat present). After a Fire Dance, characters who leapt through the flames gain a temporary bonus point of Courage for the three nights following the ritus. This bonus point may even exceed the normal Virtue limit of 5.
Monomacy It is inevitable that, among vampires as headstrong and violent as those of the Sabbat, differences of opinion occur. While the vast majority of these conflicts are handled with all the civility and reason a Sabbat can muster, some grievances are so deep as to warrant a more serious solution. When two (or more) Sabbat are unable to come to a resolution, the ritus of Monomacy serves to settle the issue.
To the uninitiated observer, Monomacy looks like a simple duel to the death. In truth, however, it is a good deal more. Monomacy serves the Sabbat as the ultimate evolutionary tool: By culling their ranks of those who are incompetent, the sect grows stronger. Monomacy is accorded a sacrosanct status among the vampires of the Sabbat, who recognize that without strong leaders, their struggle against the Antediluvians amounts to nothing. Additionally, the winner of a Monomacy typically diablerizes the loser.
Monomacy is usually practiced by only ranking members of packs. Many young Sabbat are too violent and hotheaded to recognize the gravity of ritual combat to the death, and would resort to it every time a packmate took blood from a vessel they decided they liked. As such, this ritus is conducted by the pack priest, to whom a challenge is issued simultaneously with the challenge to the rival. The priest then decides whether or not the grudge is worth Monomacy, and whether or not she chooses to preside over the ritual.
Should the priest deem the cause worthy, the challenged vampire may decline. In theory, there is nothing wrong with declining a challenge, but unless the challenger is of such little consequence as to be below the challengee’s notice, declining usually involves a great loss efface (and perhaps an unsanctioned duel afterward). If those who pursue the Monomacy hail from different packs, it may be necessary to involve a neutral third party, such as another pack’s priest or even the bishop or archbishop.
The actual practice of Monomacy varies widely – no formal code exists as to the choice of weapons, locations or even terms of victory. Most often, Monomacy duels are fought to Final Death in some ridiculously dangerous or highly inaccessible place like an iron foundry or atop a skyscraper. Whether or not the vampires may use weapons, Disciplines or other assets is typically the decision of the challenged. On the priest’s invocation of the ritus, the combat begins, and the last vampire standing is declared the winner, usually followed by other ritae and celebration. As Monomacy is an auctoritas ritus, formal weapons such as swords and daggers are usually used (if any); modern weapons, particularly firearms, are considered inelegant, clumsy and vulgar.
Not every Monomacy is this straightforward, however. Several Lasombra disputes have been settled on life-sized chessboards with living “pieces,” and one Tzimisce-Ventrue antitribu rivalry resulted in Monomacy that involved shooting each other’s ghouls until one competitor had none left standing. (The Tzimisce won.)
Many Sabbat issues are resolved this way, and to the victor usually go the spoils. Pack members who wish to challenge their leader’s position, Sabbat who take umbrage with their bishop’s leadership and rival pack priests with claims to each other’s established areas of influence have all used Monomacy to settle their disputes. Many Sabbat suspect that the regent of the sect attained her position by physically besting her predecessor.
System The details of Monomacy are best left to the story-troupes should be encouraged to add all the pomp and circumstance they wish to the ritus (as it is auctoritas, after all), though the exact details differ from pack to pack. Storytellers may wish to play up these differences, highlighting the outlooks of different packs and perhaps even interjecting improprieties and other subtle nuances for flavor (“You can’t challenge the pack leader now – it’s not three nights after the full moon!”).
The challenger decides upon the time and location of the duel. The challenged decides whether or not weapons will be used and what they will be, as well as any other details (until first blood instead of Final Death, no Disciplines, participants must wear blindfolds, participants must ride the wave of frenzy during the duel, etc.).
The priest administering the ritus is an official – the duel begins and ends on her word, and it may be aborted at any time. It is even within the priest’s power to declare a Monomacy null and void after the fact, but the priest who does this to favor her own candidate is looked upon with extreme displeasure thereafter by other Sabbat.
Palla Grande Of the 13 auctoritas ritae, the Palla Grande is the highlight of any Sabbat coven's ritual year. The "Grand Ball" takes place on All Hallows Eve, and all Sabbat in the city are expected to attend. Nomadic packs, not wanting to miss the festivities, travel to the closest Sabbat city in order to attend. The highest-ranking Sabbat in the city preside over the affair, and the city's most renowned priest opens the celebration. It is held in a public place such as a civic auditorium or a public park, as long as most of the revels take place in full view of as many humans as possible. In fact, most Sabbat arrange their Grand Balls like raves or public festivals, sometimes even charging mortals admission for the secretly malignant privilege of attendance. The vampires often go the whole nine yards when creating this party atmosphere, hiring bartenders and providing liquor and other refreshments for their guests.
As the Palla Grande is a major social event, the Ventrue and Toreador antitribu, Lasombra and Tzimisce usually find themselves with the responsibility of planning the affair. In true high-society fashion, many vampires also compete with each other for the most elaborate costumes. Often the most spectacular and unusual displays are by one or two elder Tzimisce skilled in the art of Fleshcraft, but it is not unheard of for a Toreador antitribu to exchange favors with a talented Tzimisce "artist" to create a finely fleshcrafted face or costume for the party. Indeed, the regent herself is rumored to have once had 50 mortals fleshcrafted to resemble her at a Grand Ball in the interests of "being everywhere and talking to everyone – and leaving an indelible impression."
Hidden away from the public debauchery, the Sabbat also consecrates a Blood Feast at the Palla Grande. The "kine-kegger," as the younger Sabbat call it, capitalizes on the public location of the masquerade ball. Victims for the feast are often vampire wannabes, drunken revelers and "witches" out for a good time on Halloween night. These victims are often lured to the feast under the pretense of being invited to attend an exclusive social affair. They have no idea just how fleeting the honor is to be. Other possible sources of vitae for the blood feast include retainers or ghouls selected from the Sabbat covens' own members who may be of no further use to the sect (or are too dangerous to allow to live).
The main event, which kicks off the affair at midnight, is the re-enactment of an event from vampire legend or history. This stage play could be anything from the slaying of Abel by Caine as told in Biblical terms to the dramatic interpretation of signs and portents of Gehenna. It is completely organized, acted and choreographed by a group of vampires, though "audience participation" in events depicting sacrifice or feeding does occur, with the "guest actors" being whisked away or quietly disposed of after their debut.
After the final act of the historical play, all Sabbat present retire to the Blood Feast for a special version of the Blood Bath. This night the archbishop bathes in the vitae, as a symbol of the sect's power and vitality. The ritual begins with blood from the victims suspended overhead flowing freely into a large, ornate receptacle where the archbishop reclines. Each vampire in the coven adds some of his own vitae to the bath, first bleeding into a ceremonial Vaulderie vessel, then tipping it into the bath. The archbishop performs various rituals and incantations while this process proceeds – details vary city to city. It is rumored that the Palla Grande Blood Bath imbues the archbishop with certain powers until the next sunrise, such as the ability to see into the realms of the dead.
At the conclusion of the Blood Bath, all Sabbat at the Palla Grande begin a frenetic dance of undeath, dancing to near-deafening music and drinking insatiably from the archbishop's bath, from the hanging vessels and from each other. Many of the participants fall into frenzy, driven on by the violence of the dance and the scent, sight and feel of blood coagulating on the floor, caked on walls and plashing from the carpets as dawn draws near.
Once the night's revels conclude, Sabbat ghouls take care of the clean-up. Any potential loose ends are swiftly dealt with over the next couple nights through death, the Discipline of Dominate or the Embrace, depending on the extent of the problem and potential use of the individuals involved.
System In addition to the benefits gained from the Blood Feast and Blood Bath, Sabbat vampires who attend the Palla Grande completely replenish their Willpower.
