Re ae Fel ae a for vanppire; he MasqueradeBy Ancet McCov,MattHew MCFARLAND, JosHua Mosoquerra-AsHEIM, AARON RostnBERG AND Lucien SOuULBANCreprrs ‘Written by: Angel McCoy, Matthew McFarland, Joshua Mosqueira-Asheim, Aaron Rosenberg and Lucien Soulban Additional Material: Alan 1. Keavir Developed by: Justin Achilli 9: Carl Bowen Art Director: Richard Thomas Layout 6 Typeseuting: Becky Jollensten ike Dana, Troy Nixey, and Chris- Interior Ai topher Shy Front Cover Art: Christopher Shy ly 735 PARK NORTH BLYD. SUITE N28 Lamson, Gh 30001 USA GAME STUDIO Front & Back Cover Design: Becky Jollensten © 200] White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights erved. Reproduction without the written permission ofthe publisher ix exprossly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire, Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dork Ages MA age te A cansivnn, Hanser thie Recker Darkness and Aberrant are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming, Werewolf che Wild West, Mage the Sorcerers Crusacle, Wraith the Great War, Trinity and Sins of the Blood are trade atkscf White WolfPublishing Inc. All All characters, names, places an text b righted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. The mention of or reference to any company ot product in these pages is not a challenge to the rade rmatk oc copyright concerned. This book uses the supematural for settings, chat acters and themes. All mystical and supernatural clements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only, This book contains mature content. Reader discretion is advised. Fora ree White Wolfcatalog call 1-800-454-WOLF. ‘Check out White Wolf online a hup://eww.white-wolf.com; altgames.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller PRINTED IN USA, tsreserved inare copy- Shs oF Boo 2CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: SoMeTHING Wicken THis WAY Comes CHapTeR One: Sinsor Moraiity Crapter Two: Sins or Society Crapter THREE: SINSOF DISCRETION Chapter Four: Sixsor Power Appenpix: A CONSPIRACY OF SINNERS Conrens 3Sanaa ele OLE Ve -—Honont ne Barzac Heresy abounds in the modern nights, whether arising from tmmovality or ON aL ester eee ee Cement ery near gr a ee crimes committed in the darkest of hours by vile, selfish Childee of Caine. To en ar etre ters teeta re etna eee feel le, toothen even the slightest breach of the Kindred’s millennia-long legacy is the gravest eet ee ana en nas tea net SOS are ae get ora tes a teers ou rates a Pe ht Mae en eee ec Tcren eeteenet ec an Only one answer is universally uue: These sectets are open renunciations ofthe era LCOS as Tonite Se Ceara) Co ee(7 WICTION A heretic is a man who —Gouthold Ej For some Kindred, “merely” being Damned n't «enough, Herein the Final Nights, with the worldcareen- ing mapilly toward seemingly inevitable Gehenna, desperate times call for desperate measures. The Kindred sponsor cults truck with malevolent spicual entities and adopt anathema as their codes of morality. But why! Ie'seasy ro clismisssuch thingsas the actions of “evil” Kindred le'seasyto accep: thar Kindred arethe spawn of the Levil given tatmocity andinherentlyflawec. In fact, toadegree, these things are tue. A Kindred who doesnot resist her nature will inevitably find herself inthe clutches. of the Beast Obviously, as the presence of sects and societies evidences, notallKindredend up drivenmadby thirstand rising at night only to kill, These Kindred are the exem- plary ones who have risen above being monsters—ifonly temponirily, These Children of Caine prove that Damna- sion canbe resisted aslongas one bas thestrengthand wil to keep it at bay. Hopefully, your characters are among these Kindred Bursuch is nc always the case, Faaism takes itstoll onal Kindred, and some bear is marks more gravely than others. I'thewor'd is doomed, chese Kindred reaton, why resi i Why not indulge in what you want! Lacking the drive to steel themselves against the Beast, these Kinlred findthemselves consumedby it. Shities,indolentchilder ofthe modem nightsall o9 often reser the undeath into which they've been dragged, ard eldersfinaliysuccumb to the weight of uncold years and snap, Aoaucon: Soe Wi T Mike o sees with his own eyes iphraim sing Whatof the ones, though, whomudy place themselves outside che world of the Kindred. Its one thing to verify one’s vessel before feeding; it's another altogether to actively pursue thethrillingzaste of the Amaranth. When one rejects the mores ofthe Cainite worldconsciously and consistently, he has becomesomethingotherthan avenal Kindred, He has become a heretic. Marine Ti Count ‘TharswhatmakesSinsof the Blood necessary These ‘are the heresies that those who ate committed to rejecting Kindred society observe. Anyone can be an iconoclast it takes @ unique person 1 be devoutly diffrent To that end, this book isn’t a roster of baddies to whack, In the moral gray «ale that Vampire observes, these Kindred mighe even te rigk in certain convictions evenif other parts oftheir creed are wholly aberrant tothe restof theworkd. The most complex Vampire games don't have clear-cut good guys or bad guys — each Kin red is weighed by the merits of het individual actions, The most ravenous Sabhat muy sll choose to rescve a chil from a turing building. An ascetic Toreadbr starv deny the Beast and curtail her predations on the mortal herd might fexe the strength to fight the hunger one night andleavea newlywesleaupledrenched in theirownblocd Even after placing a Kindred in a position of respon- sibility forherownactions, Vampirealso accountsfor the motivarions of those characters. That's the crux of degen. eration, of Humanity and Paths of Enlightenment. A g herself to jen Tas War Coscharacter who simply “does noevil” doesn't become more ‘good” A character has togenwinely feel remorse, to fight the animal inside her earnestly. That Sabbat who saved the child from the fire —did he do i to preserve her if, ordic he doit hecause leavingher there would be a waste otherwise had for himself? These are the sortsofsituationsthat Sins ofthe Blood proposes. These enemies aren't cardstock mooks to beat hinking, vital characters who en some action or philosophy that the nest of undead scciety had spurned. Take these general ideas and apply them to specific characters, Let the r discuss herein be the outcomes of motives that your specie c harbor. Think about that, The antagonists with which you populate yourstoriesmightbe the compellingantiheroes of anotherchronicl. This book is for players and Storytellers ike. We don't mean tosuggestthatevery character knows eachotthesecretsin thishook—furfromit. Wk aplayer’s character who adopts cne of the philoso- hes can be every bie as rewarding to pertay a6 a rival upholding that philosophy would be to overcome. Con: sider characters in the doomed ttad tion of Doctcr Faustus cr the noble sacrifice of Sidney Carton, Pechaps amember of the coterie wants to seek Golconda. despite (or perhaps because of...) the wicked nature of is fellows. Maybesll of thecharacterare hereties themselves, comprisinga coterie of vitae that he could hi its we on the run for its own survival, Maybe they make up the tighteousparty, pursuing the pariah themselves. The story this book work forall sides of the equation elements THE Questions OF SCALEAND FREQUENCY Note thar even the motives thar drive a heretic to commit his misdeeds do not comprise the sum of that chainctes. If a Kindsed’s wate : pethaps we can forgive bim his unforunste undead vitae. IF the prince mtintsins doesn't joo nlives of Kin matter that he upholds the principles of the Path of Scorched Heart? Just 2s we mentioned before, that these heresies d automatically relegate a Kindred to the position of guy we whacked neither do they always need wo be the ceniral focus ofthe character who observes them, Stcry telletsand players (thats, those players who ean hetrusted to doso responsihiy) should feel fre to use these ideas to round our characters, oto use them as building points to distinguish charactersfromone another. A Kindredscholar trained in the Socratic Method radically different experience than al has gone autarkis i. an effort to isolate him Gnostic tradition, Sx. 0 ¥ Booo 8Nonetheless all of these practices are considered her- ses fora reason, every Kindred ina cityhad one or more ofthese characteristics, the characteristics would he part of thestats quoand notreally sinsacall, Storytellers, employ the contents of this book. Players, don't assume that you neal one of these aspects to make unique characters. This book is about sublime concepts, These ratities andweitcnessessurface infrequent (athest) ina Kincked’s unlife. Their stats i tied to this rarity. Use them only where they contribute toa character of a story. Qecam’s. Razor applies here. IFyoucan achieve the effect of some- thing inthisbook withoutactually using themechanicsof it (as with our aforementioned scholars), then, by all means, doit Storytellers, vou can also use thissortof thing todefuse the know-iallsin your oupe, should you have them. Lec them sume that the cold scholarisonthe Path ofthe Scorched Fear, then reveal larerthathe simply had a very low Humanity anda very cagey Beast. Gvnl Evi! ‘Taking all thar information into consideration, re- member thar these hehavinrs are proserihed. Sure, they: work as flaws to empathetic protagonists, but they also work as good comerstones for thase fighting in the idiom cof Vampire's themes of morality. Keep in ied, however thats eniely co any o9 relegatcheretiesto the rolesofstooges ormooks, Don'tset up a blood cult only ta have it populated by a score of Ifyou wane a shooting gallery, : marae ther paces with the air rifles. A\llof the philosophies and practices in this book are intended for use with devout characters. In keeping with de cealey Gass ull Ene gave aoe and more valuable characters if youunderstand why they've spre phat they: Ava Seiyesin SsgsSuRna you to blur the moral line for the players’ characters, who sengileg os heed ef Gelert eiecy alsa ak splatter the goors in knee-jerk “enemy” fashion, In the end, though, you're free to make your own, decision, Yeu're not doing anything wrong as long as you whacking baddies is good, old-fashioned, beer-and-pret- 2els fun. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of this book. Howto Use Tuis Book Thishosk tiesnotcolumpits‘sinness"intoone anti- empathetic whole. We've broken the taboos intodivinet chapters, makingnotonlythesinsdifferent, but thosewho commit them as well, ‘Chapter One: Sins of Morality examines the com: plex cae of Kindred ethics. Ir deculs afew new Paths of Enlightcament and what h ctexesto the point ofno return andit vakesa unique look pens when one’s monlicy — could there be any other? — at the exalted state of Goleonds Chapter Two: Sins of Society considers the social taboos of the race of Caine, Considerations such as ect and those who refuse wo associate with them, the autarkts, are discussed here. Also, the dreaded Amaranth receives a bit of attention, for those Kindred who don't mind staking their thirst on their fellows in the urge to full their own legacies Choptar Theoes Sine of Disoresdon expanse ws te those who break the Silence ofthe Blood fer their own, ends, Cults — from herds to religious heresies to aflock of adoring followers —are the topic here for those Kinde who don't want to face the Final Nights by themselves Chapter Four: Sins of Power includes new Dark Thaumaturgy paths and rituals, as well ass fewother secret ritesthat, while not infernal in nature, would certainly not enclear their practitioners to her elders. A few new me chanical systems for players and Storytellers — new Abilities, Merits and Flaws — are also covered the Appendix: A Conspiracy of Sinners iatsalnse tara fee Kicnle wly bave then this book heresies to heart From stall organizations ro loose glob confederations, it seems that nowhere is safe from the blight of che Kindred or their sins. A Brier LEXICON When discussing those who would break the under- stood social contmct ofthe Kindred, certain unig words arise. Whether objective or loaded, the diction of (and regaxling) the Damned is just as evocative as their lex vethoten parlance. Kindred shoul he careful around whom they wie theve tetre In sore femful domains, jst knowingaboutsuch unpleasantthings sa sureway tocar the attention of a shen or Inquisitor. Harmonist: A follower of the Path of Harmony. linternalist: A follower of the Path of Self-Focus Suspire: The burstof sight or momento clarity that allowsa Kindred to attin Goleonda. The Suspire isa final test that determines whether or not she atains this gal ‘Tainted: Marked by the Devil;in obvious league with demonic powers Unforgiving: A follower ofthe Pa Hear. Wassail: Theact that “snaps” a Kindred, teducingher ‘morality tozeroand placingher under controlofthe Best when a vampire “uives up” the kas vestiges of the Men. ight: A Kindred whose Humanity (or Path) rating has dropped tozera, While most Kindred assume thatsuch creaturesare ravenousmonstersin constant frenzy, sch i rot always the case, Each Cainite's Beast is diferent. While seme are indeed ragrng lends, othe cunning or practiced survival urge ‘of the Scorch Jnacouen: Sover no Wot Tas War Cows 9No mum is a hero to himself Ray Bradhury, Something Wicked This Way Comes Ast wote this, [hear punt be several hlockssaway, bub e outside imagine itt peverhe sine. The sous echoes off the stinking buildings of this city, and the sounds | hear could just as easily he across the street. Wherever they originate, they mean the end of a lif Teemembera rime when the death of ahumen being mae a small sound a death rattle, Fheve not heard such a sound iseue from the theoat of a dying mortal in many seers, [can only imagine this to be because humans now die in such numbers that che individual's sound is fost amid the general din. [denorknow. [am neither scholar ror philosopher In life, Iwas called Nehemiah. If Thad a weakness, it \was pasion. | loved my wife and son so fiercely that hurt sometimes. | cannot explain i. I could norexplain even, when I could remember the sensation, and it is long beyond my memory Jam wrtingall this fora very specific reason, and the reader will bear with me, I trust. The reason for this treatise, essay, rambling — what you will —will becorne clearinehe etd, For now only read and try w understand. Te will, assure you, not come easily. By way of preamble, le me stare that the Beast and how toprotect oneself from its ravagesis a concern forall ‘Cainites, Even the most depraved aimong the kine f lest a monster than the kindest — or, truthfully, most re seraned— of us. In the pages that follows, | shall try t explain the mindset of a Cainite who forswears hi humanity for other, more complex ethies. | shall alse touch upon the fate of those who lose all control and Ibecome slave to dhe Beast. The final and moot iy section of this work One ancedote before we begin, that of my Embrace | was fisherman by trade, as was my father before me If Thai a cond love, it wasthe sea. Cine fine day, I saled farther out thar Leverhad and,as sun set, found myselfom apiecefland I had neverbefote seen. I beached my small hoot and lay down on the sand to sleep, not at all sure I could find my way heme after dark. J awoke to someone biting my throat. vera stony and ler mean, | threw my asst to the round and stad. He reaninedhisteer.andlviveifinax Laardenm then, new hae he was:amonster and that !hadino chance to fight him. He would take my blood ifhe so chose, and al { could do was resign my soul toG-d. Imade one requestof im, however. asked him tocalee my boat hack to my family so thae ryson could provide for my wife He sac down next to me, surprved at my courage and love. We spoke for hours, end he concluded, in brief, that ry eare was too full of emorion and would eventually will speak foe itself, think (Gunn Ox: Snsor Moun 1lead to my ultimate heartbreak and oblivion, Before | could protest (foe that is all ! would have been able ta do), fhe was upon me. Jam sure, given my probable audience, Lhavenoneed torecount the sensation of the Embrace. | will, however, recount dhe last wonds T heard ag a human belng, before rising the next night as one of the Damned Jone, gone the human soul, said mysire. And oh w right he Wen Humanity isNotbNnouGu For quire some time following my Embrace, | re. ined, for all moralistic purposes, human, lt wasn't until hat Ieame to follow one of the so-called Paths ment. This is not uncommon, even though mysirehad long forsaken any view thatresembled human mere, In those nights, the Paths of Enlightenment were rucimentary at best, The Camarill and the Sabbat were hot to be for many years, and 2 Cainite’s method. of sing the Beast wis often # chore undertaken alone: The key ro keeping one’s sanity was usually « key that 2 Caine fonged himselé Now, however, a Cainice who wishes, or simply has no choice but to leave his humanity behind, usually receives instruction. So what then, the reader might well, ask, is typical ofa nawert Path-follower? Normally, age isa factor. A Cainite normally rerains a human viewpoint for some yeats after the Embrace, simply because the adaptation to nocturnal existence, coupled with thedraconian herrorof Ci irony ofthe orm Kindred” — implying derie and fellowship — never fails to amuse me) is quite enough to contend with. Bur as the Cainite ages, he finds that everything he knowsisdying, His mortal family, his sire has instructed hitn well, knows nothing of histransfor ‘mation and believes him dead. Any friends he hid among the living have long ago forgoeten him and gone on with their lives. Ag he goes along, night-to-night, he will eventually kill: And chat i the euming posae. (Consider, fora moment, the taboos thatevery culture the world over hus regarding death. Whether the expert- ence ismeant to signify arevfying judgment followed by etemal suttering or bliss, or a journey to another place withoutsuch quilifiers as painor pkasire, death involves removing a being from human ccntact completely and forever. Every human being that | (for example) have killed has not simply vanished with no. race, but left behind others who mourn, weep and, in most cases, wonder where their loved one has gone, The fist time 3 human dies under the fangs of a Cainice, that Cainite nite polities(the ‘edo cons sleeps fitflly the following day. That hurnan will never again enjoy a meal, a wally a breath. He is gone forever. The immense responsibility of what he has done weighs heavily on a Cainite’s shoulder daly enough, that burcler doesnot compound with multiple vietims, but becemes all 100 easy 10 bear. The more mortalswhodie toslakeaKindred!s thin theeasier it becomes. And as humanity changes, in the Cainite’s sight, toa rabble of walking, chartering meals, the Beast rousesand thrashes against the Cainite’smind, Asit takes time for a Cainites moral rectitude to slip so low as to he ‘noticeable problem (particularly if the Kindred was, in life, a principled man) the young: amongthe Damned are rarely recruited to follow Paths of Enlightenment. Simple depravity s not enough, however. One thing hac all Paths have in common (the ones that I have seudied, arany rate) ischarfool are not wolcometo tread them, Any idiot can learn to enjoy slaughter, but che strength of intellect required to understand a Path, even one so deceptively direct as the Pach of Honorable Ac- cord, is beyond many Cainiten, Likewise, a fal wlio believes,even as his urxlead flesh ktsaftera wound, that nothing beyond the physical world marrers and that no 1d ot goxls exist does not have the spiritual capacity nevessary to follow a Path. Those who ate degenerateand stupid orshorsighted often end up as one of the ravenous fiends I shall soon discuss. Those whoarenearing madness butsll have the presence of mind to do something about it, however, may come to the attention af a teacher. Paruisiv Tie CaMARIT A Before entering into adiscussion on fhe nature of this insertion, ie behooves ws to comider the differance between aCamarilla Kindred whochooses. Pathover the more familiar precepts of huraan morality and a Saba Cainice who doesso, Among the Sword of Caine, hurman morsity sedkculesloutright. After all,reasonstheSabbat, mortals are indeed only cattle, and thei lives are worth little, Why, then, should the mighty predators seek to emulate theirprey, exceptasst means ta lure thers closer? Agaxlquestion, that. Theanswer isa matter af logic. Whether they choose to admit itor not, all Cainites were nce mertal. In ts dogmatic denial. of humanity, the Sabhat hastens the rath tothe Beast considerably. There fore, it becomes necessary for aSabbat Cainite who does not wish to become 2 mindless, uncontrollable horror to follow a Pach much sooner: (The Sabbar, afterall, nomi: nally espouses freedom of thought, and the Beast strips that freedom in short onder.) In the Sabbat, a teacher might approach a promisiry candidate while hat cand dateis still a neonate, (Ancillae, Fhave found, are rare in the Sabbae.) Sowers Boo 2Ind neonate following a Path is unspeakably rare, In fact, Thaveheard of only one such Kindred in the hist hilosopher and alienist (what would n *psychiatrist) Embraced into Clan Tore 19th century, As T understand it, the combi Rose Clan'sheightened perceptions and rapture, plus his ‘own rather obtuse thought patterns, made normal com prchension and morality impossible. Within five yeors of hisEmbrace, hissitemadearrangementsforhimto receive tutelage in the Path of Death and the Soul. Thefact that hissite was (andstllis, co my knowledge) a member of a in the lare ation of the jor city’s primogen spared him rome ridicule when word gee arcundthathe practiced ‘necromaney?” bur rot much. Asfaras! know,henowexi humanity die arcundhim, taking Kindred with a nd starthng other ali that impresses even the undead Following a Path in the Camarilla, therefore, defi nitely marks the practitioner as a kind of outsider an abbat influence. That makes cerain amcunt af sense, of course, given that the first Trition of che Camarilla (and the only one that speaks the Kindred’s relationship to mortals) states that sinites, the undeadpredator of che night,must blend ir raises questions about Cun Ore re with those mortals. Naturally, abilicy torelane te Camarilla nights, might have eventually been instructe inva road of morality suited to thei deals or found thet cwn.such road, now strive to remain humane, when they are, infact, Far from human. tsum upa Cemarilla Kindred'sposicion, should he decide to follow a Path: He is a member of a sect that espouses human morality ara wary to remain hidden amon, mortals (rather than foractval ethical concerns). Thatsect is composed of, pardon my language, vampires. Vamp tes are not human. Yet, our hypothetical Path-follower i ridiculed, suspected and quite probably interrogates! ar length foratterpting to comprehend and exis within the boundaries ofhisundead existence « in effect, forrefusing ‘opretend tobe something he isnot. It would e ee Camarilla Ki af, then, beautifully, altho brands me a heretic nim quite sure that suchan assertion, an such a Kindred do to avoid