Ranks
in the Sabbat
The Sabbat is not a very structured sect.
There are many levels and positions of leadership. However, unlike the
Camarilla, the positions are filled only by the most loyal and capable vampires,
regardless of generation. The role of leader in the sect is just that: A Leader.
Leaders are not rulers. However, the higher the level of leadership, the more
Sabbat will listen to and obey the leader.
The Sabbat uses the titles of clergy to denote the basic levels of leadership
that exist within the sect. The practice started partially out of mockery, but
has developed into a useful representation of leadership.
Regent
- The highest title in the Sabbat is that
of Regent, who is the absolute leader of the Sabbat and (according to Sabbat
doctrine) is merely overseeing the sons and daughters of Caine until Caine
returns to lead his children himself. The Regent is the president, so to speak,
of this vampire sect. The Regent does not have absolute authority, but her
directives are usually carried out. The title of Regent is currently held by
Melinda (Lasombra). There have been only 4 Regents in the Sabbat's history (3
Lasombra and one Tzimisce).
The Regents responsibilities include:
- Oversee all matters of the Pack
- Handle all disputes that cannot be
resolved by the Cardinals/Prisci
- Has the authority to make/break
alliances and declare enemies *
- Has all powers regarding promotion
and demotion of those within the Pack *
- May bring others in to Unlife or give
them Final Death *
- Member of the Inner Circle with full
voting power
Cardinals
- Assisting the Regent are the
Cardinals of the Sabbat. This lot has managed to gain control over large
geographical regions, similar to how the Tremere Inner Circle have large
assigned territories. . The Cardinals seldom answer to the Regent or the
Prisci unless their activities have a detrimental effect on the Sabbat as a
whole. The Cardinals are responsible for all that happens within their
regions, and for planning and delegating all Sabbat activities within their
respective regions. There are 13 Cardinals, chosen by status within the Sect
and not by clan.
The Cardinals responsibilities include:
- Assist and advise the Regent
- Handle all disputes involving more
than one Clan that cannot be resolved by the ArchBishops/Bishops
- Has the authority to make/break
alliances and declare enemies *
- Can promote or demote those of a
lessor rank *
- May bring others in to Unlife or give
them Final Death *
- Members of the Inner Circle with full
voting power
Prisci
- Below the Cardinals in power are the
Prisci. The Prisci act as a board of directors for the Regent, similar to a
Camarilla city's Primogen and advising the Regent and the Cardinals about
the affairs of the sect. Atthought they report to the Cardinals, they serve
the Regent directly. Most are Elders or powerful Ancillae. One member from
each clan is chosen, for a total of 13. The most prestigious of the clan
members generally hold the rank of Prisci .
The Prisci's responsibilities include:
- Advise the Regent and Cardinals of
the Pack Members of the Inner Circle with full voting power
- Unable to bring others into Unlife,
give them Final Death, promote or demote, or make/break alliances and
declare enemies *Together the Cardinals and the Prisci form the Inner
Circle. No one with status less then 4 could ever see the Inner Circle to
meet with them, unless they summoned you for whatever reason.
Arch-Bishop
- Serving each Cardinal of the Sabbat
are ArchBishops. Arch-Bishops serve their territory's Cardinal, holding sway
over a smaller region, similar to a Camarilla Prince ruling a city. These
vampires usually rise through the ranks, serving lengthy tenures as priests
and bishops of the sect. Each Cardinal has the power to appoint whomever he
wishes to the position of ArchBishop. Some accept bribes, but vampires who
gain their positions in this manner often mysteriously disappear. Multiple
Arch-Bishops preside over these smaller domains, all contained within a
single Cardinal's region.
The ArchBishop's responsibilities include:
- Oversee all matters of a clan within
the Pack and lead that Clan
- Assist and advise the Cardinals
- Handle all disputes involving members
of their Clan May bring others into Unlife *
Bishop
- Below the ArchBishops are the
Bishops. The Bishops serve the Arch Bishops and are given domains in a city
to control as a vassal for the Arch-Bishop.
The Bishop's responsibilities include:
- Advise the ArchBishops of the Clan
Assist ArchBishops in Clan matters when necessary
- Unable to bring others into Unlife,
give them Final Death, promote or demote, or make/break alliances and
declare enemies *
Priest
- Serving the Bishops are Priests, who
serve as the religious leaders of Sabbat Packs, of which there is one Priest
per pack. The Priests are responsible for leading the Sabbat rituals and
ceremonies for the Pack. They may be any ranking or non-ranking member of
the Pack and are often the Pack Leader as well.
- The Priest is the only member of the
Pack that may directly speak to the Bishop about a subject.