Sermons of Caine Some members of the Sabbat value their knowledge of the Book of Nod. Others don't know or care about the book, and they see their role in the Sabbat as one of endless war and violence. Those members who take the story of their origins very seriously often gather to hear sermons on their history to remind them who and what they are. This reminder serves to strengthen their loyalty to the sect and their ideology. Pack members take turns reciting from the Book of Nod, while the others sit in a semicircle holding lit candles and meditating on the passages. The sermons are sometimes followed by the Vaulderie, and, among more intellectual packs, intense deliberation. Pack members often discuss the passages read during the ritus almost until dawn.
Vampire history, particularly as far back as Cainite legendry is largely an oral tradition – very few copies of the Book of Nod actually exist. Few, if any, Sabbat packs can agree unanimously on the exact phraseology of a given passage from the book. The sect is divided on this matter – some Sabbat believe that as long as the spirit of the Book of Nod is preserved, the letter is irrelevant, while others maintain that for all Sabbat to have the same reference, a standard book needs to be decided upon. This schism, of course, results in a wide variety of individual positions on the matter, from violent support on both ends of the spectrum to a profound ambivalence for anything outside one's pack's take on the matter.
System While this ritus does not require a system for a mechanical effect, some Storytellers may wish to award experience points toward the Expert Knowledge: Noddist Lore for participation in this ritus (assuming the Storyteller permits Secondary Abilities, as per the Vampire Storytellers Companion). Otherwise, this convention is simply an opportunity for Storytelling, roleplaying and revealing bits of the great Cainite mystery.
The Binding The Sabbat grows nightly in strength, due to its unity of mind and ambition. All members of the Sabbat, from the lowliest surviving recruit to the regent herself, participate in the Binding. Group participation and familiarity with the ritual helps unify sect members, in a similar fashion as the Vaulderie. In essence, the Binding is a formal oath of allegiance to the sect, whereby the vampires swear fealty to the Sabbat. The event serves as a sober reminder of why the Sabbat exist as they do.
The ceremony opens with a recitation of the pack's interpretation of the Sabbat's credo. (Although no formal, written code exists, most Sabbat have enough presence of mind to compose a summation of the sect's doctrine. These may be anything from long, prosaic accounts to fervent, one-sentence rallies of vengeance.)
The event occurs on Winter Solstice night. In larger Sabbat-held cities, nomad packs in the region attend with the local founded packs. If possible, this important ritus is overseen by a member of higher status than pack priest, like a bishop or archbishop. Ideally the rite takes place at a beach, riverbank or by a waterfall. If such is impossible, a fountain will suffice. Especially desperate packs may use a simple square of white cloth. The water (or cloth) present represents the implacable nature of the sect – water always finds a way to flow around an obstruction, just as the Sabbat will one night find a way to surmount its terrible progenitors. The ritus often ends with an observation of the Vaulderie and the swearing of an oath to protect the Sabbat's secrets unto Final Death.
System For the month following the Binding, all Vinculum scores for vampires present at the ritus are increased by one. For this reason, many overt Sabbat war efforts take place in the winter to better capitalize on the righteous wrath engendered by this ritus.
The Blood Bath This ritus is performed whenever sect leaders wish to recognize a Sabbat vampire’s claim to a title, such as bishop or cardinal. The Blood Bath formalizes the vampire’s new status in the sect. As many Sabbat as possible who will serve under this new leader must attend the ceremony, for failing to do so without an adequate reason is a grave slight to the leader in question. Starting with the priest conducting the ritus, attendant sect leaders and other Sabbat take turns coming forward, kneeling in front of and expressing their endorsement of or allegiance to the Cainite, and contributing a quantity of blood into a large vessel. The newly titled vampire gives praise and/or advice to each of the vampires present, emphasizing the benefits the Sabbat stands to gain through the sharing of her wisdom. She then bathes in the blood donated to the pool. Following the ceremony, all vampires present drink from the bathing vessel (the blood in which is sometimes consecrated as a Vaulderie), symbolizing that they willingly partake of everything the new leader has to offer.
System Most Sabbat refuse to acknowledge a leader who has not been confirmed through a proper Blood Bath ceremony, if they have reason to suspect such.
The Blood Feast No formal Sabbat gathering would be complete without a Blood Feast-some Sabbat cities hold Blood Feasts as often as twice a year in addition to other events that require them. It serves both as sustenance and as a vehicle to express the Sabbat's lust to exist as the ultimate predator. The Blood Feast is a ritual "meal," in which captured vessels are suspended from the ceiling, bound to sculptures or otherwise immobilized and fed from at the leisure of all vampires present. The feast itself is as much social gathering as it is a structured ritus, and many Sabbat make grand entrances, wearing the best of their finery.
In preparation for a Blood Feast, a specially created pack or hunting party will have collected humans or even a rogue vampire or two the night before the feast. Much shouting, cheering and baring of fangs occurs as the hunting party makes a formal presentation of the night's feast to the highest-ranking Sabbat present. The official receives each victim and thanks the giver by kissing her forehead. He then hands the victims over to assistants chosen to prepare them for the feast. They bind the victims' hands and feet together and hoist them up on chains to hang at head level, or they tie (or nail) the victims to objects that prevent the slightest movement.
The night after the preparation, ghouls or low-ranking Sabbat prepare the feast location by placing the vessels. After all the guests have arrived – it is considered grievously poor form to be fashionably late – the priest, bishop or archbishop holding the service conducts the ritus, dedicating the vessels to the Sabbat. Cainites at the gathering then bite open the victims and feed on the fresh vitae, often licking the wounds closed so as not to waste. (Some particularly bountiful Blood Feasts, however, resemble debauched blood orgies, in which vitae splatters everywhere. At these incarnadine gatherings, the Sabbat literally wade through their victims' vitae, writhing in carnal lust amid the blood and violence that surrounds them.) Style of feeding varies greatly at this event. Many Lasombra and Toreador antitribu partake by draining the blood into champagne flutes, while most Brujah and Malkavian antitribu prefer to feed right from the tap.
There is usually one victim for every three vampires present at the feast; the presiding priest, bishop or archbishop gets first choice of the night's treats, and he draws first blood.
System The transubstantiation of simple vitae into the Blood of the Sabbat provides rich sustenance to vampires at Blood Feasts. Each blood point a Blood Feast victim possesses mystically transforms into two as it leaves his body. For this reason, feasts tend to get a bit sloppy, as vampires romp through the vitae and revel in the monstrosity of their Damnation. By the third night after a Blood Feast, however, the blood once again condenses back down to its original amount (if it hasn't been used and remains in a vampire's body).
Some Cainites of the Sabbat have been formally censured by higher-ranking Sabbat and even members of the Inquisition and Black Hand for relying too heavily on the Blood Feast. To be sure, mass-kidnappings and the bloodstained halls left behind can lead vampire hunters to the trail of careless vampires.
The Vaulderie The vampires of the Sabbat take their nightly struggle seriously – so seriously that they tolerate no dissent in their ranks. From the lowliest new recruit to the most exalted priscus, the Sabbat ensure loyalty to one another through a bloody ritus known as the Vaulderie. The Vaulderie is similar to a blood bond, though it differs in intent and function. No Sabbat would ever voluntarily succumb to a blood bond, reasoning that such bonds are the tools the elders use to enslave their childer. Rather, the Sabbat swear the Vaulderie to each other, bonding themselves to the pack instead of an individual, and thus, to the Sabbat's greater cause.