persecution? bbat, naturally! However, I don't recommend hod (for reasons I will discuss momentarily) What I do recommend is that a Kindred who wishes « disguise the fact that he no longer follows the same moral Snecr Moan Btrack as the kine simply not make a show of it: Spiritual and moral discussions aren't entiely uncommon among Kindred (our condition begs some speculation, at least), and indeed, many Paths of Enlightenment hold know! ‘edge and itspursuitassacred. However,many of hem also teach that keepin one's secrets isa wie idea, While ouch is the case for any numberof reasons, ongoing survival is the best of them. Does this mean that a Path-follower in the Camarila should become a recluse? Not at all secretive Kindred is ssumed to have something worth hiding, Unless one's Pashspecifically precluses or inhibies contace with others, itiswise to play henightly social gemesthatthe Camarilla so loves. Appear at Elysium, become part of a coterie, should you feel so inclined. Appear Honest before your prince. [fthe city in which you dwell hosts any elders who predate the Camarilla (and who still show theie faces at Elysium), an insight into the vampiric condition might actually impress them, Ifthe secretis revealed, as it were, the exposed Path: follower ein distinctly delicate position. He ean expect visits from the Camarila in the form of archos, aking ever-so-politely where the Kindred leamed his ethical precepts and if, indeed, heorhismentorisamembercf the Sabbat. On thar topic, members of the Sabbat will cor tainly want to know why a Kindred is practicing “theit” moral cades (yes, the Sword of Caine really is that arr: sant,l'vefound) and theymaysendcheiroyminvestigstors. ‘The Comarila js ending if 3 paranotd, and suffers no hypocritical delusions about behaving with. tolerance toward such “alcmative faiths.” Elders, of course, will probably seck blackmail before persecution, if possible but such 4 che nature of the Jyhad. Elders usually seek blackmail before anyching that would benefit thetn ess. Ifan inhuman (ifot necessarily inhumane) Kindred can foolhis ellows by simply behaving “normally” round them, shat about fooling the mortals themselves? How does a Kindred avoid detection (for the Masquerade is practiced by Cainites the world over, regardless of their politics) ifhe is dedicated to a hisher purpose than sub predation? Sometimes, the sane principle applies: Avoid the mortals, but when one must interact with them. one does one's best to blend in. Of course, followers of some Pathe ore hatter ahle-t0 adhere to thie principle than followers of other Paths. The Path of the Feral Hear, for ‘example, encourages is followers not to kill unless abso lurely necesary (although a Beasts reason for exercising such restrain is quite different that a Man's) The Path of Death and the Soul, however, promptsits followers tokill atany time, aslongasample opportunity forstudy follows, Some Paths encourage contact with mortals some held it cousin. The wise Kinudredis wary. The kine can “feel the tmalignant presence of the Beast in those who follow Paths-Although they may notlnowexactly whatitis they face, mortals have an uncanny knack for knowing that it issome sort of predator. ‘When the act of keeping one’s nature secret fromthe throngs of humanity clashes wih the reverence one must, show to one'sPath,itsunfortunately thePath that usualy gives. At heart, Cainites are selfish creatures. The ulti- mate actof selflessness, it can be argued, is to suffer ordie tor one's beliets. Very, very few Cainites are willing to do. so. (In fact, the only Path chac T know that espouses ‘honorable sacrifice is the Path of Honcrable Accord — most others hold ica sin nct to protect one's unite in. any way possible.) Even if co-existing alongside mortals is distasteful to a Noddist, the sheer number of morals makes doing so inevitable at times. Although constant contact with morals may push the Nexis further fromm hisgoal ro be morelikeCaine, practicality and moraliryda otoften mesh well, While difficult to avoidcoremitting around morals, the ovd “sins” of many of the Paths of Enlightenment do indeed push the Cainite clever to th Beast. Therefore, in an attempt to avoid having to make a choice between sin end survival, many Camarilla Kin- dreduse ghoulsand other leckeys t carry out any business that requires mortal contact, Paruisiy THe Sanaar On the other hand, Cainites of the Sabbat leave fhumianitas behind much mere readily, This becomes prob- lemiatic, since very few mentors are available for a young Sabbaton the verge of losing hismind, AcI'vestared, most Sabkat Caines are neonates and elders, and, as always, flere have litre ime to instruct neonates. Isuspace Haat if the overall survival rates of the Sabbat were higher, many more fthem would fallow Paths of Enlightenment, and far fewer would fall ro the Beast L mentioned earlier that even if following «Path of Enlightenment is the only recourse one bas against the Beas, avoid going to the Sabbat to leam. One reason | ‘caution against the Sabbats that although Pathsare more ‘common there then in the Carmarilla a woukl-be suppl cant must stil search fora patron. Tryirg to find help in the Camarilla means incurring prestation debe, which, while inconvenient, isfar preferable: thedebcone incurs finding help in the Sabbar. Before a Sabbar Cainite will accept a student, that student must almost always be a member of the sect. Therefore, in exchange for aid in saving off the Beast, one agrees to give up one’s freedom and join a fanatxal army (which, ironically enough, claims to fight for freed) That said, the Sabbat certainly has the largest con centration of Path-follawers,sowhat of thom? Fow oldars of the sect remain true to human precepss, I'm sue. One Snscr Boon “Wuat Paris Work? Certain Paths, ws Nebemish mentions, are easier foc Cannacilla vampires wo follow tha ochers. « Path of Caine: As it ditects its followers ta avoid mortals and ciablerite Kindred whoveuleivate thei Humanity, this Path is probably nota wise choice for a Camarifla characte + Path of Catharis A Catarilla vampire who treadlscarefully could conceivably follow thtsPath, though she ight appear to be sorely lacking in morality, especially ar more enlightened levels of this Path + Path of Death and the Soul: Thecompassionless, lethal Necronomistsrarely bother with the Camarilla, Their need tostudy death, oftea by causing it draws zoo much attention: It'snot outof the question;however, and of al che Pathe, thie ona it probably tha ane'reaet likely cathe odogeed tyittrelles wh steed’ a meal compass + Path of Evil Revelationis Welcome neither in the Sabb nor dhe Cannery the’ Gserapters fester in both sects. (That doesn’t make them any more viable as characters for players except ityertain chronicles, however) * Path of the Feral Heart: Arguably the oldest Path in existence (with the exception of Hunianity),this Path is sul practiced by some nominally Camavilla elders, and it enuld conceivably be passed on to younger Kindged. However, since the Path disdains polities, « Beast character would need-a yood reason (such as survival or protection in nximbers) 10 join a coterie, * Path of Honorable Accord: Although this Path isconsidered a Sabbat staple, tsroots predate thesect. Thetefore, an occasional Camarilla Kindred can be found among the Knights, ¢ Path of Viliths This horerical Path en'efoally eroraad by the Soblbae ond ite peactitioriers ore mc concerned with enlightenment than sect politics. Likewise, the Path’s precept ageinsc killing actually makes she Camarilla'a more palatable choice forthe Bahari than the Sword of Caine. (Afterall, the Lilin inthe Camearilla can claim that regard for life prevents Her from killing ard nor be laughedbat too openly.) As the Comsartls holds Caine and Lille to be mytholegical beisygrtacher than actual historical figures (for Ce nace part), even an open Bahari would probably be reganted! a.a deluded scholar rather than a dangerous heretic Even so, the fact chat chis Path is © rare theans char few Camarilla Kindred ever hear of, much less practice, che Poth of Lilith + Path of Power and the Taner Vorce: While Kitidred do practice this Path (ifrarelj); ras commonly held only by elders who can agpreciute its nuances and truths fully. * Other Paths: The Paths of Night, Paradox and che others Listed in Vampire: The Masquerade are practiced chiefly by members cf the clan that espouses them. However, occasional members of otherclans (and therefore other sects) find their way down chese roads as wel. ofthe set's guiding principles isto abandon al pretense leaders of the sect, each have their own “pet” Paths, and of humanity, Elders have had centuriesin which to realize [will soon discuss these further. In general, the question of thisbutevenafterthe bloody ritwalsandthemystictuths whether or not a Sabbat Cainite can follow a Path is that Curse of Caine bestows, the reonates still find largely up to the individual in question. As long as the tecomingsomethingotherthanhumanarathertalleedet. Cainite is competent and in good standing with the sect, Obytheydoinalca peacfussbourtluiccbesy" ofcourse, bi ean probably find somone wo teach him. However, I s¢e a strong similarity between them and Once a Cainite beginsto followa Path, he may learn teenaged mortals who blusterabout notbeingafmidtodie —ypdisdain other Cainites who still cling to their humanity as they engege in demonstrations of “chicken” and other Afterall, while they only talk of truly becoming inhurran, amusing pastimes, The young Sabbat talk,as they s1y,2 the Path-follower has taken action toward this goal seat game, but for the most part, they mustswallow their Meanwhile, hisstll-humane (sa tospeak) packmates may horror when they see vessels hung from rafters. Whether begin tosec him as haughty and inscrutable, Sabbat packs the horror stems from a lingering regard for life,or ftom frave splintered simply because one member becomes se feeling of, “There, but forthe grace of God go,” it must comnitted te his Path thatthe pack’ purpose isdistupred beaverted ifthe Sabbut is going rosurvive his fist decade and not lose his mind. NoSabbar clan is really more or les likely 9 followa Path. The Lasombraand the Tzimisce, the founders and Gharan OS Mena? 5 Tue Omens, Several clans follow Paths created for and by their members. While lamnotz member of such & clan, | havehad opportunities to study and converse with severalsuch practitioners, and [feel i is in my bese interes ro relate what {have leamed regarding these Paths. The Path of Blood The Assamites have undergone serious changes in recent nights Fist, cher curse ell and | wan disappointed tw see that many of them reverted to their bloody preda: tions of nights past. However, as the din ftom. that ‘occurrence begins to fade [see that a significant number of Assamites have joined with the Camatilia. 1 do not predict, however, that this will mean asignficant rise in the numberof Dervishes thar the Camarill boasts To my knowledge, the Path of Blood is commonly taught only to those Assamices who achieve greamess within the clan by converting or taking the blocd of infidel." Therefore, those Saracens who have isn edyasit were to the Camarila sreunlikely tohringthe Path’s tenets with them, This Path is rarely proselyized ourside the Assamite old with any piery. Its followers de not often seek non-Assamite converts (even though the Path's cove of ethics makes provisions for auch), but 1 suspect thatthiseluctance is morebecause the Assamites ate selfish than hecause they actively want t0 exclude others. Ie resem areligion more than a simple ethical Path, as thowe who have crossed ways with a “devout” Dervish can well attest ‘The Path of the Bones In the nights before the | recall, another clan held Death” and practiced Path similar to the one that some and the Sabbet, as ‘é mantle of the "Clan of Giovanni now espouse. Since I did no: join Kindred (or Cainite) politics with any real interest until after the Giovanni rose to their current position, | have no idea how closely theirPathofthe Bonesresemblesitspredeces- sor. 1doknow, however, that this Path stare, even in the clan of its inception. Cainites with interests in death that are so deep-seated as to require morality based around it usually follow the Path of Death and the Soul, although the two Paths are superficially similar. The Path of Night Although rumors exist that this Path is trulyancient, descended from teaching of Caine (or Lilith, depending con the whims of the speaker), iris muddled and difficult to follow. suspect that was pioneered by young Lasombea aroundthe timeoftheAnarch Revolt: Like the Puth ofthe Bones, ics tare, and ic ismore common among aspecific, rather pedestrian mindset (cht the Kindred are horific, indomitable monster who fulil their purpose by feeding con mortals) than within sey specific ch, Timagine that the only reason that young, dispossesed Caieif of the Camarila haven't begun following this Path is its lack of accessibility to them. The Path of Metamorphosis [find this Pach fucinsting The basie precept of the Paths Lunderstand it, isthac the undead condition isnot anvend |, but astepalong the way to afinal change.It's an interesting thought, but if one considers the source (Cainives who are capable of changing chet forms at will) oe can certainly se its ideological roots. Wishful think. ing? Perhaps, Buc then, the Teimisce are the onfy vampires com monly capable of sich changes,so anagging feeling arises chatpethepsthey now somethingthat the rest ofusdon't (The Beast Clan iscapubleof change, up toapoint, butthe change isthe sameeach time. The Trimisce, however te capaole of changes limited only by thei skillorimagina- tion.) The Tsimisce's special Caimite gifts, perhaps the impetus for the Path of Metamorphosis, seem to spread easily from contact with their blood; [have wen entire Sabhat packs demonstrate irsknowledge. Sowhy, then, do the Fiends keep their knowledge hidden so careflly, when thetoolofenlightenment (asthey eit) the ability terchange; iso ensily qerend? The Path of Paradox | confess, 1 aun somewhat contemptuous of follow: ts of this Path. Several of them once attacked me in Ulm, apparently after tracking me for some time. They spoke of correctingthe meya” and that my "swacharma” was to die at their hands. | eseaped with my unlife, but | managed later to isolate one of them and exeract some knowledge from him. In the end, I let him go. By attempting to destroy me, he and his fellow Shilmalo ‘wereattempting to correct what they perceive as agreat wrong tothe karmic cyele. Since Thad foudht them off and escaped, they concluded that they must have been, wrong about my purpase within it. Be that as it may, this Path is not practiced solely by the Ravios. This is probably gand forthe Path's given the recent destruction of most of the clan. The Shilmulo with whom | spoke indicated that sometimes membersof other clans would Embrace mortals who were capable of understanding the eysle, and who dhevefone made good candidates forthe Path of Paeadox. [pointed out t him that basing possible members of a decidedly inhuman Path on what those potential members di as Jhumans was fallacious. He like many devotees ofa hetet system, did not have an answer for me The Path of Typhon ‘Some Pathsare philosophies, some are religions. Mast ofthe Paths espoused by one particular clan are more lke religions. The Path of Typhon is one such Path, have never heard of anon-Setite Kindred pursuing this Path, and, given thar their chiof goal wemm to be Ss. we Booo 6paving the way forthei“god's"etum,lean'timagine that there are any who do. Chief among the Path's virtues are solidarity and obedience, which means thatthe followers have strength of purpose behind their reprehensible ac- tions, A drug dealer who sells poison an order to gain comfort and stanss is understandable, if net commend: alle. A drug dealer who sells poison in an attemge 10 gamerfellowersfor anundead god, however, isto be feared (or, if posible, burned). Wannticon Paris Now cher wehave seen what following a Path requires, what it may do to the standing of a Camarilla Kindred, the rnecssty of Pathsin the Sabbar and the nanure of the more familial Puts perhaps weshouldexaminejust whatolowing a Path means to any given Cainite. First of all, consider the notion of""sin.” In my breath ing days, the greatest sin was worshipping a false god. Indeed, the Torah is rife with gruescme depictions of what hhappens to these who insult the One Above, Some religions prchibir aleahol, some pre-marital interceurse and soon, Anatheist would doubtless be surprised and pethaps amused by the various activities precluded under the beading of “sin.” Often, a reason exists for the activity in quersion heing declared sieful that hae no beating what soever on the religion in question. For example, the custom of eating ish on Fridays stems back to the Church ‘wishingto give thefishingindustzy (suchas itwas) aboost, yet asking any teacher of Cathutician dae reason fr the practice would yield a far different answer, Many sins, however, stem from taboos that any mor- tal would fir obvious. The aetsof murder, re, theftand soca wouldseemto be “naturally wrong,” regardless of the religionin question. Consider, then, that follower of (for example) the Path of Death and the Soul holds the taboo against murder be as misplaced asa modem pagan might hold an unwed Catholic’ abstinence from sex. Likewise, anadherent of the Path of Caine considers befriendinga mortal sinful, The reasoning or thisissound encaigh if you happen to he a Nodklist, but for the rest of the wold, such 2 taboo might seem doomed. Because Caine, the first murderer, was outcast, and you seek to éemulatchim,youshunthemortalpopulction’ The Noddist ily enone; "Vex A Tach lalowactaninteemnestthe ‘world to share the things that he finds holy or unholy. ln fact, only a follower of the sare Path will sympathize or advise him. Following a Path i a lonely road, especially ier dhe inal tuehge & ove Consider, too, the difficulties of following a Path venus remaining “humane,” which are presented merely bythe ficethat the mortalssil eonral the world, Mortals make the laws in accordance with their belie. When a Cainite forsakes his humanitas, he also often forsakes rmortal law and custom. Having survived long enough to see law and custom change dramatically, Ian say with some assurance that such things are typscaly transitory ‘Thatdoes not, however, stop the mortal authorities from investigating murders espectally murderswithan'tecult” twist to them, And, despite the United States’ vow that they shall make no law stopping a citizen from practicing a religion of choice, I seriously doube that such an argu: rent would absolve a defendant of a murder charge My point here is chat humanity's precepts 3 observed, much like many human religions, more by toaetion and deni often than by action and acceptance. A Christian may feel thar he is following his religion iFhe resiststhe temptation of theflesh, buta Beast that does not hunt when the pangs of hunger strike — even ifeiteun: stances indicate that abstinence may be safer heing true to its fundamental nature. As I stated, meny Paths of Enlightenment hold study and knowledge as ‘acted. However, one cannot acquite knowledge simaly by denying ignorance, The active, even aggressive pursuit of one’s ethics is something that few mortals (espectelly Westerners) are prepared to undertake. Suchis espectslly amue if the Path is based on esoteric knowledge that requires travel, patience and kargaining tw acquite, So much simpler to play at being morta, toavoid doing the things that, while living, one would have avoided! Cam: forting, certainly, but ultimately furile, as humanity’s precepts sour ater one reaches what would have been the 200th anniversary of one's birth andi realizes chat mortals are goingto die, each and every one, regardless of what or whokills hem. That realization, in andl of itself, marks 2 slide toward the Beast, and it is truly inevitable WHEN THE Beast WINS, The slide toward the Beast ends in only two ways First,theCainite may meet Final Death. This is, needless ‘osay,notthefirst choice ofmost Cainites. The only other possibility, however, isev ain takes over permanently Most young Cainites have never seen one of the pitiful wretches whose sanity and self have beer sub sumed. They hear tales from their sires, stories of Kindred who stalk the night, feeding on whosoever crosses thet paths, eventually brought down like mad dogs by theit own kind or by hunters. These stories are essentially true but somewhat misleading Indeed, most Kindred who succumb to the Beast became nothing more than mindless brutes. In Greece the peasants called them erpkolakes. Mortals saw them as hideous, bloated monsters. and they knew countless folk sspalarable: The Beast wins ‘Cour Ove: Sn o¢ Mena 7forslaying gthem, Mustard seed tered ahour the howe would delay such ‘oms would bar them entrance, as they 0 afraid ef them, Needles snick through s comps stomach, the legends vary,of course) imamol dreaded vryholakes. OF comrse, a true Cainite these perty defenses, fed upon whom he ch one the wiser, However, these remediesactually tum the ravenous orkolakes. obe overthe centuries, ig nearly every nation on Barth has in pmon is. legend about vampires. The actual forms, capabilities and desires of the undead vary in legendry from place eo place: The Greek urykolakes bears litte wysian largsui, aside from their commen diet. As any relatively venerable Cainite can actest, mortals misinterpret the facts almost willfully. sai ‘comesis no surprise that their legends ae afarcry rom the truth, asaremostof their preventive amuless. Ha the case of the mindless C for them here) most of these folk cha ove quite useful. A mourain rose placed on the chest of a Syiss heimmobibi re. Astakethrough the be lien ray well desteoy a wi sed to simply paralyzing it), Wt ur? | have heard several theories, s scientific, but none x etthe fact that, regardless f the Cainite's age or the potency of his blood prior tc losing his mind to the Beast, superstitious mort sonal hypothesis on the ‘matter, Recall, dear teade, that | am neither scientis: nor wen alimost entiely from persona xperience and trusted scurces. (The read e ral horror [rarely specified any further] orsimply ahuran being. Fis not without a certain ireny, therefore, that a term that encompasses borh what a Cainite was and is shoul be trached to the filthy creatures that are so representative ofthe falureofthe Kindred'squesto cope with hishuman mind.) alny wate Bet ca here to ego, but to the anim inctthatelevatesthinkingbeings livi undead) above the animals, Add Cainitesureindierendly mystical be nes, if vou prefer). We ate capableof feats thatare simply science (with all due respect to the eminent researcher, Dr. Douglas Netchurch). As sanity faces, will cisappears,andall chat is leftis instinct —and, Sas or ooo \8for lack of a better tem, the curse. Wights are creanures driven by primal urge and divine damnation, unable t0 ponder theircurse orto truly suffer from it. Therefore, the ‘One Akove opens the way for mortal remedies to hold