Post by Zillah on Mar 3, 2007 8:06:21 GMT -6
Although the network of Cainite feudalism dominates the Dark Medieval night, not all vampires choose to exist under the banners of the lord and princes. Cainite society, for all its appearance otherwise, has always been fractures, composed of cults and blood families. In the shadows of the courts, a handful of other sects exist. Some are nothing more than secret societies, while others are rivals to the princes and lords of the era.
The Inconnu
When Rome fell, many of its old and powerful Cainite simply vanished--fading into the shadows never to be heard from again. These secretive and melancholic vampires make up the Inconnu. Unlike the monarchs, many of the Inconnu choose to remain hidden. They are rumored to lair beneath ancient cities, watching their younger brethren make the same mistakes they made with Rome. Some try to guide and help; others are vengeful and proud and only wish to see all Cainites suffer as they did when Rome collapsed. It is said that the Inconnu played a role in the fall of Constantinople. If so, this is a crime for which the sect may never forgive itself. Since the dawn of the 13th century, the Inconnu has practiced a policy of non-interference, only going as far as dispatching spies and envoys ("watchers", to use their term) to keep tabs on the lords and princes. The Inconnu is also leading efforts to safeguard Cainite knowledge as the War of Princes rages, and old and precious manuscripts go up in flames.
Most princes and monarchs discount the Inconnu as a rumor--superstitious babble of ancient "bogeymen." Behind closed doors, however, those who remember Rome remember the powerful lords of its nights and know better than to provoke the anger of the sleeping dragon that is the Inconnu.
The Order of the Bitter Ashes
The Cainite knights of the Order of the Bitter Ashes seek the redemption that Caine rejected and devote their unlives to the Light of God. Its origin is shrouded in mystery, but the Order is present in Europe and the Holy Land. It pursued a mandate supposedly handed down from Christ himself. Most of its followers believe that it is their duty to safeguard and protect holy relics--tangible proof of God's existence--from falling into the wrong Cainite or mortal hands. Countless tales of the Order exist. Some claim they ride ghoul stallions and fight infernal forces in the name of God, or that Cainite knights of the Order have partaken of Christ's blood and been freed of the torments of the Beast. Only the knights of the Bitter Ashes know the truth, and few are willing to share their sect's secrets with outsiders.
However, the sect is past its prime. Both internal and external enemies have eroded much of its influence. Many of its holdings in the Holy Land have been lost, along with its relics, because of the Crusades and Cainite infighting. Even in Europe, the Order is on the defensive. Although the Order was once a power to be reckoned with in Languedoc and Iberia, the Albigensian Crusade and the Reconquista have made ruins of many of the Order's keeps. Only its headquarters, the Castle by the Lake, in Scotland remains hidden and safe--but for how much longer none can say for sure. Still, no matter the setbacks, the knights of the Order remain faithful to their mandate, and they are always on the lookout for those who are worthy of God's redemption.
Although the Order is waning, this has not stopped its knights from continuing their holy mandate. Across Europe, from Provence to Northern Germany, Grail Knights search for lost relics, following rumors and legends to the dark concerns of the known world. It is said that a Grail knight sees more in a single year than most elders do in centuries of unlife. However, as the Order comes in contact with the blood courts of princes and lords, its knights find it hard to avoid being drawn into the conflicts of the War of Princes. This is proving to be a losing battle. Many princes and lords have baited Grail Knights into fighting for them with promises of relics.
The Furores
The nights are changing. Cainites are pushed further and further into the shadows and the young chafe under the oppression of the old. Wherever there are those with power, such as lords and princes, there are always malcontents and outlaws. Among Cainites, these outlaws have a name--the Furores. Most Furores, be they brigands, bandits or rebels, refuse to bow down to the archaic Traditions of Caine and the rule of the elders. They see unlife as a gift that liberates them from the oppression of their mortal lives. To willingly subject themselves to servitude, whether to their sire or prince, is unforgivable.
Chaotic free spirits, the Furores are growing bold. The rise of the cities and its middle class of guilds and merchants have allowed the Furores to carve out their own kingdoms under the noses of the lords and princes who would not dirty their hands with the likes or artisans, performers, and laborers. It is not surprising that the ranks of the Furores swell with neonates of both Low and High Clans who are tired of being oppressed by their sires and princes.