Those who are ignorant of the Vaulderie's finer details believe it to be a simple commingling of vampire vitae in a vessel and the subsequent drinking of it. In truth, the matter is far more mystical. To start the ritual, the priest takes a tool used specifically for the Vaulderie and nothing else and cuts her wrist. The ritual cutting tool could be a small knife, silver straight razor or awl. To impart more gravity to the ritus, many packs use elaborate ritual bloodletters decorated with engraved swirls, spirals or blood droplets. The priest then bleeds into a vessel and passes the cutting device to each Sabbat present, who pierces his own flesh and bleeds into the chalice. The vessel is then passed around the pack again and the priest recites an incantation over it, consecrating it as a terrible sacrament while every member of the pack draws a draught.
Vaulderies take place at any time – before assaults, during important Sabbat gatherings, at the initiation or Creation Rites of new members and almost infallibly at pack esbats. This ritus is perhaps the foundation of the sect's ritae, and it is afforded the most reverent status. The result of this ritus is known as a Vinculum, or blood-tie. These ties connect each member of the pack to one another, engendering a mutual loyalty in addition to bolstering pack morale. Because of the mystical nature of the Vaulderie, however, Vinculi are imperfect – what one pack member feels toward another one night may pale in comparison to what he feels toward her the next. Vinculum ratings may change every time the ritus is observed.
Without the Vaulderie, the Sabbat would probably collapse under its own weight and dogma – the chaos and anarchy that follows the sect endemically would erode what little organization it has without the loyalty and sympathy created by the ritus. Those who refuse the Vaulderie or oppose it are not viewed favorably by other Sabbat. Vampires who refuse to partake of the Vaulderie at least monthly suffer ostracism from the pack at best – and may become vessels for Blood Feasts or destroyed outright at worst.
System The first time a character observes the Vaulderie (or during creation of a Sabbat character), roll a die for each character whose vitae is part of the ritus. That number reflects the Vinculum the character feels toward the individual whose blood she ingested; see the chart for effects generated by individual Vinculi. Every time a new member participates in the Vaulderie, each player should roll a die and record the score for her Vinculum rating toward that character.
Example: Lucretia, Vaughan and Dezra (characters created by three players) have just partaken of the Vaulderie. Each player rolls a die for the two other players' characters and records this score as their Vinculum to that character. Lucretia's player rolls a 6 for her Vinculum to Dezra and a 4 for her Vinculum to Vaughan. During the course of the game, a new character, Madd Killah, joins the pack, and after her first Vaulderie with him, Lucretia gains a Vinculum of 5 toward him.
Each time the pack partakes of the Vaulderie, each player should roll one die for each of her Vinculi. If the result is higher than the Vinculum score, increase that Vinculum score by one (to a maximum of 10). If the result is a 1, lower the Vinculum score by one (to a minimum of 1).
At times, a character may be at odds with herself over how to react to a given situation because of Vinculi she possesses toward another vampire. In cases such as these, the player should decide which party her character would favor outside the Vinculum. The character then rolls a number of dice for each party equal to her Vinculum score for that individual against a difficulty of 5 (for the party favored regardless of Vinculum) or 7 (for all other parties). The individual who receives the greatest number of successes earns the character's aid. Such is the nature of the Damned and the Vinculum – a character who knows better may sometimes be forced into an obviously bad course of action by following her emotions.
Example: Lucretia has Vinculi toward packmates Dezra and Vaughan. The pack has heard there is a Camarilla Ventrue spy in their city, and its members cannot agree about the best resolution to the problem, Dezra proposes that the pack hunt him down and drink his vitae while. Vaughan believes that the best option is to ask around and try to find out information about this so-called spy, believing the confrontation of a vampire of unknown power to be folly. Lucretia thinks Vaughan's option is the wiser of the two, though she must test her Vinculi to see if emotion sways her loyalty to Dezra. She rolls six dice (her Vinculum to Dezra is 6) against difficulty 7 and gains three successes. For Vaughan, she rolls four dice (her Vinculum to Vaughanis4) against difficulty 5 and gains only one success. Against her better judgment, she sides with Deya, saying "I'm following Deya," while flashing Vaughan a defeated look. Dezra smiles and crosses his arms.
Note: It bears mention that, like the emotions engendered by blood bonds, these feelings are artificial, as they are created through ingestion of blood. It is quite possible for a character to utterly hate someone for whom she would risk her unlife, just as it is possible to have immense love for someone who has little in the way of Vinculum and everything in between. Players are encouraged to explore the full range of these complexities in their packs through roleplaying.
Note: Storytellers should require Vinculum rolls judiciously, and only in matters of dramatic significance. Too much reliance on Vinculum rolls strips free will from the players' characters, and instead of savoring the anguish of their emotional response, players may grow cross at being railroaded by dice rolls.
The Vaulderie can also corrode existing blood bonds. Multiple draughts of the Vaulderie may be required, but sooner or later, the pack's blood will overcome all but the most potent of vampiric vitae. A vampire wishing to break a blood bond via Vaulderie must have no more than one blood point in his blood pool, and must ingest six points of Vaulderie vitae. At that point, the old blood bond fades rapidly, replaced almost as quickly by Vinculi toward those whose blood composed the Vaulderie. A vampire attempting to replace Vinculi with a new blood bond is in for a disappointment – unless her blood is powerfully potent, Vinculi may not be so easily erased.
Unlike normal blood bonds, Vinculi do not fade over time – a Vinculum left after a Vaulderie with a vampire in nights hundreds of years past is still as potent as the night it arose. Indeed, many elder Sabbat have vast webs of Vinculi connecting them to sect members across the world. Some Sabbat whisper guardedly of a ritual that can break the Vinculum outright, though only members of the Nosferatu antitribu and the Inquisition are rumored to know this ritual. If these rumors are to be believed, the ritual breaks every Vinculum a vampire has, not just select ones. The Inquisition supposedly uses this ritual to break Vinculi toward infernalists, though its obvious other ramifications have many Sabbat worried about the true loyalties of their compatriots.
Vinculum Ratings Chart
Vinculum -Effect
10 You will readily give your life – or take the life of another – for the individual.
9 You will do practically anything for the individual, including putting yourself in great danger.
8 You will gladly offer resources or influential assistance to the individual.
7 You may put yourself at moderate risk of harm for the individual and, depending on your code of ethics, may kill for him.
6 You feel strongly for the individual and help him even if it inconveniences you. You will gladly fight for the individual.
5 You respect the individual and help him out as long as it's no huge risk or bother.
4 You will aid the individual as long as it doesn't involve risk or anything out of your way.
3 You are loyal to the individual as long as that loyalty doesn't interfere with your own designs.
2 You have a minor sense of kinship toward the individual, but you're not going to go out of your way to help him unless something's in it for you.
1 Fuck 'em. This isn't necessarily hostility, but you don't care about this person on a Vinculum level, though you may on a personal level.
The War Party The Sabbat thrives on diablerie and the destruction of elders, and this dangerous ritus serves to facilitate both of those urges.
War parties consist of multiple packs that vie for the blood of the non-Sabbat elder in question. Hunting the potent elders is not something undertaken lightly, and the Sabbat tries to sway the odds in its favor by sending numerous packs against the enemy. Of course, packs participating in the War Party compete against one another for the privilege of killing and diablerizing the elder, but rarely do the packs come into deadly conflict with each other, reserving their violence for their target.
In preparation for a War Party, the participating packs gather and celebrate. They may also perform the Fire Dance, listen to the Sermons of Caine and participate in a Blood Feast or Vaulderie. The chief of the War Party, usually the most accomplished or highest-ranking priest among the packs (though political War Parties may be called by bishops or other titled officials of the sect), offers the assembled packs the challenge. She stands before the individual packs, each lined up behind their leaders, and asks each of the packs' leaders in turn, "Do you come freely to war, and do you take up this noble cause, never resting until the blood of our enemy is spilled?" The leaders respond with a forceful "We do!" Only after the packs have committed to the hunt does he reveal the identity of their target. A pack suffers great humiliation if it backs out of a challenge after its members have committed themselves to this most dangerous game. For the remainder of the night, the vampires hold a revel, preparing themselves for the hunt the next evening holds in store.
