| The Auctoritas Ritae |
| The Binding: This ceremony opens with a recital of the pack's interprtation of the Sabbat's credo. (*Although no formal, written code exists, most Sabbat have enough presence of mind to compose a summation of the Sect's doctrine. These range from long accounts to fervent one sentence rallies of vengeance.*)The event occurs on the night of the Winter's Solstice, prefferably near water. *Water fall, beach, river bank, or even a fountain.* (Desperate packs will use a white cloth to represent the water.)The water represents the implacable nature of the sect-- water always finds a way around an obstruction, just as the Sabbat will one night find a way to surmount its terrible progenitors. This ritae often ends in an observation of the Vaulderie. |
| The Blood Bath:This is performed whenever sect leaders wish to recognize a Sabbat vampire's claim to a title, such as Bishop or cardinal.*All Sabbat who will serve under this new leader are expected to attend. Failing to do so without adequate reason is a grave slight to the leader in question.* The Sabbat gathered take turns coming forth and contributing an amount of blood into a large vessel as a way of expressing their endorsement of this leader. The newly Leader in turn gives praise or advice to each of those which come forth. After all Cainite have contributed, the leader then bathes in the blood donated to the pool. After which, all Cainite present will drink of the blood in order to symbolize they are willing to partake in anything and everything the new leader has to offer. |
| The Blood Feast:The feast is a ritual "meal" in which captured vessels are hung from the ceiling and fed from at the leisure of the guests. The feast is as much a social gathering as it is a ritual. It serves as both sustenance and as a vehicle to express the Sabbat's lust to exist as the ultimate predator. |
| Creation Rites: *Only True Sabbat--- those members who have proven themselves in combat or intrigue against the enemy and have received the Creation rites may select new recruits.* The ritus itself is quite simple. The Priest merely touches a flaming brand to the initiate's head and leads him/her in an oath of allegiance. The Rites have several purposes, both practical and symbolic. The flames help reduce the new Sabbat's fear of fire, while the ceremony teaches him/her what is expected os a Sabbat member. Immediately following the Creation Rites comes a Vaulderie, which binds the Cainite to the pack, his/her new, immortal family. |
| Festivo Dello Estinto:"The Festival of the Dead" occurs during the second week in March. All Sabbat in the city are expected to take part and nomadic packs make their way to the nearest city in order to celebrate. The purpose is to Revel in being a Vampire, laughing in the face of death and decay. It culminates in a Blood Feast of epic proportions, and nightly Vaulerie. *Some pack participate in ritual sacrifices.* The Sabbat will spend the entire week socializing and gorging themselves on vitae. The packs hunt at will, giving little thought to hiding from the eyes of the mortals. |
| Fire Dance:*To be fully Sabbat, one must face the Rötschreck and master it.* This ritus has no particular time or place; priests may create one whenever a morale boost or rally becomes necessary. To enact this ritus, the Priest simply lites a bonfire and along with the rhythmic beating of a drum, chanting, or both, the participating Cainites enter into a trance like frenzy, whirling around the flames. As the ceremony peaks, the Cainites rave and chant, encouraging the others to leap into/ through the flames. They make fantastic leaps, some even turning aerial somersaults over the flames. |
| Games of Instinct:The Sabbat vampires engage in various sanctioned 'games' in order to keep their predatory edge. The priests will oversee these games, consecrating them as righteous exercises. Ex. "Cowboys and Indians...Cops and Robbers...Demolition Derby...Rousing the Beast...Rat Race...Dogtagging..." * To get details of these games...see the Games of Instinct page.* |
| Monomancy: Sabbat conflicts are resolved by means of Monomancy. This ritus is conducted by the priest, to whom a challenge is issued simultaneously with the challenge to the rival. The priest then decides whether or not the grudge is worth Monomancy, and whether or not he/she resides over the ritual. *If the conflict is deemed worthy, a neutral third party may be called in to reside if the Rivals are from separate packs.* No formal code exists as to the choice of weapons, locations or even terms of victory. Monomancy duels are fought to the death. It is the decision of the challenged as to whether there will be weapons, disciplines or other assets, will be used. *However, modern weapons are considered inelegant, clumsy and vulgar.* After the Priest invokes the ritus, the last Vampire standing is the winner. |