Over the last few decades, the port city of Marseilles has become a haven for the Furores, a constant source of embarrassment to St. Regis, the Toreador prince of the city. As more and more Furore flock to the city, tensions inch their way to open warfare. St Regis, is fighting a losing battle, as he is isolated from both the Courts of Love and Paris because of the Albigensian Crusade. Many among the Furores hold out hope that Marseilles will become a free city before the end of the decade.
The Prometheans
The Prometheans remember Carthage and long to recreate it. Taking their name from Prometheus, who defied the gods and gave humanity the gift of fire, the Firebringers (as they are sometimes called) want to enlighten both Cainites and mortals. They want to usher in a new age when both the Children of Caine and of Seth live as one. Dreamers and idealists, their Utopian vision of "New Carthage" unites the Prometheans with a common goal. The sect attracts Cainites from all strata, from princes and lords to those of the Low Clans. Like the Furores, the Firebringers hope to effect change from the bottom up, targeting young Cainites and the burgeoning middle class rather than going after nobles and elders. More organized than the Furores, the Prometheans have influence over the growing criminal elements in cities, as well as the merchant and guilds.
The Cainite Heresy
Dreaded and feared, the Cainite Heresy is a stain upon the nights of the 13th century. Tainting Gnostic and early Christian dogma with lies and Cainite apocrypha, the Heresy's origins stretch as far back as the first centuries after the birth of Christ. Since then, it has used its blasphemous teachings, coercion and outright manipulation (not to mention evangelism and proselytizing) to increase its congregation and weave its tentacles into the Church and many of the royal houses of Europe.
The Crimson Curia, a body of the cult's most influential priests, leads the Heresy. It is the Crimson Curia that sets the Heresy's doctrine and attempts to coordinate its movements, a task near impossible given the Heresy's fragmented nature. The Curia espouses that Caine was, in fact, God's favorite and this mark was a sign of God's favor, not a curse. In turn, having been touched by the hand of God, all Cainites are akin to angels, revered as divine beings and true prophets and messiahs. Since its early nights, the Cainite Heresy has infiltrated and subverted the Catholic priesthood, amassing great wealth and influence in the process. It has even woven its tendrils into the Road of Heaven, turning otherwise pious Cainites onto a darker path that can lead to darkness and damnation. In turn, some prominent followers of the Road of Heaven have started to focus their attention on eradicating the Heresy.
More pressing for the Heresy is the belief that year 1239 will herald the coming of Gehenna. Many of its followers, both mortal and Cainite, are busy preparing for this eventuality, convinced Caine will return to pass his judgment before the decade is over.
The Inconnu
When Rome fell, many of its old and powerful Cainite simply vanished--fading into the shadows never to be heard from again. These secretive and melancholic vampires make up the Inconnu. Unlike the monarchs, many of the Inconnu choose to remain hidden. They are rumored to lair beneath ancient cities, watching their younger brethren make the same mistakes they made with Rome. Some try to guide and help; others are vengeful and proud and only wish to see all Cainites suffer as they did when Rome collapsed. It is said that the Inconnu played a role in the fall of Constantinople. If so, this is a crime for which the sect may never forgive itself. Since the dawn of the 13th century, the Inconnu has practiced a policy of non-interference, only going as far as dispatching spies and envoys ("watchers", to use their term) to keep tabs on the lords and princes. The Inconnu is also leading efforts to safeguard Cainite knowledge as the War of Princes rages, and old and precious manuscripts go up in flames.
Most princes and monarchs discount the Inconnu as a rumor--superstitious babble of ancient "bogeymen." Behind closed doors, however, those who remember Rome remember the powerful lords of its nights and know better than to provoke the anger of the sleeping dragon that is the Inconnu.
The Order of the Bitter Ashes
The Cainite knights of the Order of the Bitter Ashes seek the redemption that Caine rejected and devote their unlives to the Light of God. Its origin is shrouded in mystery, but the Order is present in Europe and the Holy Land. It pursued a mandate supposedly handed down from Christ himself. Most of its followers believe that it is their duty to safeguard and protect holy relics--tangible proof of God's existence--from falling into the wrong Cainite or mortal hands. Countless tales of the Order exist. Some claim they ride ghoul stallions and fight infernal forces in the name of God, or that Cainite knights of the Order have partaken of Christ's blood and been freed of the torments of the Beast. Only the knights of the Bitter Ashes know the truth, and few are willing to share their sect's secrets with outsiders.