The War Party sets out after its prey on the night following the challenge – the hunt has begun. Sabbat vampires on the warpath stop at nothing to take down their prey. They kill, bum, smash and overturn anyone or anything that stands between them and their target. In fact, once the Sabbat have entered their victim's haven, sometimes they don't even bother to use hallways, doors or passages, instead bursting literally through the walls to find their mark's inner sanctum.
Competition for the elder's blood is fierce during the War Party, but Sabbat almost always recognize the claim of the first vampire to sink his fangs into the victim. (Those who don't usually have their greedy asses beaten into submission by members of the claimant's pack.) Of course, merely biting the elder is no guarantee of victory, as few elders relinquish their blood so willingly. Obviously, once the pack has found the elder, a fight of epic proportions often ensues, unless the elder can somehow escape or convince the slavering, ravenous Sabbat to let him be. It is not unheard of for entire city blocks (under which erstwhile elders made their havens) to be leveled in the fray, as the potent powers of the Damned wreak havoc on the intruding vampires and everything around them.
Camarilla and Sabbat vampires most often come into contact during War Parties, as many of the Sabbat's targets claim membership in the Camarilla. Nothing short of Final Death can stop the packs from achieving their goal, resulting in major property damage, attacks on other Camarilla vampires or anarchs and general brawling. Even sabotage of another pack may occur, but these tactics are generally diversionary; they are rarely intended to do serious damage.
The winning pack is the one whose member consumes the elder's blood first. The target, unliving or dead, or some recognizable portion of the target, must be brought back to the place where the packs accepted the challenge. The Chief of the War Party accepts this trophy and bestows her blessing over the winning pack. Once the chief recognizes the winner, all bets are settled and another celebration is held.
System The vampire partaking of the diablerie gains the benefits (and sometimes detriments, depending on the potency of the elder's blood) of committing the Amaranth. Vampires who belong to the winning pack gain a temporary point of Sabbat Status. This point disappears at the end of the next War Party (unless the same pack wins again), or at the end of the next grandiose Sabbat affair, such as a Palla Grande or Festive dello Estinto. It goes away at the end to allow the characters to reap the benefits of their success. At the Storyteller's option, this Sabbat Status point may be made permanent if the hunted elder was of exceptional power or reputation.
The Wild Hunt One of the greatest crimes a Sabbat can commit is to turn traitor, and the sect protects its secrets. If a member reveals a sect secret to the enemy, she is punished severely.If a Sabbat leaks information of a vital nature, a priest may call for a Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt is much like the blood hunt, but ends with the eradication of the offending Sabbat sect member, as well as anyone – Kindred or kine – who may have knowledge of the information. Sabbat from all over the territory are called (and expected) to participate. Nothing stands in the way of a Wild Hunt. Obviously, the gravity of the Wild Hunt depends upon the traitor in question – the packs are expected to police their own ranks, while high-profile turncoats receive the attention of archbishops, prisci, cardinals and all those who serve them.
Necessity dictates that those who have passed on or gained forbidden Sabbat knowledge must be destroyed; it is done in a way that makes it plain that such a breach of trust is intolerable to the Sabbat. The priest assembles the local Sabbat and formally calls them to the hunt, which is sometimes similar to the preface of a War Party.
Once caught, the offending Sabbat is staked and immobilized. The pack takes her before the ductus and priest (or bishop, etc.), who recite her crimes to her packmates. The pack then torments the offender in whatever manner it deems appropriate – hot irons, Vicissitude and mutilation are the least creative forms of vengeance a righteous pack can inflict on a traitor. Finally, the pack destroys the traitor by throwing her (still staked) on a consecrated burning pyre. This action is often accompanied by a recitation from the Chronicle of Caine from the Book of Nod, to remind them all that they need unity to overpower their enemies, and mistrust within the sect destroys the Sabbat’s foundation.After the traitor meets her end, the Sabbat pursues those who either learned of the secret or were involved. Sabbat justice is relentless-the sect stops at nothing to ensure their security.Naturally, the Sabbat cannot know about every little (or even many of the big) secrets that slip through the cracks. Frustration over this fact often makes things doubly bad for those they do catch.
System Sabbat who are subject to the Wild Hunt are no longer Sabbat, and thus, no longer vampires. No amount of groveling (other than a contrition ritus) can convince the sect to take back a traitor, though this harsh reality comes more out of security than bullheadedness.
Most Sabbat use the "shovelhead method" only in times of Jyhad. This method consists of collecting a number of victims, Embracing them with the tiniest quantity of blood possible, bashing them over the head with a shovel (to knock them unconscious before they frenzy) and burying them in a mass grave. The newly Embraced Cainites rouse quickly, and they must dig themselves out of the grave to sate their frenzy, often at the expense of the weaker vampires entombed with them. This method is simple, relatively quick and quite effective at stripping victims of their Humanity. In any event, vampires created this way have not actually received their Creation Rites. In fact, the Sabbat does not even consider them vampires yet, and it has little reservation against throwing legions of these frenzied horrors against their foes. The mere fact that one is not a vampire until he receives his Creation Rites is a matter of hypocrisy to the Sabbat-they accuse the elders of manipulating pawns to do their bidding, while they themselves hurl waves of lesser Cainites against their foes.
The Creation Rites themselves are much more serious, marking the passage from nonentity into True Sabbat. Only True Sabbat – those members who have proven themselves in combat or intrigue against the enemy and received the Creation Rites – may select recruits for the sect. They scrutinize potential recruits carefully over several days, weeks and (in some cases) years, looking for strength of conviction, determination and physical prowess. After the Embrace, the new vampire is eligible for the Creation Rites only after he has demonstrated his worth to the sect – perhaps the very night of his Embrace, perhaps years afterward.
Creation Rites always take place in the presence of a priest. The ritus itself is quite simple – the priest merely touches a flaming brand to the initiate's head and leads him in an oath of allegiance. The ceremony that precedes the Creation Rites, however, varies widely, and it is wholly in the hands of the Cainite's sire. Some Panders and Brujah antitribu have ceremonies not unlike gang initiations, which involve pummeling the vampire in question until the sire decides he's had enough. Tzimisce ceremonies are much more civil and formal affairs, often involving recitations of one's lineage and praise of one's sire. Some vampires require no ceremony at all, deciding that they have all the proof that they need from a given vampire's performance while still others require Byzantine trials or bizarre acts like bestiality, kidnapping, murder, self-mutilation or other depravity.
The Rites serve several purposes, both practical and symbolic. The flames help reduce the new Sabbat's fear of fire, while the ceremony teaches him what is expected of a Sabbat member like himself. Immediately following the Creation Rites comes a Vaulderie, which binds the Cainite to the pack, his new, immortal family.
System: Without the Creation Rites, a vampire is not truly a vampire to the Sabbat. Such an unfortunate may not participate in Sabbat rime or functions until he has received the Creation Rites, and is in fact considered vampira non grata, to be kicked about, abused and ordered around at any of the "real" vampires' whims. Oath of allegiance
Festivo dello Estinto The "Festival of the Dead" occurs during the entire second week of March. All Sabbat in a city take part, and nomadic packs make their way to the nearest Sabbat-held city to celebrate. The purpose is to revel in being a vampire, celebrating immortality by laughing in the face of death and decay. The celebration culminates in a Blood Feast of epic proportions, and nightly Vaulderies take place among (and sometimes between) the collected packs of the Sabbat. The revels are tailored to each individual pack, and the event has as many differences in celebration as it has commonalties. Some packs participate in ritual scarification. Some may waltz in slow circles around a bonfire, using disinterred corpses or bodies borrowed from the local morgue for dance partners. Others will re-enact passages from the Book of Nod. Against the backdrop of all this revelry, the bishops and archbishops watch with interest, encouraging their malignant "children" to indulge in what it truly means to be a vampire while participating in their own bloody, bacchanalian excesses. One popular event uses up to six Sabbat "contestants," each with a live human victim. The vampires use whatever means they can come up with to dismember and kill the victim, causing the most suffering and wasting the least amount of blood to spillage. The results are voted on by a panel of judges. The winner receives the honor of drawing first blood in the nightly Blood Feast.