| Palla Grande: Of all 13 auctoritas ritae this is the highlight of any Sabbat coven's ritual year. The "Grand Ball" takes place on All Hallows Eve, and all Sabbat of any given city are expected to attend. Even nomadic packs travel to the city in order to not miss the festivities. The highest ranking Sabbat in the city presides over the affair, and the most renowned priest opens the celebration. It is held in a public place in the eyes of as many humans as possible. (They sometimes even charge mortals who wish to have the "priviledge" of attendance, posing it as a rave or a public festival.) Hidden away from the public side of this party, is a Blood Feast consecrated at the Palla Grande. The main event kicks off at midnight. It is a re- encactment of an event in vampire legend or history. After the final act of the play, the Sabbat retire to the Blood Feast for a special version of the Blood Bath. (It is rumored that the Bath imbues the archbishop with special powers until the next sunrise.) * In addition to the benefits gained from the Blood Feast and the Blood Bath, Sabbat vampires who attend the Palla Grande completely replenish their Willpower.* |
| Sermons of Caine: For those Cainites that take their origins very seriously, there are the Sermons of Caine as found in the Book of Nod (Others do not know nor care of the Book, and do not wish to be enlightened.) These members gather to hear stories, or sermons, read from this book about their history and to remind them of who they are. This reminder serves to strengthen loyalty within the sect and their ideology. These sermons are sometimes followed by Vaulderie, or in intellectual packs, intense deliberation and discussion. |
| The Vaulderie: This ritual takes place at any time-- just before assaults, during important gatherings, at the Creation Rites of new members, and almost always at pack esbats. To start the ritual, the priest takes a special tool that is used only for Vaulderie and cuts her wrist, bleeding into a vessel. In turn, each member present, cuts themselves and bleeds into the a vessel. Once the vessel has been passed to each present, it is returned to the priest who incites a special incantation over the blood, consecrating it as a terrible sacrament while every member of the pack draws naught. The result of this ritus is known as Viniculum, or bloodtie. These ties connect each member of the pack to the other, engendering a mutal loyalty in addition to bolstering pack morale. Because of the mystical nature of this ritus, the viniculum are imperfect. What one pack member feels toward another one night may pale in comparison to what he feels the next. |
| The War Party: These consist of multiple packs that vie for the blood of a non- Sabbat elder. Hunting the potent elders is not something undertaken lightly. In preparation, they often gather and celebrate. They may perform the Fire Dance, listen to the Sermons of Caine, or even hold a Blood Feast. Before the target's name is released, a ritualistic commitment to the hunt must be validated. (Should a pack bow out of participation after committing to the hunt, they are greatly shamed.) Once a hunt has begun, the Sabbat will stop at nothing until the target is found. It has been said that once they enter the haven of the target, they no longer use hallways and doorways. They opt for bursting through walls until they find the inner sanctum of the hunted. It is not unheard of to have city blocks leveled by the fight that ensues once the elder is found. (Afterall, they do not relinquish this powerful blood so easily.) The winning pack is the one whose member consumes the blood of the elder first. The targte, unliving or dead, or even some recognizable part of the target, must be brought back to the place where the challenge was accepted. The Cheif of the War Party accepts this trophy, and bestows her blessing over the winning pack. Once this winner is recognized, and all bets are settled; another celebration is held. |
| The Wild Hunt: One of the greatest crimes a Sabbat can commit, is treason. If a Sabbat tells information of a vital nature, a priest may call for a Wild Hunt. This is a lot like a blood hunt, but ends in eradication of the offending Sabbat sect member as well as anyone who may have knowledge of this information. After teh offender is caught, he/she is staked and their crimes are recited to her packmates. The pack then torments the offender in whatever manner seems appropriate. Finally, the pack throws the offender, still staked, on a burning pyre while a recitation from the Book of Nod is read. (Because every little {or big} secret leak cannot be caught, this makes it frustrating and doubly worse on those they do catch.) |