these creatures at hay or destroy them, thus sending them: ‘on to whatever punishment awaits. AAs further evidence for this “divine intervention, theory," as it were, [present the thin-blooded, Rumors now circulate that this “ast generation” of Cainites are incapable of siring new childer, bur such Cainires suffer from the curse less harshly chan most. have heard staries of Kindred surviving the sun's rays for long periods of time, of Kindred exting and drinking mortal food and even of Cainites siting mortal children. (A note, however: This idea isnot new. The Serbs had legends of creatures called dhampyr, who could fight the undead when no on ‘could see them. A fairly convenient way to make money, asicturred out. Thechampyrfightathe inviable varapice, then collects a fee from the relioved citzenry. But T digress. )In any event, one common (though by no means universal) thread between the thin-blooded whelps of tonight is that Common superstition often affects them. 1 personally met a young Caitif who fele himself barred from crossinga bridge—just like the legendsof old, which, state that the Damned cannoteros running water undee their own power. But, the reader no doubr notices that in the case of thin-blooded (but stil sane) Cainices, superstition seems powerful, bur che actual Curse levied by Ge (including thefear ofsunlight and the ability to consume only blood) seemlightened. Why this? Itismycontention that these thin-blooded Kindred are not beyond redemption, that a way hack tolife,"s0 to speak, critsfor these unfortunates. Exactly how this redemption might be achieved, Lam not certain, In any case, redemption is beyond the compre. hersionof the wights,andit isto them that Inowrediteet my focus. Unstire Asa WiGHt OF coure, Ican only gues. However, every Cainite hassomeindication ofwhatitstobeoneof these mindless horors, for every Cainite knows what it is 10 fall to madness, The frenzy brought on by hunger or rage is almost certainly what a wight feels constantly. ‘Thistsnoceeeny owner shavereny sighicependilee time lurching about for victims. Were that the case, the Masquerade would not have stood firm as lang as it has. Wights are not intelligent by any meats, but remember that they operate by the basest instinct fal: survival. In fosing theit human will and soul, they have become tet predators than anystill-senticnt Cainite. A predator, after all, never gambles with its life. Ie does not entera fight it doesn't think ican win, It feedson the weakund the sick, and — despite wives’ tales zhout cas xe does not toy with fs food. Cainites do al ofthese things, arguably w stave coff the weight of etemity, Wights, having lost their sense of time (how can an animal recognize time's passing, alter all?) do not succumb to ennui, and thereby avoid the Political and social entanglements of Cainite existence. This rather animalistic pattern of existence goes « Jong way soward explaining how wights continue ro exis inthemelemnights Theydo not, ova rile, quan tho human herds, as they are clearly no longer human. In stead, they slink through the sewers, water through the barriosand ghertors, avoiding prey until tis time Wo fed Then, they single out a victim, immobilize or kill him cutright and feed a thet leisure. They make no effort to clean up after chemsely ‘course, and this is often how they are discovered. A life expectancy (so to speak) of tore than @ yeas optimise: fr a wight Butexceptionsdo exist of course. A man (cr woman, Isuppose) who was strong-willed and rational in the fist stages of unlife may become a very dangerous wight indeed. Such a wight might expenience "mn clarity” during which a semblance of sentience retums. ‘Such sophisticated abilities as language, of course, are impossible to recover, but the wight may well remember how to fie a gun, lock a deor, or even start (Prot drive) car. Like amnesiaes, who tend to remember fhysical skills rather than verbal labels (that is, forget the word “car” bur still exain the ability todive) wighits sometimes surprise pursuersby taking action that would seem beyond their capubiliry to understand. Indeed, it probably is While pursuing wight once in New York City, was very surpssed whon sy peoygrlbed ha peel from he belt of the policeman it had recently fed upon and fired at me. I don’t believe, however, that the wight had any real idea what it was trying wo accomplish; it continued firingeven afwor the pistol yas empey, and when 1 got closer, it dropped che pistol andi attacked with its bare hands, completely forgetting the gun, 1 occasionally refer to wights as the nains” of Cainites, but exactly what remains? As sated, memories and skllssometimes remain ir rather spotty hagments. A igh may or may nochunt familiar grounds ee Lue seen, casesin which wightsfled the city oftheit previous une, a well as cases where the wight haunted the Rack of her city like @ hideous ghest- Personality remains to varying degrees. For example, fa Kindred (in “normal” unlde, thesort whoenjoystestinghislimitsby experiencing pain, the wightthathe becomes may well derive an oddpleasure from wrestling with its prey, allowing it to fight him fora moment before biting. This sort of personality retention, however, is by no means something to ber on Ordinarily Guo Ove Sis oF Mea 9the person whom the wight once was is subsumed, with only habitual or vestigial behaviors arising occasionally. Thegiftsof Caine, however, aw another matter. Over time, | have had opportunities to study with members of various clans, and indeed, when boons are offered me, | almost always take Faymene wn instruction, Therefore, | fee! myself qualified to discussthe mechanics (metaphysi- cally speaking) of various undead proclivities. Take, foreximple, the Kindred sheightenedaspect of charisma. This beguiling skill relies chiefly on force of personality and the ability to inflicrit upon others. One of the early abilities it confers isthe power to frighten off an assailant simply by snarling arhim (a superb skill to have, | mighcnote, when one is walking in unsavory neighbor: hhoods and does not wish tosully one’s handk). This would seem an ideal resource for a wight. Litele true skill is required, aterall, and theetfect is nat unlike a exe moking herfurstand on end to appearlargeranvd more dangerous. But what of the other skills under this supernatural um- brella? The power of seducers and leaders, in the hands (onl more impporandy, che misnl) fa wigha? Aseven the rankest ledzling kriows, the hasc principles of any given Kindred edge are the first because they are the simplest to master. But they are simpler only because of frame of reference; The fledgling is learaingto flex new muscles, so to speak, and he is learning by a combination of blood bome instinct and instruction. Conversely, supernatural “physical” acumen, while cormmon oniy to some clans, is basicenough thar any Cainite an learnt without insruc tion. A wight seems fo transcend the traditional leaming process with regard to such advantages and exercise only those sbilites that aid its survival (hence, exhibiting Dread Gaze while never learning to produce Awe). While a sti-sane Cainite i» bound by clan and teacher with regard (0 leaming new powers, a wight is boundbyclan (toapoint)andnecessity: Undead gifts that have no practical use to the wight fade from memory almost immediacely, whereas those that aid nightly sur vival become honed to dangerous levels Forexample, many yearsago, in whucisnow Slovenia, I became aware ofa wightthat had wandered out into the countryside and taken up residence in asmall village. The townspeople (devout Christians forthemostpart) lived in {earor the predator harsometimes stole nto thesrchuldren’s windows. Of course all manner of superstition sprung up around that practice. Some believed that a demon from Hell had come to snatch the next generation of true believers. Others supposed it was the malevolent spit of adeceased miser, and so on. (Thismiser, of course, was 2 Jew. Having watched this stereotype of my former faith ‘appear and festerover the yeas, Iam sometimesglad that my passions are deadened, else my enemies could fallow the corpses of bigots to my docr....) At one point, an otherwise well-cespected widower was wceased cf Iycan- throoy, ofall hings. What never ceurred tothe townsiolk was thar this creature was predator, simply secking the easiest prey, Children were too weak to fight, and they rarely had enoughstrength of will tocall upon faith tosave them (which may well have worked, recalling the pro nounced effect of superstition on wights). removed the wight ftom the village and discovered his former identity a Toreador lately fled from Zagreh. After making some inquiries and tracing his movernents back to that city, 1 discovered that at the time of his degeneration, he had walked among the undead for just under two centuries During that time, he had mastered the at of pretematural senses, to the point that he could read the thoughts of those around him. Likewise, he had leamed the secret of summoning others from great distances, but hal never cultivated the third skill common to the Rose Clan, nor hadhe atained any skill in chose curousgifts outside ofhis own clan, However when Iwacheithin d me, a feat that few can boast, Twice | lost him in the shadowsand had to call upon my own skill arheightening mysenses (but meagerat that time) to find him, Afterthe Jun, wondered how ie was that a mindless beasc could have leamed the art of invisibiliry, when it baffles many more intelligent Cainites (I admic that t took me neatly a year to lear the tick of fading into shadows), Then | discovered thatthe former Toreador haxlattacked ante on a Malkavian neonate before leaving Zagreb, and the progression became clear. The wicht, uron losing the last vestiges of humanity, lost his sills in supematural sight and charisma, He retained only what he needed to survive: the ability to sharpen the five “natural” senses. However, his clan's affini speed was finally realized. Since it was “in the blood,” so to speak, and necessary for his continued survival, he developed the ability instinctively. Then, upon feedingon the Lunatic, he found hinnself manifest” ing the power of stealth and honed the ckill to the point where he could slip into a mortal dwelling without nc or alarm. This was all the wight needed to continue his unlife, and he probably would kave continued preying on de Hildkenot he village urn citer bad hack, buncers or some supernatural force intervened. As it happens, his predhtions did not leave the townsfolk unatlected, The village standsto this night (though it has grown consider- ably, of course), and butldings constructed in the decade duringand after the beast walled amongthem arenoteble in that few bedrooms have windows largeenough to admit anything bigger than « cator close enough to the ground ‘hata man Could reach the sill by jumping orn dic csily atin Sas or ooo »Huxtixo WioHTs ‘A Cainite who woul hurt wights (and reasons exist for doing, as T vill explain shorty) had best remeber tharthesecrentures exist ina state akin raconstant frenzy. ‘Theydonotfee pain, and awound thar does not inca tates usually ignored. A Cainite who had powerful blood during his “normal” unlife loses no potency upon becom- ing a wight. The shartered remnants of a Cainite only seven times removed from Caine ira wight seven times thus removed. Combine whatever streneths the wieht Jad before is fllwith its animal cunning and predator's instincts and youhave some inklingas to what cagey prey itcan be For example, the fear of fire and sunlight quaintly called Rotscbreck lately ae affects wighestoa much higher degree. This is not to suggest that wights are coward again, they are predators, and just as a wolf les fom the strange sounds ard smells of man, a wight flees frown fi with al ts ecrsiderable strength, So, using fire vo destroy wight is possible, but understand that it wil ly into a deadly frency, and it will kiterally tear itself apart trying to escape, Conversely, a sina, hand-held blowtorch 1s su petb asa routing device while stalking wigh's x you can be sure that they will run away from the fire, no matter what. The only tick is keeping up. ‘Anothercaution in stalking these creatures should be obvious 2 the Masquerade, Wights don't give a fg frit, cf course, and they will invoke their undead gifts opealy, feed on mortals lft cars ce whatever else they feel they ‘must do to escape a hunter, no mater who is watching. Great care mst thus be taken co drive wighes away from populated areas, either toward water (again, mostof them. shy swayftom t}orintosmenclsedares (any abandoned building, or even closed business a the ides isto restrict, their freedom of movement). Most princes, if told of a hewithin city limits, will “lend”: hunter the asistance of one or mote nonates, Somerimss, the scourge of acity (ifone exists) will draft fledglings into sevice. While chis might seem a bit excessive a an entire coterie for one animalisic madman? x the reader should recall that the Thuncer or scourge has nc way to gauge a wight’s power simply by lookingar it. The wight could be the remains of aneonate, certainly «but as | mentioned, the wight could also be all that remains ofa powerful elder. This should make clear one possible benefit taward hunting wights. While diablese is often regarded as de- monic cannibalism in he Camarilla,SabbatCainives may vwell go hunting for wights with this er in mind, (An- other possible goal is ro capture the wight and release it intoa shopping mall, I'm told.) Despite the propagand Camarilla Kindred do occasionally commit the sin of iaklerie, and so hunting wights in greups is practiced not cenly w ensure success, but also to ensure thar none ofthe buntets may claim the wigh’s soul as his trophy, Unless, ‘of course, the wight is the subject ofa full blood hunt Thad the opportunity once toconverse with aCainite ‘who committed diablerie upon a wight. Before succumb: ingtothe Beas: the wight had heen adewouit Christian for many years, and indeed, ehae faith was the last bulwack against insanity. I asked the Cainite who consumed the ‘wight if she hod assimilated any of the wight’s memories (rm lod 20 boliaws that this happens to diablesst fairly frequently). The following was her answer. The teacier should recall that what she "remembers" squite likely the list memories of the Cainite as he lost his mind and became a wighe {remember apit, Undemeath me,apit: My feet each ‘on one side ofthe pit. remember the pit growing wider snd something in the pit, below, screaming, Mere like wailing really. As though in pain from hunger. Noreason to think hunger, but I thing that’s why it howled, And then it changed, and I tememberholdingonto a ladder or a rope, and slipping. And I kept trying to remember the words co the Hail Mary but kept getting stuck after rut of thy womb, Jesus’ And then I fell and the wailing was louder. And then I realized it was me wailing." Thave no idea how much of this is exaggeration. { shouldrelate,inallfaimess,chatthe diablerist in question isa Malkavian, which certainly makes me take the tery with a grain of sal. The next common motive for hunting wights, an the ane commonly cited ss primary, is to protect the ‘Masquerade. Humane Kindred sometimes speak of pro tecting the citizenry at large from these horrors but tha, eC course, is bunk. A wight left to rs own devices wil, sooner of later, he discovered by the mortal world, and Cainites of a certain age know well what happens next Some Cainites hunt wights for spor. This isn’t an ‘atitude Lean say Iunderstend. A prepared hunter (or a group of them) is usually more than a match fora wizht simply because the hunters can expect the wight to respond to stimult in a certain way, The dance much the same as that of humans hunting a big cat decides that youares threat, it will goto ground. Ifyou ‘comer it ic fights t suvive However, strength of weap ‘nny and arategy usually prevails, lars the huners have seriously misjudgedtheirquarry’scapabiltes. Aso, hank fully, wights are quite rare. Most Kindred will never see ‘one. Those who domight net be ale lstinguish ic from another Kindred unless they sce telltale evidence of its ‘wretched mental state ‘The safety of a city's Cainites is who a concem. Destroying the “mad dogs” of Kindred society is just as necessary for us as putting down true mad dogs is for (GurarOu Sns os Mewar umortals, While most wights do not attempt to feed an Kindred, occasionally one sealizes that the blood taken from is own speciesis more filling than that of easier per. Thavenever heard of a Cainite actually being diabletized by a wight, bur that certainly isn't to say that it couldn't happens. [awe io idea what effec this might have on the wight (and i isn'tan experiment! 'm prepared to pursue), but L hypothesize thar it might either grant a moment of lucidity to the wight or, conversely, push the creature deeper uico the depehs of madness The final and least common reason | kriow of for hunting and slaying these unfortunates is mercy. The loss cfsentience, ofthe consciousness that makes us thinking beings isone of the mosttrightening things [ can think af. Therefore, some of us (jes, myself included) track down the unfortunate wights and end their existence in hopes that they will know some peace in the hereafter. Wiont pacts Diahlerie aside, wights will atc other Cainites with theintentionoffeedingiftheyfeel that they can dosovafely A Coinite who lingors over sca inight suallenly Gud Fhimset struck from behind witha club (as wightsincelligent enough to sarprise Cainites are certainly intelligent enough ‘oemploy weapons) Such “cannibal” wights are more rate than ther fellows, since their predator's instincts ensure that they shy away from such able prey. However, if two or tote wights manage tofind each oxher,a curiousthing nay happen. Rather than fighting, the cteatures might join together insoctal groups analogous co wolf packs ‘This only makes sense, considering that wights are descended from social animals. I have observed this phe- nomeron firsthand omly once, but Thave it on excellent ‘authority that the case | saw was not entirely atypical. My experience: observing wight pack in Detsoie was this, I was in thecity hunting down a wight, the remains of Sabbat mass Embroce. [chad fled abaccle with Camarlla inured and escaped. This wight would not have lasted long in ary ease — it was far too blatant about its predations and stories of “cannibal killer” had already begun to surface among the cty’spoor. [found the beas and beyan routing it away from inhabited areas so chat could dispose of i Iherdeirtoward the river. Upon reachingthe tanks, T was surprised th see a figuen ninning at the wight. Ths newcomer ran with a loping gait chat did not seem at all human to me. Such being the ease [decided to see what the newcomer was and how the wight would react to it (and vice versa). Tomy surprise, the two beingstized each other up, and the wight [had been chasing ducked its head, apparently acknowledging the ctheras ts superior. They then bothturned toward me. Notwishingto lose this Luniqite opportunity for study I led the area and doubled hack to observe. The second wight was obviously older, as | could see from its tactered clothes, and stronger. The two of them procected each cther and hunted in tandem. Whenever they fed, however, the dominanc wight would feed firse, much like the lealeroFa wolfpack does. would have been interested tose howa thisd wight would have affected the peckingorder, but [was forced todestroy them beth before either attracted attention from the local Sabbat or any mortal authorities. I can say, however, that the younger wight teught me withall its (Considerable) strength when itsaw that I meant to injure his companion, ‘The pack phenomenon is not universal, however. ‘When two wights meet, the results a kat as likely to be «pitched bale herween competing predators ait is the formation of a social group. This, too, is something | witnessed. While traveling herween New Orleans and New Iberia, [became lost and was forced to sleep the day in a roadside movel. lawake that evening tosomething scrab- bling at my arm as L ested under the bed ‘Aine exerting yee fom my (adenttedly ether foolish sleepingarrangement, took teck ofthe intruder. Temas obviously 2 Camie, and its disheveled appearance and dull, animablike eyes marked itas a wight. The only weapon [had ta hand war « small pistol, and Idoube it would have donesny good. As was preparing toslow the beascusing my temporal gts, another misshapencresture entered the root. While Thad no way co guess the lineage of the first wight, hesecond was obviously heremnantsofaGangrel Its eyes gleamed red, it sported blool-enciusted talons, and it had odd, patchy fur acros its torso. I thought for a moment tac these creatutes were part ofa pack (and yas beginning to reconsider my options) when the fist wight Jaunched itself ac the newcomer. As it did so, I was able to observe deep furrows in its hack se clearly these two unorcunates hac! clashed befcre, They were mote inter- ested infightingeach other than hotheringme, so wasn't concemed for my safety. However, | did want to make certain tat noneof the other uestsof the motel aw them or fall vitim to thesrrage. Carefully and slowly, Iherded them into the bayou. They ignored me except when | attacked directly, and when I did, the one Tattocked tried to run (considering itself curmanched). Finally, when both combatants wi exhausted and wounded, | managed to subdue them and study them ac greater length. discovered tharboth wights Jhadbeen hunting in the area, and each had been expanul- ing its own territory” until the two creatures happened tupon each other. They had been hunting cach other ever since, clashing when they met, with neither gaining ‘enough advantage to win, Sno B.000 2Sroryretiine Wicurs ‘The flowing informations intended for Story tellers who wish 9 use wighis in their chronicles, '* Moralityt A wight is simply a Kindred whose’ Humanity (orothermorality) score hes dropped to zero. dhe Sul dhe Dee's in nouns conga ae budy. As mentionéd previously, this command needs not be a constant, blood-soaked rampage, The Beast can certainly be curing when itmeeds to, andltisjst this low amtrnal sense of self chat keeps the wight from simply destroying itself sooner, as the case with most Cai who suffer the wassail. *# No pain: Wightsdo novacknowlede pain fiom bashing or lethal woundsyand they soak such woundsat I difficulty. They sufer wound penalties only ifthe wounals stem from fre or sunlight, and even then, they typically enter frenzy (ce Rétschreele) so quickly that Pain does not hinder them, * Disciplines: Wights dé not leer Disciplines in the same way as most Kincired. Instead, they grasp the least complicated and most wseful(cothera concentsof the Discipline inquestion rarely over level three, For cexamele, awight developing Obluscate would probsbly leam nly the frst fwo levels, as thethicd iscooimvolved forits mind to grep, Thephysieal Disciplines (Potence, Foretude, and Celery) have no upper limicexceptthe ‘maximum dictated by the wight’ generauon. Que-ot- clan