Sabbat spend the entire week socializing and gorging on vitae. The packs hunt at will, giving little thought to hiding from the eyes of mortals. Often, mortals are singled out and used for games of fox and hound. Anything relevant to vampiric nature goes on at this celebration of immortality, and packs often mingle to trade war stories and concoct secret plans of their own.
System The festivities of the Festivo dello Estinto open once the highest-ranking priest in town declares it underway. For this week, very little is taboo, and as much happens behind closed doors as does amid the festival's events proper. Generally, this is a time of undead celebration-rivalries are put aside and Monomacies are forgotten as the Sabbat unite in a show of solidarity to bring Hell to Earth.
Fire Dance To most vampires, fire is something to be feared, respected and avoided, yet not to the Sabbat. While they still fear it, they are not above turning it loose on their enemies. In a sense, this fearlessness shows how truly fanatical the Sabbat are. They gladly take something that is anathema to vampires and use it against their foes, hoping it destroys more of their foes than themselves. To be fully Sabbat, one must face the Rötschreck and master it. Additionally, mastery of fire emboldens the Sabbat to use this powerful weapon against others of their kind.
This ritus has no particular time or place; priests may create one whenever a morale boost or rally becomes necessary. It is generally held before War Parties, and several packs at one time converge and participate in the Fire Dance. The ritus is entirely a test of courage. Since the Sabbat values free will greatly, pack members are allowed to refuse to participate in the Fire Dance, but they put themselves at risk of derision and disrespect at their cowardice from the rest of the pack.
To enact this ritus, the priest lights a large bonfire in a place secure from mortal eyes. Through the rhythmic beating of a drum, chanting or both, participating Cainites enter a trance-like frenzy, whirling around the flames, writhing before them and even prostrating themselves in front of the blaze. As the ceremony reaches its peak, the vampires rave and chant, and encourage each other to jump through the flames. They make fantastic leaps, some even turning aerial somersaults over and over again to the point of exhaustion. The Fire Dance comes to a close when the last vampire present has jumped through the flames and collapsed from all the activity.
System For a vampire to even approach the blazes, the player must succeed in a Courage roll (difficulty only 5, because of the trance-frenzy). For a vampire to successfully leap the flames, the player must make a Dexterity + Athletics roll (difficulty 6 to simply j ump the flames, though Storytellers should feel free to increase the difficulty if the character tries to leap in a particularly dramatic or acrobatic way, which, doubtless, would impress the other Sabbat present). After a Fire Dance, characters who leapt through the flames gain a temporary bonus point of Courage for the three nights following the ritus. This bonus point may even exceed the normal Virtue limit of 5.
Monomacy It is inevitable that, among vampires as headstrong and violent as those of the Sabbat, differences of opinion occur. While the vast majority of these conflicts are handled with all the civility and reason a Sabbat can muster, some grievances are so deep as to warrant a more serious solution. When two (or more) Sabbat are unable to come to a resolution, the ritus of Monomacy serves to settle the issue.
To the uninitiated observer, Monomacy looks like a simple duel to the death. In truth, however, it is a good deal more. Monomacy serves the Sabbat as the ultimate evolutionary tool: By culling their ranks of those who are incompetent, the sect grows stronger. Monomacy is accorded a sacrosanct status among the vampires of the Sabbat, who recognize that without strong leaders, their struggle against the Antediluvians amounts to nothing. Additionally, the winner of a Monomacy typically diablerizes the loser.
Monomacy is usually practiced by only ranking members of packs. Many young Sabbat are too violent and hotheaded to recognize the gravity of ritual combat to the death, and would resort to it every time a packmate took blood from a vessel they decided they liked. As such, this ritus is conducted by the pack priest, to whom a challenge is issued simultaneously with the challenge to the rival. The priest then decides whether or not the grudge is worth Monomacy, and whether or not she chooses to preside over the ritual.
Should the priest deem the cause worthy, the challenged vampire may decline. In theory, there is nothing wrong with declining a challenge, but unless the challenger is of such little consequence as to be below the challengee’s notice, declining usually involves a great loss efface (and perhaps an unsanctioned duel afterward). If those who pursue the Monomacy hail from different packs, it may be necessary to involve a neutral third party, such as another pack’s priest or even the bishop or archbishop.
The actual practice of Monomacy varies widely – no formal code exists as to the choice of weapons, locations or even terms of victory. Most often, Monomacy duels are fought to Final Death in some ridiculously dangerous or highly inaccessible place like an iron foundry or atop a skyscraper. Whether or not the vampires may use weapons, Disciplines or other assets is typically the decision of the challenged. On the priest’s invocation of the ritus, the combat begins, and the last vampire standing is declared the winner, usually followed by other ritae and celebration. As Monomacy is an auctoritas ritus, formal weapons such as swords and daggers are usually used (if any); modern weapons, particularly firearms, are considered inelegant, clumsy and vulgar.
Not every Monomacy is this straightforward, however. Several Lasombra disputes have been settled on life-sized chessboards with living “pieces,” and one Tzimisce-Ventrue antitribu rivalry resulted in Monomacy that involved shooting each other’s ghouls until one competitor had none left standing. (The Tzimisce won.)
Many Sabbat issues are resolved this way, and to the victor usually go the spoils. Pack members who wish to challenge their leader’s position, Sabbat who take umbrage with their bishop’s leadership and rival pack priests with claims to each other’s established areas of influence have all used Monomacy to settle their disputes. Many Sabbat suspect that the regent of the sect attained her position by physically besting her predecessor.
System The details of Monomacy are best left to the story-troupes should be encouraged to add all the pomp and circumstance they wish to the ritus (as it is auctoritas, after all), though the exact details differ from pack to pack. Storytellers may wish to play up these differences, highlighting the outlooks of different packs and perhaps even interjecting improprieties and other subtle nuances for flavor (“You can’t challenge the pack leader now – it’s not three nights after the full moon!”).
The challenger decides upon the time and location of the duel. The challenged decides whether or not weapons will be used and what they will be, as well as any other details (until first blood instead of Final Death, no Disciplines, participants must wear blindfolds, participants must ride the wave of frenzy during the duel, etc.).
The priest administering the ritus is an official – the duel begins and ends on her word, and it may be aborted at any time. It is even within the priest’s power to declare a Monomacy null and void after the fact, but the priest who does this to favor her own candidate is looked upon with extreme displeasure thereafter by other Sabbat.
Palla Grande Of the 13 auctoritas ritae, the Palla Grande is the highlight of any Sabbat coven's ritual year. The "Grand Ball" takes place on All Hallows Eve, and all Sabbat in the city are expected to attend. Nomadic packs, not wanting to miss the festivities, travel to the closest Sabbat city in order to attend. The highest-ranking Sabbat in the city preside over the affair, and the city's most renowned priest opens the celebration. It is held in a public place such as a civic auditorium or a public park, as long as most of the revels take place in full view of as many humans as possible. In fact, most Sabbat arrange their Grand Balls like raves or public festivals, sometimes even charging mortals admission for the secretly malignant privilege of attendance. The vampires often go the whole nine yards when creating this party atmosphere, hiring bartenders and providing liquor and other refreshments for their guests.