- You may have any status to speak to
the Priest, but Status:2 to the Bishop, Status:3 for Arch Bishop, and
Status:4 for the Prisci/Cardinal. Status:6 or greater is required to meet
the Regent personally. Going against these norms are deemed very deadly, as
the Status game is followed by the assassination game.
Paladins
- Also called Templars. The protectors
of the Sabbat. Originally formed as a response to the fears concerning the
loyalty of the Black Hand. The Leaders of the Sabbat may call upon the
Paladins, or Templars, of the Sabbat as protectors. From the Rank of Bishop
on up, have at least one Templar bodyguard. Many have whole packs of them.
The Regent has the largest at 30 members who follow her every whim. The
Templars are more loyal to the people they protect then to the Sabbat.
Sabbat Packs
The pack is a basic unit of structure
for the sect, serving both social and military functions. All Sabbat, even
the sect's leaders, are members of a pack. A Sabbat vampire does not have
much choice about the pack to which he will belong since he has no control
over who chooses to embrace him. He must remain a member of the pack that
created him. Packs maintain their own permanent communal havens. They travel
occasionally, but one city remains their home. Packs conduct their business
on a certain night each week. These weekly meetings are known as esbats.
Often an Ignoblis Ritus will be held during the esbat, but it is mainly used
to conduct pack business. All pack members must attend unless a good reason
for absence is given in advance.
All Sabbat put their sect before themselves and everything else in the
world. They know what will happen to them if they do not. The Sabbat treats
disloyalty very harshly, and some members have perfected the art of torture
and disfigurement. Final Death is the only real choice for the disloyal.
This does not mean that all within the sect possess the same opinions. Among
the fanatics are those with differing views on all Sabbat activities. The
Sabbat leaders do not want mindless drones. They want strong-willed vampires
ready to face death for the second time. Only strong Sabbat can understand
true freedom, and they are the ones who push the sect on to domination.
The Sabbat provides protection, freedom and loyalty to all its members.
These gifts are not without their costs. The members are required to protect
sect interests, carry out missions and to give the Sabbat total fealty and
devotion. All Sabbat have what are called Vinculums, or special bonds of
love and loyalty shared with their pack. The Vinculum varies between all
members, but always translates into a strong love for and loyalty to the
sect itself. While Vinculum strength may vary with each individual bond,
Sabbat vampires tend to be stronger in their loyalty and devotion to the
sect itself than to individual members. Because of this Vinculum for the
Sabbat itself, its members are considered fanatics. Most are willing to
accept Final Death for the good of the sect. In addition, this special Blood
Bond makes the Sabbat's secrets especially hard to uncover.
From the day a Sabbat vampire is Embraced, she has certain responsibilities.
All Sabbat must uphold pack tradition and practices. They must choose and
support leaders who serve the good of the Sabbat as well as the good of the
pack itself. They must challenge weak and incompetent leaders as well as
those who serve only their own interests. They must perform missions for
their leaders. They must work to destroy all the enemies of the Sabbat.
Finally, they must be willing to give up their immortal lives for their
sect.
Unlife in the Sabbat is wild and dangerous. Most Sabbat vampires do not
exist long after they have been Embraced. Younger members are considered the
most expendable. Constant fighting with the Camarilla and other foes, such
as the Inquisition and Lupines, forces Sabbat to live on the edge. While the
Camarilla vampires fear Final Death and seldom take great risks, the
Sabbat's basic beliefs lead all sect members to do whatever it takes to
carry out the mission of saving Kindred from Gehenna.
The pack fills two important, connected roles for the Sabbat. First and
foremost, it serves a combat function. This military aspect is important for
furthering Sabbat plans. The second function of the pack is to provide a
social group for individual Sabbat.
The Clan does not play an important role in the pack. Each clan maintains
its own ties, but these are secondary to those of the pack. Clans sometimes
hold their own gatherings, and members often partake of the Vaulderie
together.
Rituals of the Sabbat
"Every tradition grows ever more
venerable, the more remote is its origin, the more confused that origin is.
The reverence due to it increases from generation to generation. The
tradition finally becomes holy and inspires awe." (Friedrich Wilhelm
Nietzshe)
The Sabbat has established may rituals to strengthen its bonds of loyalty
and fraternity. Some rituals, called the Auctoritas Ritae, are practiced by
the entire sect. Other rituals, called the Ignoblis Ritae, vary in manner
and observation among the packs.
Auctoritas Ritae
The entire sect practices Auctoritas
Ritae because of long-standing tradition, as well as their significance in
Sabbat beliefs. The rituals are usually led by the clergy (the priests) of
the Sabbat. The following are the rituals that will be observed on a regular
basis:
- The Blood Bath:The Blood Bath is held
whenever sect leaders recognize a Sabbat Vampire as having rightful claim to
a title. All the Sabbat who will be under the leadership of the vampire are
invited to attend the ceremony. Each subservient vampire is brought before
her superior. The superior recognizes the vampire and proceeds to give
praise and advice. The titled vampire then shares in the Vaulderie with all
present. After this, the vampire is actually led to a pool of fresh and
blood bathes in it.