Dsciplinescanbeleamed only ifthe wightalready had some skill in the Discipline prior io degeneration, ‘othe consumesatleasrfive blood poines from a vampire whose clan commonly exhibits. * Animalistic: Wights are neatly impossible to influence mately o emisetonelly; All sie Desi nate and Fresence (exespt Dread Gaze) recetve a ¥2 difficuley modifier. Appearance: A wight can havaan Appearance seore nto higher that 1 Mosfertu wights: are often ingistingushable from “notmal” Sewer Rats, which rmakesthem all the more dangerous, * Memories: How much awightrecallsdependsonits ‘Willpower rating. A wight with a Willpower score of 3 or less becomesa Hoodthitsty monster incapatle ofa al strategy or reascn, himting chiefly by animal instinct. A. ‘wight with a higher Willpower ating, bawever, can acta- ally retain Abilities: For every pointot Willpower above 3, the wight retains one dot ofa given Ablity Ret exam, tvampite with eMeleeratingof SandaW lower rating ofS retinstwo dots of Melee. _The Aletmess, Athletics, Brawl, Dodge, Intinaida. tiotl and Stealth: Abilities are. not affected by this restriction’. As wights have no Humanity, heyeanniot possess the Empathy Talent. Note thar some Abilities are mappropriate for vwights regardless of their Willpower scare. No wight will retain muuch mastery of Academics oe Compater Likesrse,teraininga Linguistics ratingonly meansthat ‘the wight can understand the languages it ance knew! (0s opposed racy speaking them) netalrif the wight does nt ipunlife tobe indieetdngerauthe wish isnot ‘unary (jt blood pool is mone tha 3/4 full), it wil porte interests related to itsformer Nature. For example, a wight whose former Narure was Architect may observe the old “count scartered grains of vice" yh or push di into ples ‘round its haven, wheteasa Monster wight wll kill anal again, ney mattet how fll ts bloed pol is @ Generation: Age and potency of hoodare snchanged by the lassof Humanity. A wightean be of amy age ot generation. Older wights don't differ in behavior much as compared to younger anes, 4 Fronzy/Ritschrecks Wights chick for feeney and Rotschreck at +3 dificulty. Most will le: fie or sunlight without bothering to resist the fed fear, ‘*Diablerie: Consuming he soul ofa wight srsky, Besides the usual Humanity lgs, the diablerist must. ‘immediately check or fenuy (difficulry8) Nightroares ften plague the diableris: for months afterwar:, In aditon, although the attendant “rush” fom disblerie vull occurs, decrease ynieration.gomes ata price. the ‘wight was of lower generation than the diablerist, the dhablerist’s player must coll Willoower (difficulty 7), If she sueveed, her generation ckops hy ope, but she Amieduiely gains detangement (which onedepends cn the Storyteller’ taste 2: bestia ones are most apne petate). Wights svill only commir diablerie if the wight! in question has already done so (before becoming a wight) and is alone and undisturbed. # Superstition: While she narrator of the preced ing text greatly exagierates a wight's inere ulnecability'9 superstition, many wighis are indeed curbed by gatic,erasesor other such “Yolk emeiies if theusersucceedsina Willpower rol (dificulty).fthe user's player happens to Kaye Thue Faith, the wight ivcoils automatically and flees wf rogsible, A. stake through the heart will nor destroy a wight, but it does parale it as usual * Wight packs: Groups of wights occasionally behave usstated elsewhere in th becomes a sort of default lear, and the pack affects crude attempts at strategy (harying prey likewolves, attackingen masse and so forth), Weaker wight will | fight 1a Final Death to provect the leadee One: Ss ok MorsI never discovered the identity ofthe Gangrel wight, bucthe other rumed out to bea Ventruc and the childe of a New Orleans harpy. Said harpy,asit happens, offered 1 pay handsomely to keep the newsof his childe’s fate from the ears of his fellows. [had no desire to become involved with the harpiesof any city, however, and so declined any reward for silence. Cainites of all stripes are rare, of course, and wights even more s6, which means thar the adds of ancomntering: either a pack or a feud are extremely slim. However, if somethinghappens only once a century ard one has seen the passage of [5...well, let me close my discussion ‘on wights by saying that, like all wild animals, they are unpredictable and dangerous, and (cbviously) have no moral limitations at all when it come to survival Omen Pats to Gorconna Tewould seem that Goleonds is the logical extrapo lation of humanitas for a Cainite. But what ofthe Paths of Enlightenment? Are they exempt rom any possibil- ity of redemption. simply because they chose the road that best suited them? ‘The answer is no. However, the possibility lies, I believe, in giving up the Path and rediscovering one’ human ethics and morality. This process takes year possibly decades, and given the inhumane nature of many Paths, this goal may be impossible co achieve. However, one’s human side can be reclaimed if the vanupite fstcony estugh to try As for those Cainites who attempt to teach Golconda (or a similar state) by reaching the pinnacle oftheirparticular Path, I have no true idea, only guesses. I should think thar some Paths might allow for it with abit of heretical changeto the Path’sethics, whilesome others (notably the Path of Metamorphosis) seem to have this sort of transcendence in mind a8 a goal. However, true Golconda comes from conquering the Beast and redressing one’s crimes, not from a study of what itis to be a monster. I must, therefore, conclude that, although some kind of reward might await the followers of the Paths of Enlightenment, the reward is not the road of Mercy promised by Gabriel To Introspection Golconda is hinted at in the Book of Nadi *. even now there is path opened, a road of Mercy, and you shall call this toad Gokeonda, And tell your chil- dren oft, for by that road they may come once again to dwell in the Light.” In that context, it seems to stem G-d directly. However. it isimportant to note that joa” of the Book of Nodis the same entity that both Jews and Christians worship (even if they themselves, won'tconcede that point) and that some Cainites (my Repemprion? T stated before that the final section of my manuscript would speak for tse also stated that only two avenues exisc for Cainites who wish to. defea: the Beast In thislast statement, Lmisspoks. One other method exists: Golconda cannot speak the wond above awhisper That Teril hold eich sovlsrenen fr tha wt concept « might seem laughable to some, in the face of my... No, I am getting ahead of myself 1 must separace my experiences from the tmuth, divorce myself ofemotion,asbefitting oneoftheUnforsiv- ing. Very well, then. The teader might well ask, “What is Golconda” “Myths surround the word. Most of chem are completely false; some are merely misguided. Whar Golcondais noe, however, is satwof tolerance or acceptance. AKindred who hasteachiedGoleomda is not, by conventional human morality, “good.” “caring” or “tolerant.” Goleonda is not for the softheartad, athe diseipline and sel perceprion it requices is phenomenal. Golconda snota tate reached by followingny ‘xe partic religion or faith, In my travels, | once heard a Kindted preaching that the true path 10 forpivencs lic in devout attontion tthe Five Pillars ‘élslamn,that Allah would forgive those Kindred who followed the Muslim faith and reward them with Golconda Lactually broke my usual practice of strict ecstatic is gels Calbticsa tigated wait How | asked, could the Muslim faith be che way to forglvenest when thar fash (like most others) wasa prodict of a need for social change within mortal society, an when many Cainites (myself included) ‘predate the religion’s inception by hundreds of years: twboot? He didn’tave an angwerforme;beyond the ‘ual “All wills itso." Although fam nor prone to boutsof strongemotion of any kind, that night I was ‘overcome by disgust. Likewise, no one sector clan has any more information on Golconda than aay ether. The mysterious Inconnu ate rumored 10 pursue Golconda, bur they are also rumored to be the Just of the Antediluvians, a group of demon- worshipping infernalists, the gatekeepers to Gehennaandsoon. In allmycenturies of nie, Thaye neverseen or heard from a member of this srrange group, and I om forced to assert that they may aot sitet at all for the ‘Swsor He Boon 4gtandsire among them, reportedly) predate even Juda isin, Su, where did Golconda criginare I spoke once with a member of the enigmatic Salubri. Lam aware of the rumors surrounding their clan;1 am also aware that many of these rumors can be traced back to the Tremere, ardl | prefer to trust expe rience over Warlocks, The discussion was brief, but the Cainite expressed an opinion thar the founder of her clan actually discovered Gclcondaafterextensive travel inthe Middle and FarEast. Since I spentthe first several centuries of unlife among the Cainites of Jerusalem and the surrounding countries and never heard ct Saulot or his involvement with Goleanda, I am forced to doubt the veracity of that statement. However, | am also forced to concede that the woman who made the statement displayed an inner serenity much beyond her years (she confessed that she was little more than a neonate). I feel that the answer lies not in spirituality but in science. Forevery action, an equal and opposite reaction follows. The action of a Cainite’s slide inte degradation, eventually cesling, inthis Final Death or a violent period in wassal, has its reaction in the Kindied's departed burstill-extant soul erying out. The soul is immortal and strong, even if the Beast makes the Kindred’s mind weak, just as the Beast has ts own end in mind —complete surrender to base instincts — the soul, 100, has an ultimate goal, "to dwell in che Light. must apologire to the reader. Much ofthe preced ing ismy own philosophy, and Ido not mean to offend But, in following Golconda, dogmatic human religion has no place, There ate no holy texts to offer pre packaged codes of behavior. no Pillars, ne mmandments and rarely any teachers. The hardest step on the way to Goleonds (aside, perhaps, from seeing the way tall) isthe firstone, because theseeker wallesa dangerous road, alone im the dark The choice to make that first step is often done without knowledge oreven rumor of Golconda. Aer al the Camavilla regards tas allegory at best anda fairy tale at worst: The Sabbut, neeales ww say, coms the very idea of penitence and remorse in favor of leading an unlie without regret. Bur sometimes, » Cainite sees something that makes him remember what it was to be mortal. 1 needn't be signaficant, but somehow, 1€ couches a dead heart. A wedding, abirth, adeath, a funeral, achildatplay — the posibilties areas erlless asthe ways that mortal express their emotions. The point is this: The Kind remembers the emotions, even if actually experienc them is beyond his capacity, and he feels the burden death and time that 1 mentioned in the vwiting oars One Sn. Mona 5This burden crushes the weak: The last memories of wight might well include such a moment,but those who are strong enough to bear the guilt, and honest enough to identify it, find themselves acting on it. And this action i whore the road to redemption becomes rocky. Selflenial is not an easy thing for mortals, and is widely regardedas semehow virtuous. Fasting, abstinence from sex an go forth are seen as tools to grow closet to the Almighty, m sure [nea not remand he reader oF the effects of festingon us. The hunger becomesmore than we can bear. And so feeding for the penitent Cainite is an condeal; many such Cainites tur to seduction or taking Vitae ftom sleeping vesses, oreven feedingon anitnals. In any event, a Kindred who seeks salvation aust avoid killing atall costs, even in selfdefense. The taking oa life isa sure methodoflosingall progress reward Golconla— and this includes murder by inaction (which means that Cainitesattemptingto find Golconda had best mindtheir ‘associates carefully), Most Cainites never proceed far enough on the path tosee vhatcomes next. Not killing mortals seems strange and unnecessary to many of us, and change comes hard to the undead. But a C te who mana; inds that more re ei. A Kindred sesking Golconda must frst seek atonement Atonement, absolution, redemption, salvation and sodown to the most hasicof such concepts:forgiveness. In life, I axl no iclea how to forgive. I remembered sights aginst me for years, and nursed grudges studiously. As such, I never expected forgiveness, and my wife often surprised me by granring it to me when I stayed out on the sea toolong, when I gambled with my earings and son. Twas not astrong enough man to forgive T'msorry. Only a few hours remain until dawn, | will see this throughs ‘The supplicant must atone for any and all crimes he has committed. Thiscan, in the ease of younger Cainites, extend to sins committed while he was still mortal. Inany ‘event, atonement tee many forms. Pechape the Kindred seeks cut those he has wronged and simply confess nl apologizes, Perhaps he seeks to cameet the mistele surrey titiously, Or ifthereisnopossble way co atone directly for sus ernie (the Cainite fed on and killed someone an lef him, and he hasno way tofind oucthe victim’sname), the supplicant may seek to prevent crimesof a similar nature. imple denial is invel Again, nove that the Cainite does not seek to atone because of responsibilty cither to himself or to higher being. The desire to repent must sand on its owt — the Kindred must feel and display true remorse, else no- progress is made, A Cainite who displays such behaviors openly evenly comesto the attervion of atutor. Whether thet tutor chooses to reveal himself js another matter; it Aependslongely on whether the tutor fele thar the suppl cant would benefit by instruction, and indeed if the supplicant has any hope at all of reaching Goleonda. To reach Golconda, after all, requires denying the cigs of aid these uuntphing over dhe Beast. One does notallow the Beast “controlledfreedom," onebestsitinto submission. This means that a Cainite who cannot con- trol the throes of frenzy or Rétschreck is not a candidate for Goleonda, Sel-contaol 1s paramount to attaining the state, asisselawareness—one must be able to examine oneself honestly and ask, “Can 1 control myself? Can I deny myselP? Can I forgive myself?” Nor questions with ‘easy answers, those. The tutor may choose to ask those questions for the supplicant, to place che seeker in sicua- tions where he will betested. On the whole, however, the best lesson a tutor can give is one of hope The road, after all, is often thankless, and since mentors are rare and the road so very personal, cis very hhard to tell that any progress isbeing mode at all. At least silere ere'ytuberes «nla one esomneyonrore of i degeneration is much easier to track that redemption. A. tutor can provide the benefit of reassurance and give the seeker some suggestions on where to turn next. Awould-beseckershould beware, however. Golconda, asstated,ispersonal, Whac might makeone Cainite weep. ‘with guilt might elicit no real reaction from another. For thisreason, mentors watch their protégés very carefully for some time before unmasking, indeed they ever bother. If aseeker announces that he intends to seek Golconda and is rewarded with a mentor almost immediacely, it is more likely that an elder has found willing pawn: than an enlightened Kindred has found a disciple ‘And this brings me to another caveat of seeking Gokonda: Avoid the Jyhad. The jyhad is merely aplay- thing for ancients, a distraction from eternity. A Cainite seeking Golconda cannot afiord such dalliances. The struggle with the anarchs or the Sabbat? The takeover of New Yerk by the Camarilla? The war between Kined andthe strange Cathayanson the Wast Conse? Allofthese ae of no import compared to (for example) a man being beaten to death hy a gang in your own city. Cainites are beyond the strictures on killing as far as Golzonda is ‘Sotwcista (argh vetaiady aeuselioncal apsses Iotll premeditated murder, and T hardly need mention chat aber likely prohibirsany chance ofreaching Goleorea). ‘Does thismean that contact with other Cainitesisprohib- ited? No, notinand of itself, burconsider the factors. [Ifyou spend time around Cainizes who are not attempting t0 {ind Golconda (and i’srarethat ewoKindredever attempt theroad together), you are likely tohave to prevent them from killing, Youare equally likely to become involved in the sort of pseudo-political nonsense so commen to the ‘Snsor me Buooe Pynightly existence of our kind, and this serves only to dliseeact you fiom the business ot hand, Golcondais a path best walked alone. Bur then again, isnt the way tobecome strong to est oneself! And, if in asieiating with other Cainites, one finds ces cess, ould that not he road to redemption? Actually, I'm sure it coukl. A coterie of Kindred (for attempting 19 reach Golconda while maintaining an active membership in che Sabbat isprobably too much of 2 test) would certainly provide myriad opportunities to prove one's spiritual fortinude, Suche seeker would likely need to be ina pesition to stop any real atrocity that the others might wish to perform, but this could pethaps be asked by an over-developed loyalty tothe Masquerade ‘And, that very Masquerade provides one necessary com- onenttothepathto Golconda—contact with humanity — that becoming autarkis might inhibit Morals, afer all, have the freedom that the secker Jong for. They have theirbase urges, true, bur thei base urges don’t force them to fly into homicidal rages and eonaume the bleed efwhetever stands woo near, Mortala arecapatle ofsuch defining acts ofselflesness, sometimes ATTACHMENT Enclosed among these papers, the reader will find a letter from a menrot to a supplicant. Please | treat it with care. Fouigh I witnessed a great triumph of sprit. sas sy ie gow Sepa de ee ended, you are ws ths rohl path its Soe mapraped tic iosaantbanlaad Ua Sibla istael the wag thy did hp dg follow 228 talr mss: wa do nod tech la cmuentolbirs. | You diepped them from slaughtering. these mental edi cipdantip eta DL oe Poses oleae edn galton shane sa re their unlives: I wan't play G dad stats bat hay Qricracd st but yu ale bly ed bonny § pba. ‘wtuld dofand yourself and | eis Nenad has of gop" ld lest Grated thoy athatbnh, Alem, pl | sae them. You have mach yet ts do. bee Vemitas, in the same hour that they betray those they love. That dichotomy, 90 gresly exaggevated in our state, iy quite worthy of study and perhaps emulation. So, the seeker watches mortals, trying to return to something approxt- mating his own human state This focus on humanity is one of the main reasons that the Sabbat detests the notion of Golconda so, They see itas regresion, like a grown man wearing swaaldling and seeking to return to infancy, But this really isn't the case, A human being never contends with the tempta- tions that we do. Mortals have their ow: reasons to be strong, bur they are tempted by food, greed, sex and so forth. Many of their temptations, while reprehenst some places, rarely violate any basic taboos. Our tempt tion, ournecessity —consumingthe biood ofthe living does exactly that. Is next to impossible to maint humanity withour violating a law of humanity so mmote and so sacred that i figures into nearly every faith in the world, And there isthe old riddle of our existence, A beast Lam lest beast | become The sccke: of Guleonida responds ro ths lle with resounding “No,” ‘We must survive, yes. We must feed, granted. But we rennet hound to become beast to stave of the Beat. This is why seekers of Golconda do not kill, and mdeed sore even ask permission to feed on mortals before doing %. ‘The key to Golconda lies in denying that the Beast has power aver the higher self, and giving into the riddle isa victory forthe Beast. Iris akin to saying, “The Devil made medlort,” and while the Beast is morea factor inthe unlife of aCainite than some improbable malevolencdemigodis in the life ofa moral, the fcr isthar the Cainite caves fll responsibility forthe Beas'sactions. Therefore the only ‘way to truly atone is to own the Beast and never succumb to frenzy, from hunger, anger or fear, It is not impossible, but the next thing to it. ‘When the seeker aches this level of mastery of the self, a change surrounds him. His will becomes neatly indomitable; the mind ticksof the Ventre, aswe cinorional nuanipubiions of he Toreador and even the Malkzvian skill of inducing insanity affectthe seeker only slightly. The scker is by no means immune to these powers, but hei resistant ro them, a his mind has been {mined toexamine and re-examine hisactionsconstantly for any hint of control by the Beast. Likewise, the effects of any standing blood bond are lesened considerably Rumer has it that a seeker at this point may actually he teleased from the bond if he asks his regnant for freedom, honesly and without che: When the Kindred has atoned for his crimes, con- trolled the Beast andleamed tomake afinal understanding of himself the easiest pars of Golconda are over. All that asthe (Gare One So or Mona ulies ahead is the Susp. This ondeal determines whar the st of unlife holds for the seeker. And we have now reached a critical place in this writing. All Suspites are intensely personal trials, tailored for the Kindred undergoing them. They are meant to test the areas in which the Cainite's soul is weakest. They nearly alwaystouch on some aspectof the seeker's clan, A Lasombra seeking Golconda might, as part of Ino Suspite, be forced to stare at an empty mirror and struggle tocome to terms with what he sees (ordoes not see) therein, But clan alone is only gart of the journey. At times, the ordeal is physical. Mest supplicanus un- ddergo great pain through fite or sunlight, to test their strength in holding the Beast ar bay. Bur the most important part of the Suspire is the journey intone’ own soul, the long-departed soul that accompanied each of us until our site drove it out with his vita. I cannot tell you of any other common threads between Suspires. There are none. The experience meant for one being alone. Leefuse tn speculate further on what sore of test any given Cainite mightendute; am neither philosopher nor scholar, and such puess- work isbeyondme. can only tell you, with any clarity, fone Suspire Mine 1 had no tutor, not directly, se my stepson the road t ‘onda were clumsy. All Cainites must overcome aa ng guilt, selfish beings that we are. My site's Hood saw to it that [had to overcome a deadening ‘ofall emotion. [had to reach past years of taining in thinking and observing instead of feeling before I could even begin to understand Golconda. had o forgetall of my “progress” in the Path of the Scorched Heart, regain ‘my human ethics, bfore any progress was posible Te took me nearly a century to do so. A century of unlearing of abstainingfrom killingany ivingorunliving things (except wights; | expressed my reasons for hunting them earlier, and I did and dofeel thatthe worldisabetter place for their bene). When I finally was able to fool somethingagain, ie wasahorsble,crippling gui, stronger than anything T remember feeling since my breathing digs, For nearly a cencury more, {tracked down descen- dents of ny vissimay whe yn Luna nua capa st them exactly what had happened, but gave directions 0 the bodies of those I remembered. I funded (and, where possible, attended) funerals Idid not feed on human vitoe for several decaakes, and then only our of sheer necessity. G aversion to fet ‘The Beast hasaweaker graspon those of myclan than most, hecause of our dea\lened hearts, However, morality {to us as well. So, where che handest part of aftaining Goleonda for most Cainites might be mastering the Beast, for me it was finding my humanity. did. How is another matter. Ir certainly wasn'eone event that opened my eyes, but litle by litle, found myselFlonging for sunrise, which I hadn'edone since Lwas a-neonate, My two most common pursuits, music and swordplay, both of which I rook up for practical reasons (namely honing my dexterity and coordination, andself- defense, respectively) [took to again with enthastasm. 