As the Palla Grande is a major social event, the Ventrue and Toreador antitribu, Lasombra and Tzimisce usually find themselves with the responsibility of planning the affair. In true high-society fashion, many vampires also compete with each other for the most elaborate costumes. Often the most spectacular and unusual displays are by one or two elder Tzimisce skilled in the art of Fleshcraft, but it is not unheard of for a Toreador antitribu to exchange favors with a talented Tzimisce "artist" to create a finely fleshcrafted face or costume for the party. Indeed, the regent herself is rumored to have once had 50 mortals fleshcrafted to resemble her at a Grand Ball in the interests of "being everywhere and talking to everyone – and leaving an indelible impression."
Hidden away from the public debauchery, the Sabbat also consecrates a Blood Feast at the Palla Grande. The "kine-kegger," as the younger Sabbat call it, capitalizes on the public location of the masquerade ball. Victims for the feast are often vampire wannabes, drunken revelers and "witches" out for a good time on Halloween night. These victims are often lured to the feast under the pretense of being invited to attend an exclusive social affair. They have no idea just how fleeting the honor is to be. Other possible sources of vitae for the blood feast include retainers or ghouls selected from the Sabbat covens' own members who may be of no further use to the sect (or are too dangerous to allow to live).
The main event, which kicks off the affair at midnight, is the re-enactment of an event from vampire legend or history. This stage play could be anything from the slaying of Abel by Caine as told in Biblical terms to the dramatic interpretation of signs and portents of Gehenna. It is completely organized, acted and choreographed by a group of vampires, though "audience participation" in events depicting sacrifice or feeding does occur, with the "guest actors" being whisked away or quietly disposed of after their debut.
After the final act of the historical play, all Sabbat present retire to the Blood Feast for a special version of the Blood Bath. This night the archbishop bathes in the vitae, as a symbol of the sect's power and vitality. The ritual begins with blood from the victims suspended overhead flowing freely into a large, ornate receptacle where the archbishop reclines. Each vampire in the coven adds some of his own vitae to the bath, first bleeding into a ceremonial Vaulderie vessel, then tipping it into the bath. The archbishop performs various rituals and incantations while this process proceeds – details vary city to city. It is rumored that the Palla Grande Blood Bath imbues the archbishop with certain powers until the next sunrise, such as the ability to see into the realms of the dead.
At the conclusion of the Blood Bath, all Sabbat at the Palla Grande begin a frenetic dance of undeath, dancing to near-deafening music and drinking insatiably from the archbishop's bath, from the hanging vessels and from each other. Many of the participants fall into frenzy, driven on by the violence of the dance and the scent, sight and feel of blood coagulating on the floor, caked on walls and plashing from the carpets as dawn draws near.
Once the night's revels conclude, Sabbat ghouls take care of the clean-up. Any potential loose ends are swiftly dealt with over the next couple nights through death, the Discipline of Dominate or the Embrace, depending on the extent of the problem and potential use of the individuals involved.
System In addition to the benefits gained from the Blood Feast and Blood Bath, Sabbat vampires who attend the Palla Grande completely replenish their Willpower.
Sermons of Caine Some members of the Sabbat value their knowledge of the Book of Nod. Others don't know or care about the book, and they see their role in the Sabbat as one of endless war and violence. Those members who take the story of their origins very seriously often gather to hear sermons on their history to remind them who and what they are. This reminder serves to strengthen their loyalty to the sect and their ideology. Pack members take turns reciting from the Book of Nod, while the others sit in a semicircle holding lit candles and meditating on the passages. The sermons are sometimes followed by the Vaulderie, and, among more intellectual packs, intense deliberation. Pack members often discuss the passages read during the ritus almost until dawn.
Vampire history, particularly as far back as Cainite legendry is largely an oral tradition – very few copies of the Book of Nod actually exist. Few, if any, Sabbat packs can agree unanimously on the exact phraseology of a given passage from the book. The sect is divided on this matter – some Sabbat believe that as long as the spirit of the Book of Nod is preserved, the letter is irrelevant, while others maintain that for all Sabbat to have the same reference, a standard book needs to be decided upon. This schism, of course, results in a wide variety of individual positions on the matter, from violent support on both ends of the spectrum to a profound ambivalence for anything outside one's pack's take on the matter.
System While this ritus does not require a system for a mechanical effect, some Storytellers may wish to award experience points toward the Expert Knowledge: Noddist Lore for participation in this ritus (assuming the Storyteller permits Secondary Abilities, as per the Vampire Storytellers Companion). Otherwise, this convention is simply an opportunity for Storytelling, roleplaying and revealing bits of the great Cainite mystery.
The Binding The Sabbat grows nightly in strength, due to its unity of mind and ambition. All members of the Sabbat, from the lowliest surviving recruit to the regent herself, participate in the Binding. Group participation and familiarity with the ritual helps unify sect members, in a similar fashion as the Vaulderie. In essence, the Binding is a formal oath of allegiance to the sect, whereby the vampires swear fealty to the Sabbat. The event serves as a sober reminder of why the Sabbat exist as they do.
The ceremony opens with a recitation of the pack's interpretation of the Sabbat's credo. (Although no formal, written code exists, most Sabbat have enough presence of mind to compose a summation of the sect's doctrine. These may be anything from long, prosaic accounts to fervent, one-sentence rallies of vengeance.)
The event occurs on Winter Solstice night. In larger Sabbat-held cities, nomad packs in the region attend with the local founded packs. If possible, this important ritus is overseen by a member of higher status than pack priest, like a bishop or archbishop. Ideally the rite takes place at a beach, riverbank or by a waterfall. If such is impossible, a fountain will suffice. Especially desperate packs may use a simple square of white cloth. The water (or cloth) present represents the implacable nature of the sect – water always finds a way to flow around an obstruction, just as the Sabbat will one night find a way to surmount its terrible progenitors. The ritus often ends with an observation of the Vaulderie and the swearing of an oath to protect the Sabbat's secrets unto Final Death.
System For the month following the Binding, all Vinculum scores for vampires present at the ritus are increased by one. For this reason, many overt Sabbat war efforts take place in the winter to better capitalize on the righteous wrath engendered by this ritus.
The Blood Bath This ritus is performed whenever sect leaders wish to recognize a Sabbat vampire’s claim to a title, such as bishop or cardinal. The Blood Bath formalizes the vampire’s new status in the sect. As many Sabbat as possible who will serve under this new leader must attend the ceremony, for failing to do so without an adequate reason is a grave slight to the leader in question. Starting with the priest conducting the ritus, attendant sect leaders and other Sabbat take turns coming forward, kneeling in front of and expressing their endorsement of or allegiance to the Cainite, and contributing a quantity of blood into a large vessel. The newly titled vampire gives praise and/or advice to each of the vampires present, emphasizing the benefits the Sabbat stands to gain through the sharing of her wisdom. She then bathes in the blood donated to the pool. Following the ceremony, all vampires present drink from the bathing vessel (the blood in which is sometimes consecrated as a Vaulderie), symbolizing that they willingly partake of everything the new leader has to offer.
System Most Sabbat refuse to acknowledge a leader who has not been confirmed through a proper Blood Bath ceremony, if they have reason to suspect such.
The Blood Feast No formal Sabbat gathering would be complete without a Blood Feast-some Sabbat cities hold Blood Feasts as often as twice a year in addition to other events that require them. It serves both as sustenance and as a vehicle to express the Sabbat's lust to exist as the ultimate predator. The Blood Feast is a ritual "meal," in which captured vessels are suspended from the ceiling, bound to sculptures or otherwise immobilized and fed from at the leisure of all vampires present. The feast itself is as much social gathering as it is a structured ritus, and many Sabbat make grand entrances, wearing the best of their finery.