However, the sect is past its prime. Both internal and external enemies have eroded much of its influence. Many of its holdings in the Holy Land have been lost, along with its relics, because of the Crusades and Cainite infighting. Even in Europe, the Order is on the defensive. Although the Order was once a power to be reckoned with in Languedoc and Iberia, the Albigensian Crusade and the Reconquista have made ruins of many of the Order's keeps. Only its headquarters, the Castle by the Lake, in Scotland remains hidden and safe--but for how much longer none can say for sure. Still, no matter the setbacks, the knights of the Order remain faithful to their mandate, and they are always on the lookout for those who are worthy of God's redemption.
Although the Order is waning, this has not stopped its knights from continuing their holy mandate. Across Europe, from Provence to Northern Germany, Grail Knights search for lost relics, following rumors and legends to the dark concerns of the known world. It is said that a Grail knight sees more in a single year than most elders do in centuries of unlife. However, as the Order comes in contact with the blood courts of princes and lords, its knights find it hard to avoid being drawn into the conflicts of the War of Princes. This is proving to be a losing battle. Many princes and lords have baited Grail Knights into fighting for them with promises of relics.
The Furores
The nights are changing. Cainites are pushed further and further into the shadows and the young chafe under the oppression of the old. Wherever there are those with power, such as lords and princes, there are always malcontents and outlaws. Among Cainites, these outlaws have a name--the Furores. Most Furores, be they brigands, bandits or rebels, refuse to bow down to the archaic Traditions of Caine and the rule of the elders. They see unlife as a gift that liberates them from the oppression of their mortal lives. To willingly subject themselves to servitude, whether to their sire or prince, is unforgivable.
Chaotic free spirits, the Furores are growing bold. The rise of the cities and its middle class of guilds and merchants have allowed the Furores to carve out their own kingdoms under the noses of the lords and princes who would not dirty their hands with the likes or artisans, performers, and laborers. It is not surprising that the ranks of the Furores swell with neonates of both Low and High Clans who are tired of being oppressed by their sires and princes.
Over the last few decades, the port city of Marseilles has become a haven for the Furores, a constant source of embarrassment to St. Regis, the Toreador prince of the city. As more and more Furore flock to the city, tensions inch their way to open warfare. St Regis, is fighting a losing battle, as he is isolated from both the Courts of Love and Paris because of the Albigensian Crusade. Many among the Furores hold out hope that Marseilles will become a free city before the end of the decade.
The Prometheans
The Prometheans remember Carthage and long to recreate it. Taking their name from Prometheus, who defied the gods and gave humanity the gift of fire, the Firebringers (as they are sometimes called) want to enlighten both Cainites and mortals. They want to usher in a new age when both the Children of Caine and of Seth live as one. Dreamers and idealists, their Utopian vision of "New Carthage" unites the Prometheans with a common goal. The sect attracts Cainites from all strata, from princes and lords to those of the Low Clans. Like the Furores, the Firebringers hope to effect change from the bottom up, targeting young Cainites and the burgeoning middle class rather than going after nobles and elders. More organized than the Furores, the Prometheans have influence over the growing criminal elements in cities, as well as the merchant and guilds.
The Cainite Heresy
Dreaded and feared, the Cainite Heresy is a stain upon the nights of the 13th century. Tainting Gnostic and early Christian dogma with lies and Cainite apocrypha, the Heresy's origins stretch as far back as the first centuries after the birth of Christ. Since then, it has used its blasphemous teachings, coercion and outright manipulation (not to mention evangelism and proselytizing) to increase its congregation and weave its tentacles into the Church and many of the royal houses of Europe.
The Crimson Curia, a body of the cult's most influential priests, leads the Heresy. It is the Crimson Curia that sets the Heresy's doctrine and attempts to coordinate its movements, a task near impossible given the Heresy's fragmented nature. The Curia espouses that Caine was, in fact, God's favorite and this mark was a sign of God's favor, not a curse. In turn, having been touched by the hand of God, all Cainites are akin to angels, revered as divine beings and true prophets and messiahs. Since its early nights, the Cainite Heresy has infiltrated and subverted the Catholic priesthood, amassing great wealth and influence in the process. It has even woven its tendrils into the Road of Heaven, turning otherwise pious Cainites onto a darker path that can lead to darkness and damnation. In turn, some prominent followers of the Road of Heaven have started to focus their attention on eradicating the Heresy.
More pressing for the Heresy is the belief that year 1239 will herald the coming of Gehenna. Many of its followers, both mortal and Cainite, are busy preparing for this eventuality, convinced Caine will return to pass his judgment before the decade is over.