1 ‘wasengaging in these activities for the accomplishment] felcin learning ormastering new skills (or merely sharpen- ingoldones)ratherthanalwaysconsidering the practicality ‘of such abilities. ‘And finally took up sailing again. Oh, the welcome Helctheseagiveme when forthe fsttime innesrly three ccenturics, [sled out to her on a one-man craft While on that boar, lentered the Suspire. [twas much Likedreaming, but withourany hope of waking and sewing that everything was as it had been. I knew that, when I ksi wheesverkapacred ia ya dascen vrnld laps etc The dream heyan in Jerusilern, near my home. Iw pushing my boat out to sea, and my son came running toward me. He asked to come with me. Thad seen this scene before, Lrealzed; this was theday that would beach my craft and lay down to sleep on the sands, only to be awokened by Ezra, my sire. If [took my son withme, who knows whae Bera might do? And ye, ifT refused him, my last memories of him (for | did not return home after my Embrace) would be of him disappointed and hurt I thought about this, and then promised him I would be home soon, towaitfor me. Itwasalie. teu. hutaliethae lefthimhappy and anticipating. | sailed out ignoring the dark cloudson the horizon. That should have been acue hac I was wrong. The water became choppy a it ad that day The ley clouded over as night approached, and I beached my craft oon an unfamiliar shore. I lay down co sleep, and found | could not. When a being walked toward me, 1 stood, expecting tosce Earn, Instead, [naw enyself after fashion, {saw mysefas I would become: dressed in an expen: sivesuit, peppered hair croppedshort, watchingeverything with calm observance. My furureself approached, and asked why [hadi chosen asl did, I responded, "Sothat | did not disappoint my son upon leaving him.” Hecalily asked,"No. Why did youleave atall?” And at that, | knew {had failed. “The Suspireis the final chance, the very lastopportu nity fora Cainiteto right the wrongs of his unlife, At leas itwas to me. Nothing I have done, not the wights [have desoyed nor the mutie Thavecrezted, none ofthis would ‘equal the happiness I could have given my son and wife ‘nso HE Boo BSTORYTELLING THE SuspiRe The Suspire is the final step on the’ rad ol salvation, and as such, it might require a story by ‘tell. If only one character in a corerie is seeking Goleonds, pechaps representations of het fellows she Sugpire totest or guide her: Iehis isthe ayteller should work with the othe | players and make sure that they now anyhin that they need to drow or actions that thefe charierers must take. The players must also realie that the Suspire is personal experience meant for the char- scterseeking Goleondis That character musthe the | star of the show during the Suspire. So, whar happens during a Supire? Does mel Cainite confront her worst enemy and batilera the | death? Does the character meet God and beg for nctey? Ts theres Holy Graileexiue symbol thgt the | Cainive must find? The answerto all ofthese ques- | ves if thats what the story requtes, | However, beara fey story considerations in mind. | While some Suspires do. involve'a physical | challenge, even this challenge i atibokes A fr | scene mit tepreenita Canute’ triumph over the | Beast, whereas a scene that forees the secker 10 | ‘ruse fire or sunlight might be constructed! tes | heer resolve an fortimde (not Forni). The tue | ower ofthe Suspreliesinthe inner journey that che | Cainite underaoes, 1 ‘What exactly happens during this journey is | entirely up to the needs of the story. The Cainite almost assuredly hs crimes hac need beredesed |) reyes nea ts mess bg nin Se | fore. Youmigechooseip givethe pleyerachanoe ty | sytabolically rectify mlstakes that hee character has | no chance of fixing mn the “real” week: You might | choue, instead, copresent her with an entirély.new | problem based on what she his learned over the | course of eeking GoleondsThe Cainice mightfind | hursef forced 19 persiade a group of mortilé tohelp | her without che aid of Disciplinessappealing to theic | humanity. She might find herself confronted with | the worst hormrs humanity has eo offer. In any event, allow, the plaver to justify her actions before deciding that her character does or | does not pass the test and each Golconda. There | shouldne: bes "right" end “wrong” way tocomplete | a Suspire. Certainly, the Storytéller should have an | ultimate goal in mind, hurifthieplayerfinds a way to succes curingthechallenge thar sounds reawmable for hor character, dort inst thatthe way you | cevited isthe only path to Golconda, tions is. hha! I simply not lef chem thae fateful moming Since the decision to become a Cainite was not mine, the only way T could rectify that miscake was symbolically, in the ‘Suspize. But I did not. I took my Embrace as an immutable fact, and therefore lft my family and sailed offw my doom, ‘When I awoke, I was Iying on the deck of the boat ‘The san was creeping over the horizen, and Thad an urge cogreet it.I didnot obviously. slept on the boat that de, sailed back to shore that night, and began to contemplate what to do with my unlife. Te would be at once true and a bitter falsity to claim that T was lucky. True, I survived the Saspite with my unlifeandsaity intact. Mary fuluresare not fortunate ‘Those who fail either fall wo ashes or become a sort of wight, butwithoutthedesiretohunt. They simply wander hour, last in agony, until the sun ends thei pain, Bat on the other hand, didnot sucesed, and there is coaly one chance at Golconda. Going on, knowing what rmighthave been —thisisprobably the worst torture ofall, and Thavefelcicbetore, Thenighes following my Embrace saw me lurking out of sight as my fmily slepe, and me wishing with what passion I could muster that! might see them in daylight again, hold them close, teach ray son to sail saw themagain in my Suspise and like Orpheus, that one sweet glance was all I had before my own lack of foresight doomed me forever. So, what of the Kindred who completes his Suspire succesfully? knowonly that the Beast loses itstecth. The Kindred’s unlife is forever free offrenay for any reason. | have also heard that che thirst takes him much. less frequently, as little ac once amonth, ond that he becomes capable of improving his command of the gifts of Caine well beyond the norm, The requirements of purity ae still thereof course: The Kindred cannotslip from his spiritual standards, but without the Beast, these standands are much easier to maintain. ‘Some Cainiteswhohave reached thisstate choose 19 meet the dawnwith theirsoulscleansed, hut most remain, veaching, traveling, righting whatever wrongs they feel need to beaddressed. Some leaveall society ani ead thei unlives in the wilderness, although how they contend with Lupines isanyone’s guess. Sometimes, they gravitate cowantaseeker, almosthy instinct, and help himdown his, own toad. Dear G-d, I so looked forward to doing just that. Toy being father again, even in a loase sense. I have never sited — Tremember enough about passion that L would never wish the curse of emotionless etemity onanyone— but Ido missheing teacher ofany sor, Well, perhaps this writing will educane the reader enough to stare him (or her) down the path. I sincerely hope so. Gears Ove: Ss of Mawaralthough everything | have heard and stud- es that no second chance for Goleorda exit my Suspire taught me the danger of taking anything for granted. So,T shal consider this my second Suspire in a way. Iflam strongeneugh to endure the sun’ fe chat pan and fear, pesbaps Iwill once again Light.” I not... perhaps! will see my family again. Either eventuality fills me with joy. do noc wish to consider the probabilities, nor the implications, I am through with observation. Tonight — today — 1 ac. Ge go with me, Toyou the reader, I can only apologize if this writing seemsrambling or improbable. amsurethata tue scholar would know how to arrange such an essay, but [am not a scholar. amsurethata philosopher would quotethe great entick cf che ogssoh reppore forbs hcughia bie] am not a philosopher resin, simply, Nehemiah, Childe of Ea, Childe of Joshua, Childe of Brujah PDATHSOF ENLIGHTENMENT Below are three additional Paths of Enlightenment. Noneofthese Pathsboart verylarge followings amongany sect. However, occasionally neonate emengeswithenough potential ro attract a mentor from one ofthese Paths Tue DATH OFTHE SCORCHED Heart | feet no anger against you, although you have wnenged me.I bear no grudge. Hextever, since obvieusy caret ust Sty, it makes no sense for me wallow tke posibiiy of you twrengine me again. You wadersand ystoket, Gangrel of the Black Hand Nickname: Unforgiving Basic Belie One of the Paths of choice in the now- defunct “True” Black Hand, the Path of the Scorched Heart prizes observation and logical thought aver all Strong emotion, contend the Unforgiving, is for the flawed, and t ulimarsly clouds judgment. Only harddata can be uusied, and thls means gata chat are observed firsthand. Earning the trust of an Unforgiving is next to Snscr BLo0? 0ADDENDUM 2 Dore grntes D feerel these powpcts oesotly whens you aupyenteel 7. tock. Che clerk at the hotel seemed to expect me. Dean only assume thant this "Wahamtah” asisbed for youand you aloneite be tw posses: ston of hia baat words. Gudlging prom a cintous tory Dheard on the cocks last might, D believe he dic indeed sad out te his cemise. Coe sartlors tobe ofa sumer they hand thad m verrtert sarilboat driiflodt ) toward the docks containiny no trace ofthe man whe leasid i, Alviel did contain was a fine dusting of chat appeared te be ash, an Vealiand smotd (eotimaterl value nearly 200,000 American dollars) and a geoaine Stradivarius viclin. (have data te guess its value, however, should pai wishnnitaprncesa tt for gate, D opill abe vrg boot) Toth dtems shew signs of recent use. tease antte me care of the hotel in Menten City (you hae the ¥ : address, 7 believe] ancl advise me as te what you wish done isith these a, pages, my prince. Vasish te leave this country as soon as possible. 4 Bours truly, Arcam impossible, since they consider that information that they from others allied by those others' perceptions and n if follower of the Scorched Heart rusts someone, he crusts only that the person would not lie deliberately, which in no way makes him areliable source. The Path of the Scorched Heart originated within the srange bloodline claiming ta he the original descendants of Brujah, Struggling to come to terms with the Beest, Brujoh (so the legends say) decided that all emotions, cornet, were tainted by "stouch and so, theccore were the sxions dead Ly ht ons. In cutting off the soul from emotion — “scorching the hearc” — Brujah hoped co find respite ffom the Beas The Unforgiving are wary of imposing their morality on others. What appears right or wreng may only seem so the observer does not know the fll story. There follower of this Path sees that something she eceivesas immoral orotherwie wrong, she wil teerspe action is called for, Other she investigates, learns and then acts, secure that. knows enough t© do so atayainst her personally however veiled, is The Untorgiving do not like loose ends or subtle hints, and they are pesistent in tracking down foes not because they bear grud bec they do nat wish to € back to harm them later Needless to say, the Unforgiving ¢ ance having the foe cc the Be tofrensy is consdere podacch. Te ve be resisted indicates to the Unforgiving that it must be resisted, Since few vampires remember what happens when the Peastholds sway, no knowledge can be gleaned (and therefere tainted) The Unforgiving tend tc and near-perfect ‘memoties. Theypay close attenticn to theirsurroundiy and they are superb listeners, Ofcourse, they erp alents largely to gain information that might be (lars Ova 6 of Morartheir advantage later. The Path prizes secreey — if an enemyknowsnothingaboutyou, heismore likely tomake mistakes when acting against you. Some of the Unforgiv- ing make abrisk trie in selling information, Whileother CCainites may not knew of this Path's existence, they soon lear chat its followers are meticulously thorough ia gathering dara, Tne Brnucsor tHe Para * Do not feel emotion, All emotion isclouded by che Beasts rage and therefore raints your view. Avoid fearand anger especially, as these are the took ofthe Beas, and love, as ican be easily used against you. * Trustonlywharyouperoeive.lfahouseisprinredwhite ‘on oneside, youcannot asume thet it is whiee on the other, asyou cannot perceive it, Remember that around Cainites, leven your perceptions can be fooled, «0 double and triple check everthing before drawing conclusions. * Neverpas upa chance o eam asecret about another Cainite. Even if you never have to use the secret, simply Kwong i wall help you predic the Caantee reactions, * Do not kill mortals unnecessarily, Their emotions are untainted by the Beast, and therefore, they havemuch, tolivefor. fa mortal hasdegeneratedto the point that he behaves asa Beast-ridden Cainite might (serial killers, rapists, glurtons, et) kill him withour hesitation, * Consider carefully before trusting another Csinite, even 0 a small degree. Even anceher of the Unforgiving has her own agenda, and it may conflict with your Always he careful vodefine the nature of arelationshipand never presume honesty cr loyalty fsuch wasnever specif cally tated Likewise, you have no reason to deplay chore characteristics to others unless you state that you will Before taking any violent action, ask yourselfif itis truly necessary. How wauld you benefit from another's death? Ifthe anyweris simply that it would make you “feel better,” you are succumbing to the Beast's urgings, and you must leave the situution immediately. Virtues The Path of the Scorched Heart uses the virtues of (Convietion and Self-Control History s mentioned, this Path was pien founde red by the clan ofthe Brujah. However, ic wasn't codified asa true Path until the 14th century, when a True Brajah called Rathmonicus collected the beliefs and practices of the bloodline into a codex called the Book of the Empty Heart, While he himself wasdestroyed during the Anarch Revolt, the book survived to be re-copied and passedamong membersafthe True Brujah,the!_asambra, the Giovanni and the Toreador. Pethapsthree copiesof the Book ofthe EmptyHeartsurvive—certainlyno more —in the collections of elder Untorgiving, The Unfor- giving do nec seek converts actively, and they typically wait to approach a candidate until she is an ancilla. Cunnent practices ‘Only handful of Cainites follow the Path of the Scorched Heartin modem nights. The Unforg-vingare nearly invisible, since their ethicsrequirepatient watch- fulness rather than extravagant action, though, so their true number may be higher than believed. When two of the Unforgiving meet itis usually to compare notes or to share (or sell) secreis, rather than to engage in philosophical discourse. There is no true organization among the followers, butsince so few exist. most Untor- siving know the rest at least by reputation. DeschIPHONOF FOLLOWERS Most Unforgiving are observant, almost passive. They tand quieily in theback of the room, watching all that transpires, occasionally taking notes or speaking intoa tape recorder. Mader technology doesn't frighten most Unforgiving, even thecldercnes,as they take the time to study and comprehend new devices rather than shying away from them. They tend to dres stylishly but plainly, not wishing to draw attention. When they do speak, they ask clarifying questions or make simple, obvious statements The Path originated with the True Brujah, and many ofits followersare membersof this bloodline. The occasional Lasombra (sometimes antitribu) follows the Path, as do some Ventrue. The Path even has a medest Goth ig itl Crash Daven en Italian branch than its American and Scottish families. Fortowine tHe Pata The Unfornivingrepress emotion urerly. They rarchy smile or laugh, bue they do understand hurvor. They will gertly (or not so gently, depending on circumstances) corecta Cainite who hashis facts wrong about a subject, butthey never contradict opinions, and thay rarely angoe such abstracts as religion. Killing comes emily, as guilt is ignored or suppressed, but the Unforgiving dislike killing thar does nor involve selfdefense or ridding the wotld of desructive ingnces, They consider vampiies to be inherently destructive, and they typically have few ce ppunctionsakout destroying hem. However, they doreal that the repercussions of such acts usually outweigh the boenefi and besides, che Unforgiving have much ro arn from other Cainites. Some Untorgiving hunt down cer- tain types of Cainives (Subbar, wights, infernalists, etc.) while some merely observe and strike when necessary. Swesor re Bico> 2high Alermness scores, for obvious reasons. Many are also shlled in Investigation and Linguistes, Those who deal withother Cainitestypically have high Subterfuge ratings aswell. However, it bears noting that ifan Unforgivinghas dceasion to learaan Ability she usually will Therefore, it 's not uncommon for 2 very scholarly and pacifistic Sainite on this Path toknow how tohandle agun (oreven ‘a more anachronistic weapon) with a great deal of skill. Preferred Disciplines: Auspes iy ulanst untversal amongche Unforgiving,repardlessoftheirclan. The more dataperceived, the more knowledge gained. Many Unior- sgvingalo cultivate Dominate (for coaxing the tuth out of reluctant wienesses) and Anumalism (beasts see things that humans — and vampires — cannot). Often the Cainice learns one of the physical Disciplines, most fre- quently Fortitude, to aid in combat, should ir become necessary. However, as with Abilities, a follower of the Pathof the Scorched Hear leams whatever she isable, 0 making assumptions shout an Unforgiving’s capabilisies can be fatal Tue PatHor Serr-Focus No one controls you. No Veulderie or bond, no Cainie's will, except sour own. When son learn to quiee your mind and silence the Beast, you will see this, —Juleidah, curarkis name: [nternalists Basic Beliefs: The Path of Self-Focus draws heavily, fon the Easter philosophy of wn wei, or conscious inaction. The Internalists believe that deliberate at- tempts to change the world around them result in rmitory and failure, In effect, one must master oneself before claiming any kind of mastery of the vor Incerralists are not selfish in the sense that they con't care for others. Theysimply believe that meddling inother being affars is dishonorable and wrong, Ie sone thing, say the followers ofthe Path, to aid someone wi calls for help, buritis another entirely to endure pam ordanger for Sameone who does not wish for such a savior. Pain isa Jeaming experience, and “saving” someone from itis akin, te robbing that person of knowledge The followers of this Path also believe that the answers toall moral and spiritual questions can be found within oneself. No teacher can answer a question for you ‘The best she can clo is direct your gaze inward, where the wisdom les, As such, some followers of this Path might chim thar it makes a good starting point for Goleonch Most acknowledge, however, that as Golconda requires interaction with the world around the secker, the Path of Self-Focus would only begin the sceker's journey. Incernalists place a great dew of emphasis on existing in the moment rather than planning too much for the PatH or THe ScORCHED Heat Mies ARCHY OF SINS Moral Guideline ‘Making assumptions of any kind Relying on others Acting rashly Passing up an epportunity (2 learn a new skill or Disipline Falure to kill a destructive mort Fale to end an overt sipematural threat if posible without undies). Killing a non-dosemctive moreal Falling to frenzy or Rowchreck Emotional outburst Feeling sttong emotion Rationale ‘You can never know enough. ‘Your actions are the only ones you can predict with comeainty. i Observe, thitik, calculare, consider thenact: ‘You can never be sure what skillswill be needed, so learn ae muchas posible, ‘Mortalsare blessed with untumted emotions, ‘Those whio squander this gift do-nt deserve x Mortals deserve ts live without supernatural invrfeerice: However, icish't wosth djing over. Fac det none t id appellee FRc of {your attentign. To lear, you must remain objective. ‘What you feel i: 2 weapon thae your ioes can Wield Do not preseit them with that weapon The Beast feels. You do not, Deny the Beast, and iewill wither. ‘Gaerne Sus oF Mower Bfuure Asa Zen wash th aster once sad, "Wash the dishes to That iy say doe Teateralsts when performing a task, know only chat task, not how ic will affect them later, not whether it isgood or bad, but simply completing it and doing it well. Doing so involves knaw- Ingauskforwhat itu andclearngthe mundofdstractions such as hunger or the Beasts urges. The Internalists do not seek to expunge or deny the Beast entirely, however, “Things are as they are" is a common axiomamng the followersofthisPath, and they seceptthatthe Beast must be allowed to roam sometimes, However, 2 time and place exists in which to do so, and succumbing tothe east a inappropriate timesis cunsidh ered shameful tothe [nremalists, since itsuggests tharthey donor truly know themselves as they claim. THe Princsor rie Darn ** The past and future are illusions; in truth, chere is only now. Exist only in the moment. # Know yourselfanc understand thatthe Beasts pant ofthatself. Knew when 10 release he Beast ard when ta hold iein check * Learn your strengths and your weaknesses. Do not belike the carpenterwho, when faced witha tree toolarge and twisted to cut down, called it useless, Instead remem ber thet the tree was good for giving shade and shelter. Tum your weakness into strengths whenever possible, * Overcontidence isa weaknessand a conceit. Those who cake pride in themselves are deluded there ts alvays someone who can humble you. Leam to identify such people and be willing to lea from therm, * Judge others by actions, not by words. Words ean have many meanings, hur action reveals truth. * Enjoy and leam frem others butremember that you alone ate responsible for yoursell. Vustues The Path of Self-Focus draws on the virtues of Con- Vietion and Instinct. History The Path of