In preparation for a Blood Feast, a specially created pack or hunting party will have collected humans or even a rogue vampire or two the night before the feast. Much shouting, cheering and baring of fangs occurs as the hunting party makes a formal presentation of the night's feast to the highest-ranking Sabbat present. The official receives each victim and thanks the giver by kissing her forehead. He then hands the victims over to assistants chosen to prepare them for the feast. They bind the victims' hands and feet together and hoist them up on chains to hang at head level, or they tie (or nail) the victims to objects that prevent the slightest movement.
The night after the preparation, ghouls or low-ranking Sabbat prepare the feast location by placing the vessels. After all the guests have arrived – it is considered grievously poor form to be fashionably late – the priest, bishop or archbishop holding the service conducts the ritus, dedicating the vessels to the Sabbat. Cainites at the gathering then bite open the victims and feed on the fresh vitae, often licking the wounds closed so as not to waste. (Some particularly bountiful Blood Feasts, however, resemble debauched blood orgies, in which vitae splatters everywhere. At these incarnadine gatherings, the Sabbat literally wade through their victims' vitae, writhing in carnal lust amid the blood and violence that surrounds them.) Style of feeding varies greatly at this event. Many Lasombra and Toreador antitribu partake by draining the blood into champagne flutes, while most Brujah and Malkavian antitribu prefer to feed right from the tap.
There is usually one victim for every three vampires present at the feast; the presiding priest, bishop or archbishop gets first choice of the night's treats, and he draws first blood.
System The transubstantiation of simple vitae into the Blood of the Sabbat provides rich sustenance to vampires at Blood Feasts. Each blood point a Blood Feast victim possesses mystically transforms into two as it leaves his body. For this reason, feasts tend to get a bit sloppy, as vampires romp through the vitae and revel in the monstrosity of their Damnation. By the third night after a Blood Feast, however, the blood once again condenses back down to its original amount (if it hasn't been used and remains in a vampire's body).
Some Cainites of the Sabbat have been formally censured by higher-ranking Sabbat and even members of the Inquisition and Black Hand for relying too heavily on the Blood Feast. To be sure, mass-kidnappings and the bloodstained halls left behind can lead vampire hunters to the trail of careless vampires.
The Vaulderie The vampires of the Sabbat take their nightly struggle seriously – so seriously that they tolerate no dissent in their ranks. From the lowliest new recruit to the most exalted priscus, the Sabbat ensure loyalty to one another through a bloody ritus known as the Vaulderie. The Vaulderie is similar to a blood bond, though it differs in intent and function. No Sabbat would ever voluntarily succumb to a blood bond, reasoning that such bonds are the tools the elders use to enslave their childer. Rather, the Sabbat swear the Vaulderie to each other, bonding themselves to the pack instead of an individual, and thus, to the Sabbat's greater cause.
Those who are ignorant of the Vaulderie's finer details believe it to be a simple commingling of vampire vitae in a vessel and the subsequent drinking of it. In truth, the matter is far more mystical. To start the ritual, the priest takes a tool used specifically for the Vaulderie and nothing else and cuts her wrist. The ritual cutting tool could be a small knife, silver straight razor or awl. To impart more gravity to the ritus, many packs use elaborate ritual bloodletters decorated with engraved swirls, spirals or blood droplets. The priest then bleeds into a vessel and passes the cutting device to each Sabbat present, who pierces his own flesh and bleeds into the chalice. The vessel is then passed around the pack again and the priest recites an incantation over it, consecrating it as a terrible sacrament while every member of the pack draws a draught.
Vaulderies take place at any time – before assaults, during important Sabbat gatherings, at the initiation or Creation Rites of new members and almost infallibly at pack esbats. This ritus is perhaps the foundation of the sect's ritae, and it is afforded the most reverent status. The result of this ritus is known as a Vinculum, or blood-tie. These ties connect each member of the pack to one another, engendering a mutual loyalty in addition to bolstering pack morale. Because of the mystical nature of the Vaulderie, however, Vinculi are imperfect – what one pack member feels toward another one night may pale in comparison to what he feels toward her the next. Vinculum ratings may change every time the ritus is observed.
Without the Vaulderie, the Sabbat would probably collapse under its own weight and dogma – the chaos and anarchy that follows the sect endemically would erode what little organization it has without the loyalty and sympathy created by the ritus. Those who refuse the Vaulderie or oppose it are not viewed favorably by other Sabbat. Vampires who refuse to partake of the Vaulderie at least monthly suffer ostracism from the pack at best – and may become vessels for Blood Feasts or destroyed outright at worst.
System The first time a character observes the Vaulderie (or during creation of a Sabbat character), roll a die for each character whose vitae is part of the ritus. That number reflects the Vinculum the character feels toward the individual whose blood she ingested; see the chart for effects generated by individual Vinculi. Every time a new member participates in the Vaulderie, each player should roll a die and record the score for her Vinculum rating toward that character.
Example: Lucretia, Vaughan and Dezra (characters created by three players) have just partaken of the Vaulderie. Each player rolls a die for the two other players' characters and records this score as their Vinculum to that character. Lucretia's player rolls a 6 for her Vinculum to Dezra and a 4 for her Vinculum to Vaughan. During the course of the game, a new character, Madd Killah, joins the pack, and after her first Vaulderie with him, Lucretia gains a Vinculum of 5 toward him.
Each time the pack partakes of the Vaulderie, each player should roll one die for each of her Vinculi. If the result is higher than the Vinculum score, increase that Vinculum score by one (to a maximum of 10). If the result is a 1, lower the Vinculum score by one (to a minimum of 1).
At times, a character may be at odds with herself over how to react to a given situation because of Vinculi she possesses toward another vampire. In cases such as these, the player should decide which party her character would favor outside the Vinculum. The character then rolls a number of dice for each party equal to her Vinculum score for that individual against a difficulty of 5 (for the party favored regardless of Vinculum) or 7 (for all other parties). The individual who receives the greatest number of successes earns the character's aid. Such is the nature of the Damned and the Vinculum – a character who knows better may sometimes be forced into an obviously bad course of action by following her emotions.
Example: Lucretia has Vinculi toward packmates Dezra and Vaughan. The pack has heard there is a Camarilla Ventrue spy in their city, and its members cannot agree about the best resolution to the problem, Dezra proposes that the pack hunt him down and drink his vitae while. Vaughan believes that the best option is to ask around and try to find out information about this so-called spy, believing the confrontation of a vampire of unknown power to be folly. Lucretia thinks Vaughan's option is the wiser of the two, though she must test her Vinculi to see if emotion sways her loyalty to Dezra. She rolls six dice (her Vinculum to Dezra is 6) against difficulty 7 and gains three successes. For Vaughan, she rolls four dice (her Vinculum to Vaughanis4) against difficulty 5 and gains only one success. Against her better judgment, she sides with Deya, saying "I'm following Deya," while flashing Vaughan a defeated look. Dezra smiles and crosses his arms.
Note: It bears mention that, like the emotions engendered by blood bonds, these feelings are artificial, as they are created through ingestion of blood. It is quite possible for a character to utterly hate someone for whom she would risk her unlife, just as it is possible to have immense love for someone who has little in the way of Vinculum and everything in between. Players are encouraged to explore the full range of these complexities in their packs through roleplaying.
Note: Storytellers should require Vinculum rolls judiciously, and only in matters of dramatic significance. Too much reliance on Vinculum rolls strips free will from the players' characters, and instead of savoring the anguish of their emotional response, players may grow cross at being railroaded by dice rolls.