All ranking vampires (Regent, Cardinals, Prisci, ArchBishops, and Bishops)
will be treated to this ritual upon their taking upon their rank. It will be
attending by all vampires who are able to be in attendance, whether they
will be subservient to that vampire or not.
- The Blood Feast:The Blood Feast is
held at almost all important gatherings. Humans, and possibly an enemy
Kindred, are chained and hung from the ceiling upside down. The Sabbat at
the gathering are allowed to bite open the victim and fill their glasses
with blood. It is customary to lick the wound closed when finished, so as
not to waste any vitae. The Blood Feast is blood on tap.
The Creation Rites:
This ritual is used when recruiting new
members for the sect. In it, all those chosen to become Sabbat are drained
of their blood and then given a small amount of vitae from their sires. The
Sabbat then bludgeon the chosen unconscious and bury them. Those who claw
their way to the surface are knocked out again. They are taken to the secret
haven of the pack, where they are awakened and their new status explained.
Games of Instinct: Sabbat believe the strong alone survive. The Games of
Instinct test vampires to see who among them are the strongest. The games
are meant as competitions and many place bets on who will win. There are
many types of games, and Sabbat are always inventing new ones. The games
test such things as hunting ability, resistance to pain, fighting ability,
bravery and wit. The Games of Instinct are like sport for the undead.
Monomacy:
Monomacy is the method for handling
grievances among Sabbat vampires through combat. It allows vampires to
challenge each other in duels to settle their differences.
Sermons of Caine:
All vampires in the Sabbat know the
story of their origins from the Book of Nod. The Sabbat often gather to hear
sermons on their history to remind them of who and what they are. The
sermons are used to strengthen Sabbat loyalty and ideology. Sermons of Caine
are usually carried out by Sabbat priests following the Path of Caine, and
by higher-level leaders during other rituals. Sermons of Caine are always
followed by the Vaulderie.
The Vaulderie:
The Vaulderie is the ceremony of Blood
Bonding with all other Sabbat present. The Vaulderie breaks all other Blood
Bonds and establishes a Vinculum between all Sabbat taking part in the
ritual. The Vaulderie is the most important ritual practiced by the Sabbat,
for it is the source of their freedom and solidarity.
The Wild Hunt:
Sabbat vampires seldom turn traitor,
but those who do rarely survive. The Sabbat is a sect which protects its
secrets. If a member reveals something to the enemy that could harm the
sect, she is punished severely. Should the enemy ever manage to gain
something of vital importance from a Sabbat vampire, the Wild Hunt is
called. The Wild Hunt is much like a Blood Hunt, except the Wild Hunt
targets all those who may possess the secret knowledge. The hunt is truly
wild. The Sabbat stop at nothing to destroy all who possess their secrets,
especially the Sabbat traitor who revealed the secrets in the first place.
Other rituals may be observed on special occasions, such as the Festivo
dello Estinto, Palla Grande, or Danse Macabre. In addition, all vampires
must swear to the Oath of Loyalty. There will be a Pack Symbol and a Test of
Verification that each vampire will be made aware of upon completion of all
necessary requirements to reach the rank of Cainite. Any time a ritual is to
be observed, all members will be given advance notice of the coming
festivities. The eldest and highest ranking priest will be responsible for
determining which other rituals will be observed and when. If someone would
like to see a ritual held they must contact this person to set it up.
Justice and Punishment in the
Sabbat
"Whatever is not forbidden is
permitted."
The Sabbat protects itself from its
members' wrongdoing through the use of a special tribunal. The tribunal is
made up of at least four prelates, selected from among the members of the
Inner Circle and the Arch-Bishops, with at least one of those members being
of Cardinal rank or higher.
The accused is brought before the tribunal and the accuser or another
prelate presents the case against him. The accused is then allowed to state
his case. The tribunal meets in private thereafter and makes its decision.
If the Sabbat is found guilty, she is punished severely. If she is found
innocent, the accuser often receives the punishment the Sabbat on trial
would have. Sabbat punishment is swift and harsh. The nature and degree of
the punishment is based upon the actual crime. The Code of Milan is used as
the basis for Sabbat law.
A tribunal will only be called upon in extreme circumstances, such as
treason and situations that cannot be worked out by one leader alone. The
decision of the tribunal will be final and all involved will agree before
the onset of the trial to abide by that decision.
Members of the Sabbat are generally free to do as they please, as long as
their actions have no adverse effect upon the sect as a whole, but as it can
be clearly seen, the Sabbat is not at all lenient to those who act in a
disloyal fashion.