Sel-Focus in its current form dates back tw the sixth century AD, when Middle Eastern Cainites and Asian vampires met and shared ideas. These ideas igredually evolved into a methonlology ce sac of the both Taoism and Zen Buddhism, made accessible and useful for Cainites. The “True” Black Hand brought this Poth back to Europe and later the Americus, but tt finds crents worldwide, Indeed, the basle precepts of the Path can be found inseveral ofthe Dharmasnow practiced by the Cathayans, While itis unpopular among Baropean Cainites, the Pathof SelRocushasa tiny burgrowingfollawing ong American Kindred. Cornent Practices Invemalisss may teach any stdent who diplays promise in Tooisphilosophyand grapsthe basic recertsofthe Path. Age isnot normally a factor, nce is can or sect. The Pah’s cthicsare close enough wo Humanity foranlntemalist to exist wn wih led probleinywhileintheSubbat, edfor their intelligent introspection anal the very mature of the Pah solitary, au eeG the ollowersare balanced nature folluwers rarely have any contact with each other cuside of tnentortnlentcelationships. Description oF Fortowers Intemalsts, like the Unforgiving, are parent and perceptive. However, anbiee the Uaforgiving, they jude situations completely subjectively: How a circumstance relates tothem ismore important than rememberingallof the minute details “Ths Pach of SelFTosm al like tie Sianeli Dea encourages its followers tolearn many different skills The seasoning is very different, however. While the Unforgiv ing learn whatever they can in hopes that it might be useful, the Incernalists Fearn skills that complement or contrast their natural strengths, in order to learn more about themselves. Therefore, Intemalsts study fencing and poerry, calligraphy and martial ars, marksmanship andetiquette lncemnalistsare always respectful of others, and they would never presume to insult or dismiss scme- ‘one hased on beliefs or words. If someone acts against them, they defend themselves with as much or as tele action at necessary. A stream, they point out, does not have to destroy a rock to move around it Membersof neatly any clan orsectean study he Path of Self-Rocus, provided they can find a willing teacher Fourowine me Dati Anlnremalist spends some time in meditation eve night. Every new sensation — feeding in a new aj, leaming # new skil, even suffering a wound from a new source — is grounds or inner contemplation. While other Cainites may find Internalistsslow and overly introspee- tive, they must adit that an Intemnalist knows exactly ‘whit she ts capable of doing and does not push her limits 50 38 to place herself in danger. Internalists believe ina higher purpose to the world, he ie in the form af Cod, wleimae meaning, an Overtoul tr yhateverideal one choosesto apply. They als believe that the key to understanding this meaning, lies within them, and that beliefpives them a sense of hope that few other Paths can provisk.Follomerso the Pach ane hen Sasor me Bt000 uThe Paro SeLr-FoCUS HIERARCHY OF SINS, Moral Guideline Overcontfidence Laziness of mind or body Score to Failure to teat others & you would be treaved Relying on others ‘Manipttating or conerolting others (through Disciplines oe the biood tond) Struggling co overcome a weakness rather than tuming it intova strength Restraining the Beast urinecessatily. © Foiling to apend some time each night in meditation Allowing outside forces to goad you into frenzy. Being a willful slave ableandl respectful, bue they are quite willingto allow the Beas to rage if that is what is called for: Common Abilities: Friquetre, Brwwl (or Martial Ans), Expresion (poetryor painting) —Intemalists study anything thot aids in understanding oneself and honing strengths or leseningweakneses. AllInternalistseventuallyacquiresome shillae Meditation althoughan initiate on the Pach mightnot ‘have an actual rating inthe Skill, Preferred Disciplines: The ability w leave the body anddnifton the ether issomething towhichall Intemalists| apie, therefore most learn Auspex, hoping to reach that level. Other Disciplines that rely on changing or aug- :mentingthe wl (suchas Celerity, Fortine, Protean and Pocence) arealso considered werthypastimes. Intemalists that lear manipulative Disciplines such as Presence or Dominate usually do so as an experiential exercise and don't employ them except in selfdefente. Tne Darnor HARMONY Tamnotamoreer, lama predazor. Anrdhing monstrous in erate ofa Cite was rad reset before te Embrace —Will Baker, Bru reformer names: Harmonists Basic Beiefst Harmonists do nor believe that any thingthutexistsis‘unnatural.” Simply ‘being? means that an individual force has aplace. This incliaks vanupice. Yes, the vampire’ ole in the natural order is somewhat unpleasant, but then, the rabbit would likely feel the same vay about the fox. Harmonists have great respect for the natural onder and thet place within Gums Ove Sas: 8 » Rationale ‘Know yourself without delusion or ego: ‘When you stop contemplating yourself, you aed to learn and develop, Shige wale reer bi example, Although they may he suong, they cannot now | your tie purposcanytnorsthan youcan know theirs ‘Thinking beings arent fot youto own. Straggle creates conflict anid moves you out oflingl ‘with yourselé ‘The Bese i part of you, and it demands foci, Like a muscle, self-focus'yrows weak with disuse, You alone control your actions, —_ You must act as your own muster Even a teacher's | orders must be questioned. Of course “natural order” is somewhat subjective. If ‘vatnpires are meant to be a predator to humans, are they meant to keep the mortal pepulation in check? Ifs0, hey are not keeping up with the times. Older Harmorusts realize thae the natural order isin a constant state of flux, and so trying to" preserve" itis an artiicialnotion. It can't be preserved, it can only be absorved and realized, The eatliest precepts of the Path of Harmony teach theCainite to pretect the world from undue disruption, which sense interpret as attention to ecological concems. As the Harieatiepeyrensn ca theD ‘obeying the natural order is really a matter of walking the fine line between knowing when toact and when to leave well enough alone, armonists also realize that they ane predators in the unique postion of being able to identifyand understand their prey, However, they also realize that this undencanding, if taken oof, can push them teward the Beast —exactly whut happens when vampires attemp¢ to retain Humanity 2 their moral code, Thetefore, the Harmenistshokd morals in fuily high regan! — but not ashigh as themselves, Tue Crmncsorme Pare * “Evil” and "good" are mortal attempts to codify events, They have no practical meaning, and they do not apply to your unlife, * Human beings may be fascinating to watch and even to play with — the need to stave off areca is an Important one. However, you are not mortal any longer, so donot be fooled into believing that you ronvever helen im cleat oF Moeh cay if i i i ts # The worldis constant in astate of change; we are ‘not. Adapt to the world's changes. Its our only means of survival * Do not sully your haven. This means chat the neighberhood in which you reside should be clean ard if necessary, defended against rival predators and decay, * Weare thehighestform of predator, assve have both human instincts and superhuman bunting skills. Hone both, but lat neither ovsrdavelap, * Harmony is achieved by each aspect of existence falfllingitsole. Asa Cainite, yourroleisthst ofa hunter. Virtues ‘The Path of Harmony relies on the virtues of Conscience and Instinct. History ‘Originally developed in the early 18th cencury in the Americas, the Path of Harmony combined ele- ments of Native American beliefs and ideals gleaned from simply observing the world and the progress of humanity. The Path enjoyed some favor in the Sabbat for a time, and then suffered a recent schism with the sect. The Harmonists felt that the Sabbat’s methods and ultimate ends were too destructive, both to t world and to the indivichial members of the sect. T Path split. Some members embraced their bestial sides and rediscavered the far older Path of the Feral Heart Most of the remaining “true” Harmonists perished. left theSabbat or leamed to reconcile their faith with their sect loyalty (typically as nomads). Current Practices Harmonists make their havens wherever :hey feel safe, Most avoid Sabbat-dominaced cities unless they arestill membersof the sect. Some claim membership in theCamarilla, whether they actually support the sector not. While the Path draws more derision than open hostility from the Camarilla, the Harmonists have leamed that it is simply safer to remain quiet Harmonistsin the same general area da meet occa sionally, if they are aware of each other. Young Harmonists occasionally influence ecological activist groups. Most Cainites onthe Path, however, soon learn, ther no matter how “nacural" che cural areas aré, the territory is often akeady claimed. A smart predator respectsastronger predator’sterritory, so the Harmonists despite accusations of “tree-hugging” by their former Sabbat brethren, keep to the cities. Description of FoLtowers Ittakesacercainkind of Cainite to follow this Pach. Afver all, a rraly hestial vampire likely follows the Feral Heart, a humane one retains het Humanity. The Path Ssor rico Fdof Harmony exists for those few Cainites who can find ahalance herween the two sides and retain it, interact- ingwith the world around them without feeling guilty. As Harmonists progress, they realize that vampires are less predatocs and more parasites, and this realization actually makes co-existence with humane easier. Harmonists may come from nearly any clan, but they are most common among the Gangrel, Nosferatu, Brojah and Ravnos, Since their Path coexists well with. Humanity (and since the Sabet feels that they are liabilities) theteare more Harmonistsin the Camarilla than in other sects in the modem nights, but even a scatement like that is a matter of scale. Forrowine THe Pata who have no sense of mercy or compassion, the Hamonists do not disdain such feel- ings Humansheve them afterall, and ha:mony eucails keeping both the humsn side and bestial side of one’s nature in check. However, if Harmonist does not feel merciful, or if the situation seems to demand vicious- nes she will do what is necessary. This artitusle makes Harmonistsunpredictables the vampire who drank gen- tly from a vessel and left her sleeping last week may tear out onother’s throat tonight. On the whole, however, Harmonists ate among the more temperate of Cainites, even f they are only moxterate by dint of the balance of extremes. Common Abilities: Since the ‘natural habitat” of the vampire isthe city, Harmonistsare likely to acquire Area Knowledge, City Secrersand Streetwise, the bet ter to know their territory. Most also have ratings in nvival and Animal Ken, Since Harmonists are ex pected toretain some of theirhuman mindsets, Empathy 2 common. Preferred Disciplines: Animalismis seen asa good way to commune with the natural world, but it isn't required. Many Harmonists learn Ausyex and Obfus- cate (both good hunter's tools) and/or Presence (geod for bork huring and relating to husmans). Tit PaTHOPHARMONYFUPRARCHY OF SINS Séore Moral Guideline 10 Attempting to alter the natural world Indulgng che Jybae or playing too effectively at being mortal Failing to hun when hurry Pointless cruelty-or kindness ‘Not respecting i ronger Vampire's domain Allowing gross disruption of the world, Acting too human or too bestial: Refusing to Kill ifnecessary Feeling guilty abou killing when necésiary Grossly upsetting the nacural world (vandalism, arson,ete.) Rationale “The world does not need your improvement Don't try to pliy God, athhumanandCainiresocietis are unecessary orus ‘Hunger makes Barmony impossible — vis aditrction: > i Both are in your nature, bur de not tate jor baer others without reason, Predators donot mcck danger. “Allehinigs disrupe the world simply by interact with it Howe ver, doinso deliberately isa accack. ‘on all chings within the world.” ‘Acting too humans makes it hander 10 kill when necedsary’ acting too bestial makes it too easy Bettera dead mortal tonight than alive tcl uncer tomorrows However, remember that evett one dead moral does not-go unnoticed discretion is paramount, “Alllivesend: better they end'to feed you then in ‘gomie random or pointless ve ‘You have wo dwell here, too1 vy i os Tw. The vires of society are the vices ofthe saints —Ralph Waldo Emerson, Circles Trapped between the great camps ofthe Camarilla and Sabbat rests a no-man's land populated by disen- franchised and expatriated Cainites called anarchs and autarkis, These socialoutcasts mayprotest such descrip- tions, but the fact remains that they exist as long as either of the major secte ignores them in favor of the other, Once the scions of the Sabbat or sw of them will be strong enough to resist peconning elie Pateniotelyy che Contaills wud Saba ate often toopreoccupied with one another to deal with y consider rebel elements, so. the anarch: autarkisand occasional defectors trapped between Kin- dred andCatnite society exist hy merit of reprieve. They are nothing to eithersect but a perpetual ruisance and the occasional danger, Knowing this, what brings Cainites to espouse this led unlifestyle? Why risk limited independence existen by angering two equally potent adversaries! The an: swers depend on whom you ask: Some shrug and elais thar they enjoy the thrill; others launch into philo: sophical and political tirades against the twomnin sects and maintain that their actions are issues of choice. A candid few, however, adenit that they had no skers tive. Fate unzipped its pants, and they could do nothing but bend over and take it like a vampire, ‘Observers of the Cainite condition cite a variety of reasons for why Cainites may titter in this social no. man’s land. The Camarilla or Sabbat forced many into the fringes because of ideological disagreements, imple nistakes or unacceptable practices (a penchant for diablerie, slaking one’s thirst on infants, etc.). Some enter this gray zone of their own volition because they either recognize their actions as “peculiar” or dis with their blood kin's philosophies. Othets are just han To Sis Sacer 0drifting through with no particular allegiance (Uncle Tom to all, master of none) AUTARHIS Bydefinition, autarkic means independent or selt sulficient, but ia the medern nights, itis too often jus her way of saying victim, While morals hold romanticized views of loners a¥ noble, independent rebels striking out against society — stealing from the richtohelpthe poorasit were—the truth s thatRobin, Hood never bitinto Friar Tuck's neck fora nip of vitae. Autatkis are Cainites, fist and fcremost, and regandless of their intentions, they are every bit che Beast as thei Camarilla and Sabbat cousins. By virtue of theirsolitary nature, perhaps they are even more the monster than anyone cates to admit, Regardless of whatever action deposited them on the fringes of vampiric society, they are convenient ta egoats for the nearest sect, easy 1s for some youngblood looking to sharpen her pi tid este Yo Fey nany autarkis, che Beastis a constantcompan- anditsvoice growa louder with thepassing loneliness. A few succumb to its impulses, surrerstering toa cabin- fever-like ftenzy. Others preaceupy themselves with indul apped, while a rare handful possess the spiritual or mental wherewithal co stave off hight after night ofa haunted existence. Going mal is hardly comantic, so what drives Cainites into thisstate of-being, whatkeepsthem here, and whatdoeseveryone think of them? The answers are many TeSeveN Denver sans Ane “sever, be bit of slang among some young vurmpites is horefor the seven deadly sins, The practice un in the Sedom of cities, New York, among Sabbat acks, and t somehow fell into neonate usage with the city’s fll. The namesake seven-D ate often causes fer young Kindred becoming autarkis, and che conceit ascribes the ways in which these Cainites managed to extract themselves from sect allegiance through choice or folly to one of the seven deadly sin. * Pride —Few Cainites emerge from the Embrace proclaiming “I wantio become autarkis." Well, echars not incentionally. The folly of the Embrace is that it instillsa sh of power unequalled inexperience. Many neonates and fledglings emerge from the change stron ger, sleeker and deadlier than ever. Suddenly they are the lions of ehe savanna, seconds away fiom that burst of vigor thar fells their antelope prey. Mose young vampires are smart enough to keep their mouths shut and recognize the valuccf experience, age ortheirsiee’s claws. Others are not so well disciplined, and they overestimate their ability: They mouth off to the pack priest, insult a well-respected harpy or turn a fateful share toward the sheriff. Ifthey are lucky, samecne slaps them on the wrist and they learn their lesson. Other times, response is quick and brutal, and the fledgling, neonate or even respected Ceinite finds himself oscra cized from sect society ina mortal heartbeat. Many autarkis who owe their banishment to pride have no ane to blame hur themselves. Their egos are their greatest adversaries, and someone decided to make an example of them. ‘Akin to this ate are those stubborn Cainices whose pride drives them into yoluntary exile, Perhaps their sires or masters abused them once too often, or pethaps the vampire simply tired of serving as a pawn in the Jyhad ora foot soldierto the cause. Proud Cainites often ‘chafe easlly while in service w others, and they develop & "never-again’ attitude before venturing off on their own. They rarely remain autarkis, however. Part of pride involves a dose of egorism, and vainglory cannot survive ma void, Cainites who suffered under the yoke of their sires often join the Anarch Movement, while those who believe that the sect never really appreciated their contributions usually become nuclei for cults of personality, Few rerum to the security of their sect unless absolutely necessary. * Avarice— An iconoclastic elder of Clan Brujah ones stated that avarice was a remnant of mortal folly. Avatice implies wanton, uncontrolled greed, which in turn impliesimpatience. To creatures whoare virtually etemal, patience is often paramount to survival. Yet, stein vermplnes sll pontine a mral's ence oF tain they want everything now, Avarice is that clumsy si ‘Autarkis burdened with impatience often earn saries through their heavy-handed atiempts to accrue weelth, power or inluenice. They lie without diseistion, steal without skill and play the Jyhad with the finesse of a drunkard. Along the way, they step on too many toes and reap an empty crop. Whether the sect casts the aautarkis ourbecause he did not warrant Final Death, or the outcast escaped hefore a lynch mob reached his doorstep matters little. His greed proved overwhelming and probably still remains a hindrance in his existence These autaris can never stay outside sect unlife, and they try continually to exert their influence where it remains unwanted. They often meet a quick end at the hands of sect vampires or by othes autarkis who do not want them drawing the unwelcome attention of the Camailla or Sabbat hierarchy. Lust — Lust is dangerous, for it implies that the Cainitecannot control hisdesites topostess:omeoneelse Perhapstheautarkiscraves the prince’sharem of beautiful Sasor mE BLOOD 0heals or he cannot stop thinking about torturing and feeding from the eldeely. Many burdened with «ich thoughts often exile themselves because there are no sectets among Cainites, In a society where vampires can sense intent through the hue of auras, spy on ane another sesccn andl ad mind, chose with wibiddcn desires know that their fantasies are never safe. They can no longer protect theirown thoughts, and they realize that isolation, may be the only hope of true privacy. The tricky thing about Canute socery that it snotoften the pasion that proves embarrassing, but the individual's shame in his ‘ownclesiresthatisinstrumental. MostCainitesdenotgive a second thought 10 same-sex lovers or addictions ot fetishes. Fora neonate who considers her lesbian attrac tions, foot fixation or need to be publicly humiliated an unwanted aspect of her personality, however, these secret activities now become herpersonal shame and an avenue into blackmail. Ir does not matter what other people thinks itmatterswhattheyknow. The majority of Cainites quickly mave pas their rmortal preconceptions of accept- able bekavicr, but a few eirher canoe or they knew thar their sect will never condone theit activities. There is nothing eft to do then but sequester one's self from other ‘vampires and pursue these desies on society's fringes. Envy Envycoversa gamut of desires, whether the Cainite covers the respected position of pack priest, the Vencrue's beautiful feeding vessel or che wealth of a dot-com success story. Of the deadly sins, this vice Is gevcially dnevtel towaudaapecific individual or target Autarkisof this stripe saw something that was not theirs (be ica person, prestige, influence, power or capital, and they rook every step to procure it for themselves regardlessofthe cost... and failed, IheCainitesurvived only because someone stopped him before he went too far, or because he fled destruction and isstill running, In either case, his ambition is unfulfilled, but his desire remains enflamed. His very existence is a reminder of hisfailures, and he spendsevery passing night scheming and plotting wich the hope of avenging himself, Th autarkis are most dangerous, for they understand the benefitsof patience and planning. They conceive inti cate strategies, always with theireye on the prize, Ofthe autarkis, those cast out for this sin ate most likely to monitor the activities afthe local eect and make them. selves inclispenssble to ambitious or oblivious neonates or fledglings They want eyes, ears and hands to act 8s their proxies and move where they cannot. In return, the autarkis may offer wealth, information, secrets ot even training in the gifts of the undead, * Gluttony — Only in Camarilla society do such vices assins of the blood exist; the Sabbat consider sich activities aright of their supetior existence. One of the (Cures Te: Sno Ser atmany possiblities here is that the aurarkis somehow endangered the herd too often by feeding to the vessel's death, feeding indiscriminately or maintaining overly lange herds that risked breaching the Masquerade. When the news relates the story of a crack house raid, for example, itis possible that the sheriff ot prince sane: tionedthe assault because a local vampire drew hisherd from said crack house in squalid conditions and with litle interest for is not universally so compassionate as to rescue ‘live- stock,” but it does care about the Masquerade. Such precarious herds invariably draw the attention of social services, child welfare, the police, DEA, FBI and a plague of news crews, so the prince steps in before the matter spirals beyond control and makes sure thar someone culets of kills the herd before the propec authorities can qucation them. Again, the Camilla costracies the Kindred