The Vaulderie can also corrode existing blood bonds. Multiple draughts of the Vaulderie may be required, but sooner or later, the pack's blood will overcome all but the most potent of vampiric vitae. A vampire wishing to break a blood bond via Vaulderie must have no more than one blood point in his blood pool, and must ingest six points of Vaulderie vitae. At that point, the old blood bond fades rapidly, replaced almost as quickly by Vinculi toward those whose blood composed the Vaulderie. A vampire attempting to replace Vinculi with a new blood bond is in for a disappointment – unless her blood is powerfully potent, Vinculi may not be so easily erased.
Unlike normal blood bonds, Vinculi do not fade over time – a Vinculum left after a Vaulderie with a vampire in nights hundreds of years past is still as potent as the night it arose. Indeed, many elder Sabbat have vast webs of Vinculi connecting them to sect members across the world. Some Sabbat whisper guardedly of a ritual that can break the Vinculum outright, though only members of the Nosferatu antitribu and the Inquisition are rumored to know this ritual. If these rumors are to be believed, the ritual breaks every Vinculum a vampire has, not just select ones. The Inquisition supposedly uses this ritual to break Vinculi toward infernalists, though its obvious other ramifications have many Sabbat worried about the true loyalties of their compatriots.
Vinculum Ratings Chart
Vinculum -Effect
10 You will readily give your life – or take the life of another – for the individual.
9 You will do practically anything for the individual, including putting yourself in great danger.
8 You will gladly offer resources or influential assistance to the individual.
7 You may put yourself at moderate risk of harm for the individual and, depending on your code of ethics, may kill for him.
6 You feel strongly for the individual and help him even if it inconveniences you. You will gladly fight for the individual.
5 You respect the individual and help him out as long as it's no huge risk or bother.
4 You will aid the individual as long as it doesn't involve risk or anything out of your way.
3 You are loyal to the individual as long as that loyalty doesn't interfere with your own designs.
2 You have a minor sense of kinship toward the individual, but you're not going to go out of your way to help him unless something's in it for you.
1 Fuck 'em. This isn't necessarily hostility, but you don't care about this person on a Vinculum level, though you may on a personal level.
The War Party The Sabbat thrives on diablerie and the destruction of elders, and this dangerous ritus serves to facilitate both of those urges.
War parties consist of multiple packs that vie for the blood of the non-Sabbat elder in question. Hunting the potent elders is not something undertaken lightly, and the Sabbat tries to sway the odds in its favor by sending numerous packs against the enemy. Of course, packs participating in the War Party compete against one another for the privilege of killing and diablerizing the elder, but rarely do the packs come into deadly conflict with each other, reserving their violence for their target.
In preparation for a War Party, the participating packs gather and celebrate. They may also perform the Fire Dance, listen to the Sermons of Caine and participate in a Blood Feast or Vaulderie. The chief of the War Party, usually the most accomplished or highest-ranking priest among the packs (though political War Parties may be called by bishops or other titled officials of the sect), offers the assembled packs the challenge. She stands before the individual packs, each lined up behind their leaders, and asks each of the packs' leaders in turn, "Do you come freely to war, and do you take up this noble cause, never resting until the blood of our enemy is spilled?" The leaders respond with a forceful "We do!" Only after the packs have committed to the hunt does he reveal the identity of their target. A pack suffers great humiliation if it backs out of a challenge after its members have committed themselves to this most dangerous game. For the remainder of the night, the vampires hold a revel, preparing themselves for the hunt the next evening holds in store.
The War Party sets out after its prey on the night following the challenge – the hunt has begun. Sabbat vampires on the warpath stop at nothing to take down their prey. They kill, bum, smash and overturn anyone or anything that stands between them and their target. In fact, once the Sabbat have entered their victim's haven, sometimes they don't even bother to use hallways, doors or passages, instead bursting literally through the walls to find their mark's inner sanctum.
Competition for the elder's blood is fierce during the War Party, but Sabbat almost always recognize the claim of the first vampire to sink his fangs into the victim. (Those who don't usually have their greedy asses beaten into submission by members of the claimant's pack.) Of course, merely biting the elder is no guarantee of victory, as few elders relinquish their blood so willingly. Obviously, once the pack has found the elder, a fight of epic proportions often ensues, unless the elder can somehow escape or convince the slavering, ravenous Sabbat to let him be. It is not unheard of for entire city blocks (under which erstwhile elders made their havens) to be leveled in the fray, as the potent powers of the Damned wreak havoc on the intruding vampires and everything around them.
Camarilla and Sabbat vampires most often come into contact during War Parties, as many of the Sabbat's targets claim membership in the Camarilla. Nothing short of Final Death can stop the packs from achieving their goal, resulting in major property damage, attacks on other Camarilla vampires or anarchs and general brawling. Even sabotage of another pack may occur, but these tactics are generally diversionary; they are rarely intended to do serious damage.
The winning pack is the one whose member consumes the elder's blood first. The target, unliving or dead, or some recognizable portion of the target, must be brought back to the place where the packs accepted the challenge. The Chief of the War Party accepts this trophy and bestows her blessing over the winning pack. Once the chief recognizes the winner, all bets are settled and another celebration is held.
System The vampire partaking of the diablerie gains the benefits (and sometimes detriments, depending on the potency of the elder's blood) of committing the Amaranth. Vampires who belong to the winning pack gain a temporary point of Sabbat Status. This point disappears at the end of the next War Party (unless the same pack wins again), or at the end of the next grandiose Sabbat affair, such as a Palla Grande or Festive dello Estinto. It goes away at the end to allow the characters to reap the benefits of their success. At the Storyteller's option, this Sabbat Status point may be made permanent if the hunted elder was of exceptional power or reputation.
The Wild Hunt One of the greatest crimes a Sabbat can commit is to turn traitor, and the sect protects its secrets. If a member reveals a sect secret to the enemy, she is punished severely.If a Sabbat leaks information of a vital nature, a priest may call for a Wild Hunt. The Wild Hunt is much like the blood hunt, but ends with the eradication of the offending Sabbat sect member, as well as anyone – Kindred or kine – who may have knowledge of the information. Sabbat from all over the territory are called (and expected) to participate. Nothing stands in the way of a Wild Hunt. Obviously, the gravity of the Wild Hunt depends upon the traitor in question – the packs are expected to police their own ranks, while high-profile turncoats receive the attention of archbishops, prisci, cardinals and all those who serve them.
Necessity dictates that those who have passed on or gained forbidden Sabbat knowledge must be destroyed; it is done in a way that makes it plain that such a breach of trust is intolerable to the Sabbat. The priest assembles the local Sabbat and formally calls them to the hunt, which is sometimes similar to the preface of a War Party.
Once caught, the offending Sabbat is staked and immobilized. The pack takes her before the ductus and priest (or bishop, etc.), who recite her crimes to her packmates. The pack then torments the offender in whatever manner it deems appropriate – hot irons, Vicissitude and mutilation are the least creative forms of vengeance a righteous pack can inflict on a traitor. Finally, the pack destroys the traitor by throwing her (still staked) on a consecrated burning pyre. This action is often accompanied by a recitation from the Chronicle of Caine from the Book of Nod, to remind them all that they need unity to overpower their enemies, and mistrust within the sect destroys the Sabbat’s foundation.After the traitor meets her end, the Sabbat pursues those who either learned of the secret or were involved. Sabbat justice is relentless-the sect stops at nothing to ensure their security.Naturally, the Sabbat cannot know about every little (or even many of the big) secrets that slip through the cracks. Frustration over this fact often makes things doubly bad for those they do catch.
System Sabbat who are subject to the Wild Hunt are no longer Sabbat, and thus, no longer vampires. No amount of groveling (other than a contrition ritus) can convince the sect to take back a traitor, though this harsh reality comes more out of security than bullheadedness.