responsible for this “unpleasan: situation," or he escapes. Sometimes, though, the autarkis is not directly responsible for the gluttony. Kecently, in New York, the Camarilla victory and afew Sabbat defections brought asurfeit of Kindred into the city, Thead hoc prince, the Nosferatu Caleros, feared that the influxwould breach the 100,000:1 ratio of mortals to vampires for safe feeding practices, and he created scourge patrols to kick undesirables out of the city. At the top of the lise were abbat defectors of lesser rank who knew that leavin? the safety of New York would mean their destruction, Instead, they vanished into the New Yorkunderground, hecoming autarkis. Under some circumutances, the so-called glutton” endures selfexpatriation because he engages in the loathsor ict of diablerie. Whether he committed it ‘once and waits or the telltale black veinsto vanishfrom his aura, of if the act has become addiction and the diableristcan no longer top himself, becoming autarkis is often the only way to protect the truth, Unfortu- nately, turning autarkis means retreating from undead soclet}, sometimes permanently and completely, Lest formeralliesandacquaineancesinvestigatetheKindred’s whereabouts. Sabbar Cainices, however, enjoy some freedom with the Amaranth since it is one ofthe spoils ‘of Monomancy. The Sabbatdoes question the loyalties cof members who engage in such activities too readily, though. Diablerie is addicrive, and the Sabbat wants Caimites servile to nobody's blood but their pack’ # Wrath — Wrath involvescrimes ofthe moment, often closestto the Beastinnature. Whilethe Camarilla and Ssbbac point 10 the aurarkis as loathsome, self involved crearures who prize themselves aboveall others, the face is that anyone can hecome autarkis, It rarely requires 2 specific predisposition; it needs merely a moment of angerin the weong place, at the wrong time. Wrath in context to Cainites implies on explosive, coverwhelmingrage, even frenzy, fora variety ofteasons. ‘While certainly emberrassing, i israre.butnocunheard of, for the enraged vampire toclaw the face off the pack priest ora peer amid shocked Kindred at Ehsiurn. Inthe second ittakes to lose control, the Beast is supreme and the Cainite-is-marked forever‘ by hie actions, Some- times, the powers that be inflict swift and decisive punishment because the Cainite attacked someone of importance. Other times, the vampire becomes utarkis after several displaye of low self contcol Unfortunately, Kindred who are hanished because, of their ill tempers are never truly alone, Camacilla authorities may use this vampire asan object lesson, but they also keep a watchful eye on the autarkis. Some thing about theirfall from grace (suchas an influential sire,alenien: prince or anallyamong the primozen) did not warrant their destruction, but the Camarlla may ‘well sanction destruction if the autarkis frenzies again. —all inthe name of protecting the Masquerade. Many autarkis who are exiled in this manner know that they are under surveillance. Someone watches them, wait- ing for them to frenzy so they can justify their murder. Someone may even try to provoke the aurarkis, oF just kill him and lie about the circumstances. * Sloth — Ignoring the obvious connotation of laziness for 2: moment, accusations of sloth against Cainites imply that they are not "toeing the sect line” or “furthering its goals.” This holds truer among Sabbat peeks; which sciwaly enemursge théle netabew par ticipate in sect rites and in the holy cause. Despite the Creation Rites, membership within the Sabbat still produces its share of “unworthy” Cainites (accerding to sect perception). Backing our of « War Party of legit mate Monomancy duel, allowing a traitor to escape during a Wild Hunt, fraternizing with the enemy once toooften and consistently losing in Games of Instinct are all punishable failings. Regardless of the cause, there are fewer Sabbat autarkis running arcund because the sect destroys its mistakes or allows them to bring about theit own destruction. Unlike the Camarilla, which turns failures into examples, the Sabbat is far less forgiving For Camarilla Kindrad, instances in which some- ‘one becomes aurarkis through “sloth” are rare, but they do happen. The Camarilla recently issued a blood hunt ‘against a prominent ex-primogen and Nosferatu elder, after it was revealed that she knew about a coven of Sabbat amassing within the city. The Nosferatu under. standably vanished. Several other Sewer Rats came to Sworn 8.000 aher defense claiming that the elder probably received the information in confidence and could not reveal it wwithour beraying some code of silence or word of honor, Some Camarills Nosferatu even hinted that they would not help destroy one of their own over & this. The Inner Cincle dale with the problem immediately ky sending Nosferatu Justicar Cock Robin and Archon Federico DiPadua to handle the matter. Therwoaccused several Nosferatu of being accomplices co the elder, and they allowed the accused rohecome autatkis (rather than suffer the Final Death) tostem any internal dissent. The ploy worked, and the (Camarilla Nosferate are now playing along. OtHeR ConsmmeRATIONS While the sover-Ds tight sem like an eaty wy to quantify aucarkis, most Cainites have donens af other reasiis whi they inigh became 0 ae ae Ermhraced into sich an existence, with theie sire already loathed by a secr (normally the Camarilla). The Sobbat believes in the pack over the sire, with loyalty offered to the whole test and the indiviual st, They are less hkely to damn the childer of x particular Cainite unless she follows in her sire's footsteps. Camarilia Kindred, on the other hand, place the onus on the sre through the Fourth Tradition. Therefore, while the sie is responsible for his childe'sactions, some Kindred also believe that the prog ‘eny camries the burden of their sire’s mistakes — again bringing new definition to sins of the blood. Other autarkis are the bastard chiller of illegal Embraces (those committed against the Third Trad. tion, or done without the recognition ot the sanctity of a Creation Rite). For whatever reason, the sire-cban cdons these “orphaned whelps,” leaving them to fend for themselves. Panders, some Caitff coteries or anarchs ‘occasionally adoprtheseautarkisand introduce them to (ie foesion oe anothes: Only the rate orshanied varapite is strong, smart or lucky enough to remain autarkis for any length of time, Both the Camarilla and Sebbat fear esrong individuals however, foramong them may Tic due next Vlad Tepes, the ment reviled of all acarkis ‘Another sub-segment of autarkis includes the trai- tors, those Kindred or Gainites who switched sides before their city fell to anther sect’s incursion or under some orher dire circumstance. While both sects appre- ciate high-canking or ideological defections for dhetr propagands machine, they rarely trast someone who bexayed their compatriots and ideals because theit survival was in jeopardy, These traitors are momentary heroes for the night it takes either sect to parade them around, then of forgotten and ignored. Few packs or coteries want these individuals as members, and some make ita point of beating that lesson into the defector, In some cass, such a Cainite becomes autarkis by circumstance, drifting far enough outside sect activity w avoid attention, but not for enough that the other side can easily deal with the traitor. Thes asutarkis rarely survive beyond a few yea because they commit suicide from. the isolation or because someone finally destroys chem. For more inior mation, see “Switching Sects,” Never forget that while some Cainites simply fall between the cracks, others jump. Both sects have their ments, but ualife with either includes some ugly possi bilities. The Sabkat renouncesitsmortal tesandfocuses on its holy struggle against the Antediluvians, whileche vamarilla isa nest of Byzantine power plays und politi. ibhingon scales undreamed of by kine minds, ites want part of neither world for whatever reason, and they forge their own way. This decision isa difficult one, forthe sects do not believe in true neutral itywhenitcomesto individuals. One iseitherapotential ally ors porantial emery. Unfortunately f autarkis, their preferences and practices ostras automatically, and joining either side entails struction. Some Cainitesare purely mercenary, with no intereat im any war or cause that forces thems « break their neutrality, Others are still strongly tied to the mortal world: a Malkavian who plays messiah to her kinecommunity atone forher’ nsce who looks and acts like a child because he ean enly relate to children (mentally and physically), a Brujah detective who has ghoul spics among the department to help him stem focal crime. All these autarkis cannot surrender some facet of their mortal existence, so they remain & strong part of it regardless of the dictates of either sect. Many Cainites mistakenly believe that becoming a vampire washes all mortal concerns away The truth, however, is that the first few years (or decades...) are a period of adjustment. A Cainite does the weight of undeath until she sees her friends and family grow old and die. A Cainite doesnot sudienly stop loving or hatingeverythingshe did inher rmorcal years. Everything simply pales in comparis blood, but the ties arestrongenough thar same C become autarls because theycan never abandon thei former lives and laved ones (at least not yer). It is their weak anchor in a truly frightening world Although certainly not the last word on thematter, a growing body of selexided wstarkis has earned away from the sects because Gebenna looms, Gathering around the campfires of Geheana cults, hey pursuc a variety of actions. Some fear the apocalypse and wor- ship these elder Cainites tn the hopes of surviving the (Guo Tuo: Ss oF Sty ryend times. Others hunt the Antediluvians and their in hopes of preventing their rise. At the pectrum’s extremes lie suicide pact cults, Golconda: yuest groups (tosave their souls before it istoo late) and Cainite survivalists. The Jyhad isreachingits endgame, and they all know it. How they conduct themselves however, is the issue. Witt ixoTHe NioHiTs AWAY perhaps atragicrealiy that autarkis spend their unlives imply surviving. The Kindred have no support groups to guide the autarkis past the sharp rock rapids of their existence. They have only trial, or pain and the constant threat of éestrction toplay These outcasts leam theit lesions quickly fF mentors rea asaslow-witted aurarkis. nave survived thus far. Instead the autarkis must adapt and become cunt ause there isnosuch thi 1g. More impor of the game castalo tumed him into someone's enemy; itisan inevitability of living among monsters. Few vampices smply vanish into the world without causing ripple liate level, the enemy might be a specific persor tantly, they know when to obey the ru and when to throw them out the win Whatever made the Cainite an ou somewhere, On the most or cteature whom the autarkis wronged. On a gt scale, the outcastis antagonistto an entire sect by o nothing more than reason of suspicion, Regariles of whether the autarkis knows of such adversaries or not he should alwvaysbelieve that someone is out rodestray him. Ir is the only way to continue existing. The first rule one realizes upon becoming autarkis s that she is immediately periona non grat, the same way India’s old encte system treated Harijeen (LL a ables), and Westerners ignore their h of greater station, and few individuals are lower than hut meless, These auitarkis,except perheps forthe subjectof able cen the Camatila’s view of the Nosfera in the best of eases, persona non grata isan accurate term, and the autarkis enjays — if such is the proper sword — relative privacy outside oceasional harassment at the hands of dledglings and neonates. This luxury ists only for Cainites who were once smportant to tk local sect scene. Their fall from grace warranted ntence, but the regional elders bear the autarkis no ill will or hatred, only pity. Other autarkis, however, are fi Benjamin Crayshaw, a ced, Toreador pariah once existing on the fringes of San not so. fortunate repatr Sas He ooo 4Diego, described his experiences as akin to the Nazis treatment of Jews in the 1930s, before the “Final Solu- tion.” The Camarilla and Sabbat rarely advocate open violence against autarkis (or else they would have destroyed the outcast themselves}, but neither do they often reprimandany Cainite whowrongsthem. Aurarkis have seen their havens burned, their finances and assets suddenly evaporate, found their mortal loved ones drained (or worse, Embraced), received destruction hreats ard borely cscoped ambushes Aurarkis ate often convenient scapegoats for what- ever ails the sect. When it finds amember destroyed or someone cries traitor ora Cainite robs the communal haven, or the prince wakes in afoul mood, the autarkis make convenient (and politically impotent) victims They can call upon no one. The only vampires whoplay at fosteringrelations with the auearkis know that chey are the perfect patsies if anything goes wrong. Even sadder, the autarkis realize their true worth, but what choice do they have! Nobody else will alkto them, and teganiless of the “lone creature of the night” routine. Camites need some — any — companionship. Many willingly entertain alliances that might work against them because three years have paswed since anyone spoke to them, or more importantly, listened, Some autarkisexist as nomad because it isthe only ‘way to stay sane, to continue existing. Others are hunted Remaining in one place meanseveryone knows where the outcast makesher haven, one night someone will destroy or stake him. Staying in one place limits @ Cainite's options for escape and retreat. Ie is just an: ‘other anchor slowing him down. Like Emmet of Clan Nosferatu, nomadic autarkis travel to cities where no- body knows them, taking melancholy comfort in the company of others, if only temporarily. Iroffers them @ sense of control over their own unlives, even if it is tenuous. The risk ofthis practice is if aCainite discovers that the autarkis deceived him into sheltering her. A duped host may become hostile atbeing played for afoo! by such a vagrant, or he may even stake or destroy the pariah. After all, who will miss the autarkis or even protest her disappearance? Other risks includeencoun- tering Lupines, or even falling to the proliferating number of hunters crawling out of the wooehworle ‘Therefore, che autarkis seeks refuge in. temporary ha- vens and travels to different cities until knowledge of her legacy dies down enough to settle somewhere in obscurity. Although she is no closer to making allies ot findingcomfort, theautarkis holds atleastsome control dover her existence, no matter how transient. Many vampires harbor the misconception that auarkis exist in a withdrawn, elmose monastic unlifestyle. Somehow their seclusion from the sect offers them time tocontemplate personal matters, Their lack of responsibility allows them to pursue a simile, almost idyllic existence, This assumption is as fa from fact as the Cainite’s own living heartbeat. Becoming autarkis ie « nightly contest for survival agtine: xeno phobia, against denigraticn, and against the possibility of destruction. Even those left to their own devices struggle against the decaying spiral of their sanity and is the Beast chat is solitary in nature. Cainites still bear some shred of humanity — enough to instill chem with need for community and fratemity. Autarkis possessno suchanchor. Whether robbed of this companionship or enduringthelackofithecause ofselF inflicted isolation, the ourcast has more time to contemplate the whispers ofthe Beast and endureitshunger. Few emerge from this continued harrowing intact. SuNasanv Anrowsor Ourraceous FORTUNE Given. the lonalinees ond isolation autarkis is dificult tobeliove thar they pose either sect. Yet, the Sabbat and Camarilla are very wary of these pariahs. They represent unknown quantities, seditious elements, a seet’s weakness, and sometimes, heyeven represent personal fears. The sects have their reasons —some valid some baseless —but the very fcr that the fears exist is enough to elit their general suspicion against the autarkis On a fundamensal level, both the Sabbat and Camarilla distrust the autarkis because of their poten- tial or sedition. The sect’ example in illustrating this fear!Son of the Dragon, Viad Tepes, Dracula. The feats of this legendary Cainite are well accountedforby other sources; suffice to say his actions and very existence worry both the Camarilla and the Sabbat. They fea him, sand they fear that another like him could rise up from among the ranks of the autarkis (that is t9 potent Cainite outside their jurisdiction and influ- ence). In these Final Nights, the Sahbar needs more chan just powerful allies. This sece must make sure that the Antediluvians cannot manipulate someone like Dracula. The Camarilla, however, fears the rise of yet Snicthi piete on leaned Genes’ seucieeshig,iern Dracula represents theultimate in ego, casting aside the Camarilla Traditions for his own pleasures, The war against the Sabbat is taking its toll, and the Cemanla cannot afford to fight on two fronts simultaneously Already the proliferation of Gehenna cults worries them, and it taxes their resources and manpower, The appearance of a charismatic “messiah” could eaiily weaken chetr power base at this crucial time, Yet, tf (Gur Tvo; Sts Sacer 6either side wantonly slaughrers the autarkis out of fear, it runs the risk of alienating some of the independent clans, making amartyr out ofa small-time cult leader o¢ galvanizing the autarkis against it. ¢ sects also fear traitors in light of recent events (che fall of New York and Atlanta, the destruction of the Tremereantiriby and Ravnos, the bloomofGehenna ‘cults, etc. ). Many autarkis are former members afone or both sects. and chey may carey with them naceeunted sectets Both the Camauilia and Sabbat walk a fine line between diligence and paranoia, buteven they cannot destroy everyone who crosses the line. The sects reserve the Wild Huntand the Lexealionis for the most griev- ‘ous offenses. All others endure corporal punishment, censure and, rarely, excommunication — abandon ment by the sect ora declaration of anathema. Given recent losses for cither side, however, the Camarilla and Sabbat do advecate harsher punishments over banish- ment to prevent secrets from falling into the enemy's hands. This policy may decrease the numberof existing uarkis, bur neithersecteanaccouncfor thoseamites abandon camp willingly Beyond thesect itsel individual vampires loathe and abuse stucatks for very personal reasons: fear and igno- rance, Partof itisthecliquish nature of the sects,packsand ccoteries, all of which encourage the xenophobic treat ment of outsiders or those deemed different, The real reason why some Cainites treat autarkishanhly however, is that ever present fear that they themselves could share the auvarkis' fare. Many autarkis are victims of simple rmistakesaindfailingsthateveryonecorumits EveryCainite fremies ar come point in his existence: every Kindred invariably offends another vampire of greater or lesser station. The difference berween a sect vampire and an aucarkts, however, is that the circumstances were some- how different, and one managed to walk away from his encounter while the other pad fort. Knowing that unlife can be that random, that brutal, in its finality isa scary leson. Unfortunately for such cuteasts, the autarks is constant proof ofthis inequity, anid Ca lash out at that image than addvess it Autarkis are a warning that anyone can fall far and fast, and nobody wants thr eruth waved in his face Ot course, few autarkis deserve this justification or pity. Some Cainitesendure this existence because they eamed their punishment. They injured, stole, raped or committedsome other act of violence of malice against theit own community, and they received proper sen tencing. Ifthe individual isautarkis by choice,however, this arouses even greater suspicion, Whatis she hiding? What does she fear! Is she actually a spy or traitor? In icy wok rather thiscase, Camarilla and Sabbat alike feet fully justified inunraveling this mystery, allin the name of protecting their sect. Since autarkis rarely possess any recourse to protest their treatment or bring theis attacker to "jus- tice” outside of destroying them, sect vampires rarely worry ahout retribution for victimizing the autarkis, Yet, not all autarkis are helpless targets of sect harassment. Occasionally, a Camarillaprince or Sabbat hishan hitecable-hodiod end skilled autarkis to perform his sordid deeds. With Clan Assamite's recent "libe tion," many elders need Cainites to perform theft assassinations and other duties with noquestions asked. Autarkis are obvious choices for such assignments cause they hold no affiliation with the local sect, they have more co gain by cooperating, and if caughe, their employer can deny all aifiliation. The autarkis know that they aic expendable, but some opportunities arc toolucrative to ignore. In fact, some pariahs manage to survive through these ventures, preferring the autonomy of contract work to swearing fealty toa particular sect. All autarkis-for-hire, however, recognize the risk of betrayal that they run, but most believe that they can. avoid such fates... or else they are truly desperate ANARCHS Equality, redistribution of wealth, freedom from the shackles of elder rule... all these slogans sound egalitarian and even noble to mortal sentiment, but Cainite society views such maxims with the same viru lence that Senator McCarthy displayed pursuing so-called "subversives” These aredangerous ideologies in dangerous times, but for the anarchs, change must come now, regardless of the cost. In many ways, their demandsecho differentequality movements, including their failing impatience and dismissal of the potential backlash. On the surface such friction invariably boils down to generational conflicss between the status quo and the childer who envy the wealth of cher elders (at least to the elders’ perceptions). With the anarchsand thesects, however, these fears are more deep-rooted in experience and moder fears. Tothe Sabbat,theanarchs are an undirected and unruly mob, ripe for acagey elder to dieent ayer whira, while the Camanilla believes that they endanger the very Traditions. Unfortunately, uch conflicts arenever about rightor wrong; they are always about who brays the loudest. Rightnow, the Sabbarand Causarila appear be winning the match, but some conservative factions within the sectsalso wonder ifthe elders of the great clans felt as confident before the Anarch Revolt upended the Middle Ages. SosorreBioon 4CAMARILLA Views The Camacilla bases its concems of anarchs on present anxieties, but it backs ts arguments with expe rience. Fortunately, those experiences serve asa formof hindsight piven the Camarila’s encounters with the Sabhar hur it inde them to the present agendae and capabilities of the more modern anarchs, ‘Two major events in Cainite history revolve around generation-based conflicts, beginning with the Second Geretions dessuesionat the andsof their Aries vian childer, and continuing through to the Anarch Revolt that eventually suw the extermination of several Methuselahs, two Antediluvians and hundreds (if not thousands) of Cainites. Granted, such things as Antedliuvions are largely discounted by the Camilla, butstomes ahout them are understood to be metaphorical atleast. In these cases, the metaphor represents signifi cant upheaval in Kindred history, probably embodying thedeath ofmary vampires orthe destuction ofa brood! founder. The latter event's baptism in blood gave rise to the nascent Sabbat, a constant thom in the Camauilla’s lanks for over 500 years. Given that the contemporary Anarch Movement bears some similarities with the for: ination of the Sabber, i safe to say that the Canaria ddoes nor want a repear of that historical incident. Currently, the anarchs represent the second stron est dhicat to the Camarilla’s manifest destiny (outside the Sabla). Kaowing that old Claro Lasonbra and Teimisce (ell when they failed r acknowledge heir intemal problems, the Camarillaistrying desperately to avoid another Anarch Revoltand Convention of Thotns fiasco, Additiomily,theanarchs areslowly losing ground in their strongholds along che Pacific seaboard thanks to the Cathayons, prompting some within the nner Couneil to declare the anarchs afading threat. Others, howe er, fear an anarch resurgence, a final pushy as it were, to restore their political struggle. Ifsuch a thing ‘occurs, these young rabble-rousers may well prove the comered animal fighting for its very survival nd historical bias, and on the surface, the "scencral grievance with the anarehs' policies is the redistribution of finances, power and assets — or the opportunity for such, to hear the anarchs tel i. Sich a redistribution might work: out (Fevoryane had tuen Embraced atthe sume time, bur the fact remains thatthe Kindred in power took centuries toaccructheiz wealth and influence, and they ate not willing to sutrenderall chat hard work. Why should they advocate ssuality for everyone when thele ensie existence fol- lowed a harsh pecking order and centuries of slaving tovard one goal? There is no parity in this existence, and only sorts believe thac everyone is bom equal Cainites enter this existence with automatic advan tages and disidvantages. [eis the nature of the Beast: The difference in the potency of vitae alone sets one generation apart from the next and establishes a per- ceived order of rightful supremacy. Age is the second factor distancing sire from chile To Kindred, the anarchs are their jealous and unruly offspring who throw tantrums when theycannot have what they want. The Camarilla argues that power and wealth come to those who swork and struggle for theirposition. They deserve theirkeep, and they appre- ciate thetrstatusall the more for it. Eaming something for nothing creates a weaker society ignorant of its accomplishments. It rewards the lizy, Amusingly, these arguments are merely window dressing and misdirec- tionfor the Camarilla’s true, but unspoken concsmn:the threat tothe very Traditions that founded the sect. The anarch’scall for equality and an end to the “tyranny of the elders” flies in the face of the Tradition of Doraain, the Tradition of Progeny, the Tradition of Accounting snd the Tradition af Hospitality The Anarch Move. ment is a menace to the Camarilla by virtue of its demands, and the seer knows that the anarchs will accept nothing else. Therefore, there is nonegotiation to be done oralliance to be made. The anarchs pursue a path and unlifestyle that che Camarilla does not and cannot condone because it counters everything upon which the sect prides itself, Thesr struggle for equality, as for aa he Camilla believes, isu return to the Durk Ages, during which injusticesagainst Cainite and kine alike went uncounted. The Cia to these unruly times,and it simply refuses ro surrender tts accomplishments and gains. Fortunately forthe anarchs, two isues are currently in their favor. The first is their loose relationship with the Gangrel, and the second 1s their adherence to portions of the Masquerade, First, the Camania lost potent allies when the Gangrel walked, and i wants them back for obvious reasons, The igrel, however, intermingte with the anarchs freely given their shared tastes for freedom and the opportunity ro determine theirown fates, and that means theCamarilla must treat either faction with kid gloves. Many accounts figure thatthe Gangrel are che most numerous alan amongiie anarchs, and no daub: contribute to the Caitiff popula. tion among the Gangrel as well. The Inner Council knows that it cannot risk subduing the anarchs openly without inadvertently injuring or drawing the Gangeel into the fight. The risk is currently roo great, and the split between the Gangrel and Camarilla is too fresh, Second, the anarchs observe certain principles of the Masquerade including the need to remain hidden, and arilla refuses to return, (Coys Too: St oF Seca 4demonstrating self-control when feeding by not killing smortal, This exerve alone makes the anarchs far nore tolerable than the Sabkar, and more sympathetic to some Camerills elders, Therefore, the Camarilla cur- rently advocates a srudging lasses fate policy until the situation either changes with the Gangrel,or the anarchs abandon their more tolerable practices. ‘Sannar Views Allche freedom noni of he esponsibilicy. To the Sabbat, this mixture isa dangerous one, perhaps mote dangerous than the Camarills's naivece. The anarchs areundisciplined, undirected and per‘ect for manipula- tion at the hands ofthe Anvediluvians, The sec’s fears however, go far heyond this simplistic rationale. Yes, the Third Generation are a looming threat, and yes, 100 many vampites are unprepared for the impending con- flict, but the anarchs are also an affront to the Sabbat's principal tenets. The Camarill fears a potential alli- ance between the two factions, but the truth is that many within the Sabbar do not respect the anarchs' manifesto. Some Brothers and Sisters in Caine even consider the rebels’ name an insult ro thespirit of theit own struggle for freedom. The Scbbat agrees with same of the Camarilla's srievances against the anarchs, though certainly not publicly. Equality cannot exist when blood potency automatically differentiates one Cainite from another, and anything taken without sacrifice is not worth the effort. Beyond that, the Sabbar's grievances against anarehs diverge wildly. What the Camarilla calls “earn: ingyour keep," for example, the Sabbat calls survival of the fiseee, The two may souinl aiuilas, bat tice ape proach to the matter differs drastically Chief among the Sabbat’s tenets is the precepe that only the strong survive. Everything in their existence involves winnowing the weak and strengthening the whole. The Creation Rite ensures that only the intrepid emenge from the Embrace, but it also hardens the mind ang heart of the fledgling. Subsequently, unlifeis a series of viae, challenges and contests centirually weeding the Cainite garden while training the packs to respond fear- lel, The Sabbat's eldest already faced down legendary Antediluvins and hoary Methuselah, so they have an inkling of what to expect of the Final Nights. The new Sabbat, however, do not, s0 the eldest take it upon themselves to educate, discipline and train their younger pack mates for Gehenna — or for the bartles that will prevent this cruel night. The anarchs, however, are an affrant to this rigorous discipline and training. To the Sabbat, the anarchs are lazy, weak, and mostly undeserv- ingot the Embrace. They do not challenge themselves to improve and become stronger; They insult Caine’seift and their obvious superiority tn favor of pursuing mortal desites of equity More so, some of the more radical elements of the Black Hand fear that che new Anarch Movement isan attempt to weaken Cainites in preparation for the arrival of the Antediluvians. The anarchs’ manifesto urns vampires soft and docile by eliminating the need for strupele. The Black Hand acenses the anarchs of serving the Ancientsby attempting to de-fang and de- claw Cainites,cuming them ino sheep for the slaughter. The Ultra-Conservative faction, while supporting the Black Hand's assertions, also uses the anatchs to illus trate the dangers of decentralized rule, Moderates, however, counter the Lltra-Conservatives by saying chat the anarchs represent the fighting spirit for inde- pendence that fostered the original Anarch Revolt ‘The Moderates recognize the current anarchs'deficien- cies, but they believe chatthe Sabbatcan convert them to the Sword of Caine. Some Loyslists agree, and they advocate bringing chese tevolucionaries into the sect in onder to create fifth column within the Camacila that will undermine that sect and sunder it from within. Naturally some Loyalist packs speciabiing in “field conversions’ are atthe forefront in Los AngelesandLas Vegas, recruiting those anarchs who orbit too far out- side the protective nucleus of a coterie or gang. Regardless of the hested debates concerning the anarchs, the Sabbat, as a whole, seemingly frowns upon the movement's undirected and undisciplined methods, Like the Camarilla, the Sabbat draws its arguments from history ss well It cites Caina's full ure toestablish apeaceful kingdom as the reason why the anarchs' attempts at equality wil fail, and it uses the Anarch Revolt as proof that survival ofthe fittest holds ere. A side-argument to Sabbat’s reverential use of the Vaulderie and the bonding through the Vinculum, a practice creared during the Anarch Revolt to break the sha the elders and unify dhe Subbac in strength of pur pose. Anarchs, many of whom are already fleeing from blood bonds and menial secvice to theirsires oF erstwhile masters, abhor the Vaulderie unless it is che only way to escape there present obligations. Ihe Vinculum isan infringementon the anarchs' vaunted personal freedoms, and this resentment affends the Sabbat's sense of faith. The sect does not consider the Vinculum a fetter. Instead, it believes that the ritual strengthens the sects cause. The anarchs! unwillingness tojoin in the Vaulderi inafironcto the sect faich and further proof that theanarchsare weak and misdirected Sas om ooo ®SWITCHING SECTS In the unlife of a vampite, it is dificult to know where to stand and whom to trust, But vampires have their own secieties, their awn political strictures and their own ideological factions. Two sects, theCamarills andthe Sabbat, cominate Kindred culture andonlythe powerful, the reckless and the lucky can avoid belong- ing to either. Most Kindred must choase one just to urvivevenndapisiciiniee Unéy minkioectibveclineskieis'e suit chem, For almost all Kindred, however, i's nat a choice at all, at least initially following the Embrace. It is not impossible to switch sides nt some later point — ince, in some ways, the switch is very easy. ‘The Camarilla claims that every Kindred is already a member, and joining requites little more than an- nouncing interest and willingness to participate. The Sabbat is less presumptuous, but it also accepts most Cainites — once they've passed certain initiation nites. Ofcourse, unlife is never rub; that simple, particu- Jarly far 9 vampire wha wae ance part af the oppceing sect. A fledaling’s “default desire to join the Camarilla issoen ss genuine sel-preservation, and sometimesas a true interest in joining and upholding vampinic “soci- “éty." Foran sitablishad Subbot mainber; however, ever such a sample act is treated with suspicion, What isthe Sabha up to? Why isi sending one of ts own to spy on theCamarilla? Whatdoes theSabbat stand to gain from his? How send en will dishes to cantongey an we is the target! Afterall, the Cainites of the Sabbat are blood-sucking fiendsin the worst sense —they have no interestin the Traditionsthat procectthe Kindred from destruction at the hands of righteous mortals, Ouror tke FRvino Dan... Why would a Sabbat member choose to join the Camarills? Several reasons come to mind. First and foremost, the Camarlla offers protecsion, Ifa vampire ‘sina Camarilla-dominared city, oreven just one where that sect is strong, he can presenthirnself to the prince. Ifthe prince accepts hitn, that vampire should be anfe from attacks by Camarilla vampires (atleast in theory), ‘and he can call upon his new prince and other members ofthe city for aid in eepulsing Sabbat reachery as well “This tsallassumingthat the prince accepesthe Kindred, of sou. By presenting himself, the fugitive may be calling down a blood hunt on hisown head and saving Camarilla agents the trouble of having to look for him. On ifthe pincechooses to keep his handsclean, he can simply turn away the Kindred. What happens to an unaligned intruder caught within Camarilla territory is considered self-defense, justified response iran ongo- ing Jyhad, and ifhe is denied protection or asylum, the victim becomes fair game. Most Camarilla members will wait until they are away from an assembly of the undead before actingon this unwritten ne, though, for civilitys sake {A second reason to join the Camaillais freedom In the Sabbar, Cainiees are part of apack, and they do almost everything with their packmates, No secrets are allowed, and personal interests are subjugated to the inisaets of the peal on's whale (igeln, in cheoe). Sabbat members are also expected to take part in various rituals, rites and outings. Participation is not ‘open for discussion — packs have been known co diag reluctant member along and force thei votake part, in order to maintain their own standing. Ironically, ab though the Camarilli has more rules, it ia move open. Camarilla members are rarely required to attend meet- ngs or participate in activities, Barring the occastonal blood hunt or convocation. Provided they pay respects tw the prince upon entering the city and they obey the Traditions (which often means simply upholding the Masquerade, not killing other vampiresandnormaking a spectacle of oneself), Camarilla members are left 10 their own devices. For a Sabbat member, this can look like heaven, particularly if he or she has interests outside those of the pack and ambitions that ko not follow the pack's plans and actions Clever Sabbat may evensee through their own ect’sbickhanded notion freedom and electto join the Camarillate taste freedom that isn’t so inextricably tied to constant conflict. Another reason to join the Camarilla is ideology The Sabbat disapproves of the Ancediluvians, and it claims dae chs Catnarilla is merely apuppershow doing those ancients’ bidding. Many Sabbut members also believe in separating from humanity, not hiding rom i. The Camarilla believes in a quiet coexistence with humanity. Switching from the Sabbat to che Camarila states without words that the Camarilla's goals are more valuable and viable than the Sabbar's, and thar the future of vampiric society lies in peace and cooperation (and secrecy). Sayingthat it iswrong isan obvious slap in the face ofthe Sabbat. [tis also a direct insule to the Cainite’spackmates and sire; one that isdifficuleto hide of ignore. {Icisimportant to note that joining the Inoonnu is tot considered an ace of defection hy many Kindred Thelnconnuisnocan opposing side, itisassumed tobe alocsecallectionof vampireswhohaveopted out of the politicalgames and powerstruggles. Whether this with- drawal is an act of courage, cowardice or foolishness is ot important. Becomingan Inconnu is astep laterally rather han an about-face: But few ean join the Ineonnu, ‘Gut To: So Scary #Their numbers are few, their invitations are rare, and their methods are secretive. Only rarely do individual vampires earn their attention and the opporcunicy t0 joi them.) Politics is also a question. The Sabhat has political gamesof ts own, of course — no large society can exist without them. Buc inthe Sabbat, most games are overt, contests of will and strength and determination, and they tend toend quicklyand violently. tn the Camarill, polities is long and drawn out, and occasionally even bloodless (in every possible sense of the word). Sabbae ‘members who are tired of the constant physical chal- lenges might long foramore cerebral challenge, and the Camarilla can certainly offer that, with its twisted, tangled schemes and hierarchies and alliances. In point of fact, Sabar elders engage in intricate plots just as Camarilla elders do. Some even see the Sabbat-Camanilla conflict as an elaborate chess game, with eklerson both sides committing pawns and rooks tobattle. The difference is that many Camarilla mer bois play ot polities, Af only to survive, Within the Sabbat, it is usually onlythe elders who have the luxury and the security to play such games, and few survive long enough to achieve that age and power Inro THe Fine Wy would a Camarilla memberchoose to join the Sabbat? Again, one answer is freedom, although of a different sort. Kindred in the Camarilla spend much of their unlives hiding what they arc, concealing their abilities toavoid disturbing the potentially deadly rabble that is moral kind. The Sabbat sees lietle point in this deception: They ave whi they are, supemacural night predators, and they take pride in that. After years o¢ even decades of hiding, it feels good to get out and tocpenly acknowledge the truth ofone'sundead existence and to proudly display one’s abilities. This is a seductive lure, and the Sahbat uses it to temmpe mem: bers of the Camarilla, offering them the chance to set pretense aside — to finally reject the lie chat they are still human, and accept the Beast inside. This is not to say that the Sabbat announces its presence and nature to the world. Far from it. The ‘Sabbar is crafty and well aware rhat sheer numbers are inguinst it. But many Sabbar consider the Masquerade ‘outdated and! far too restricive. Packs are expected to avoid massive exposure, but they are given far more leeway with indivi choose to kill any witnesses afterward. Another lure of the Sabbat ispower. The Camarills frowns upon open use of vampiric abilities, since that could olert Inumanity to their existence and presence. als, particularly since they may abilities openly? Such abilities are part of their exist ence, and they were obviously granted to make their unlife easier (and more enjoyable), And way hide from thehumanswhen Cainites have the porential to subjue ate them instead? Humans are sheep, sources of food andentertainment, butnothing more —why care what they think, and what they might do? Humans do out- ‘number the Cainites, bur they are weak and frail and mortal, and if it ever became plausible to even up the battlefield, the Childer of Caine would have « signifi cane advantage Another attraction of the Sahbat is polities or the lack thereof. The Camarilla srididled with politics of the worse sort, intricate plots created by centuries-old creatures who are willing to wait centuries more for theirplans to seach fruition, Itseems the Kinied of he Camarilla cannot take a single sep without running alo! ofsomescheme or plan, and they must weigh every word and action carefully, lest they offend the wrong elder or ruin the plans of the wrong coterie, In the Sabbat,everything ismore straightforward. The packis firse and foremost, and the politics within each fuck tend to be a simple matter of who leads the group and who follows orders. The Sabbat itself has certain goals, hutcheyare open goals, not subtle and hidden, andes: Lume isspentplostingandscheming than pursuing their objectives actively. For those Kindred who have spent years enmeshed in detailed plans, hemmed in on every sideby careful considerationsand counterbalance itis good to be able to concentrate only on the wind, the niighesky.the blood and the scent of mertale' fear. Inthe Sabbat, Cainitesknow who their enemiesire, znd sich enmities do not lst long — usually because one or the other is destroyed shortly thereafter. But at least its ‘open, and quick, and not something to worry about for centuries on end. Again, this is more true for neonates than forelders, but few Sabbatsurvive that long. so they have little reason to concern themselves with those unpleacantree Murat Exsiry ‘One reason that holds true for both camps is power Different clans and Hoodlines have different abilities, differentpotential and diferent secrets, Certain clans are traditionally Saba andochersaretradivionally Cama A handful may goantinibu, buttheyare certainly cificule to locate. By switching to the other side, a vampire can gain proximicy to new powers, powers not available to them before. They can study these powers and attempt t0 master them, thusinereasing their own personal srength. Many vamnpites exist for nothing onore than power, and 10 hem, the opportunity to grow in strength is worth any Snsorn how 50rtk, Alo, alter a few centuries, most vampires become mired at a certain political level as those around them relegate them to certain roles and tasks. Without major upheaval, they may never rise above thar level It isnot unlike the mortal “glass ceiling,” with one major differ- ence—it lassforever. By switchingtothe othersect, those vampires step ourside their rut and gain the posibiliy of advancing further because they are no longer locked into thesame place asbefore andno longer held bucky others rortoclann Bvoeif ay ews to vise up e dvate former el again, it should be much easier the second time around, given that their strength and experience is much greater than it once was. But ifexistence isso good on the etherside, why de so few vampires switch? Several reasons prevent large- scale defections. First and foremost, excape is necessary Although the Camarilla grancs its members a large amount of autonomy, itdraws the line at breaking the Traditions — and joining the Sabbat is tantamount to breaking them all, since if the Cainite has not yet viclated the Masquerade, he will before becoming a full-fledged Sabbat member, (Atleast, so neonates are t der to increase their hostility toward the ibbat.) Openly stating the desire to defect to the Sabbatis foolish and self-destructive. The Kindred may well find herself taken into custody and “helped” to see the error of such a path: Such treatment may result in the Final Death of the Kindred in question, or in the destruction of her personality, bue for the Camara, that is preferable to the alternative. Fleeing Camarilla members often take secrets, as well —blackrnail infor mation that could come in handy later, if they need to deal wich theis former allie again. [eb fa wafer co kl the fugitives and bury that material forever, ratherthan continually watching over one’s shoulder fecring from the Sabbat has its own problems The major difficulty ts the pack. Each Sabbat membe ispart of a small pack, and each cegularly drinks of the thers’ blood ta strengthen their bond. This bond is smote than symbolic, itis mystical, and it can be used to all the errant member back. If a Sabbat member manages tobreak his bond with the pack, he isveritably an outcast, and he may even be hunted at will, Hi former packmares will be the frst to seek him out, and they will be the most rabid at tracking him down, to