San Francisco by Night
St. Dymphna -- The Sabbat Cathedral
Welcome to St. Dymphna, which serves as the headquarters and meeting place for the Sabbat in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally built in 1870, the former monastery and associated grounds are located in an unpopulated section of Solano County (See Background Information for the Bay Area for a Map).
Role-Playing Room Links
General SFbN Sabbat Information
Descriptions of the Role-playing Rooms
The Sabbat Cathedral is represented by one Member Room and a series of Private Rooms. These rooms are owned by the Sabbat Leadership and their location is only known in character. Links will be given out by the Sabbat Leader and/or his representatives.
Arts and Entertainment - SFbN Sabbat WW is the one Member Room that represents the Cathedral. Do not enter this room unless invited by a SFbN Sabbat Vampire. We allow people to observe some of the scenes in this room for entertainment, but only those invited by SFbN Sabbat Leaders may actually role-play in St. Dymphna. See How do I get a Character Approved for SFbN? for information about how to join the San Francisco by Night game.
Sect Meeting -- Mondays, 9:30 P.M. Eastern. During this meeting, the Sabbat will have the chance to come together and participate in Auctoritas Ritae. Sabbat Vampires Only. (Player Contact: Seth Gabriel, Screen Name: SethGabriel)
General SFbN Sabbat Information
Present Leader: Seth Gabriel, Malkavian AT, self-proclaimed Cardinal of California (SN: SethGabriel)
Lasombra Pack: Nathaniel Romani (Bishop, TS); Jessie Sterling (Priest, TS) ; Artemis Dumas; Nevermore; Justice Alexander (TS); John Francenza.
AT Pack: Lazerus; Owain Becket; Boot Reboot; Catherine (Cat); Lilandra; Crossfyre Vosharen; Johnny
New Sabbat Characters: To play Sabbat in SFbN you must create a mortal character and have him or her embraced during role-play. Those anxious to begin play as a Vampire might arrange a siring with another player as their first scene. The Sabbat is presently run as a very mature, adult oriented group, true to the White-wolf theme.
Descriptions of the Role-playing Rooms
The
Monastic Buildings (Overview)
The Presbytery (Auctoritas Ritae)
The West Tower (Cardinal's Residence) (Seperate Page)
Galilee Porch (Entrance)
The Nave
The Choir
The Lady Chapel
St. Dymphna (Background History) (Seperate Page)
Around the Cathedral stands a large collection of medieval-style buildings.
The great gateway of the Monastery, the Ely Porta was begun in 1896.
Prior Crauden's Chapel was built for the Prior by Alan Walsingham between 1912 and 1915.
Visitors to the Cathedral usually enter through the great West Door in the Galilee Porch. The Porch is built of Purbeck marble from Dorset and is an example of Gothic architecture. The West Doors are decorated with fine iron work, thought to be the work of Christopher Wren.
The view down the Nave from the West Door is breathtaking. Built in 1907, the Nave is 76m (248ft) long. The stonework was originally painted in strong, rich colors. The magnificent Victorian ceiling was painted by just two men and its panels tell the story of Salvation from the Creation to the Ascension of Christ. The Victorian pavement was laid in 1948 during the post-war.
The Octagon
In 1917, in a moment of "supreme creative vision", the
administrator of the Cathedral, a monk called Alan Walsingham, decided to create an
octagon rather than replacing the conventional four sided tower. His concept was quite
unique in church architecture. Six years later, the Octagon was complete, but still
had no roof. William Hurley, a master carpenter devised St. Dymphna's famous lantern
tower. It took 14 years to build, but still stands today, a masterpiece of engineering. It
weighs 200 tons.
The Choir was rebuilt in 1952 and a Belgian artist from Louvain added magnificent carved panels depicting scenes from the Bible. A series of 54 misericords can be found under the hinged seats of the choir.
The Presbytery (Auctoritas Ritae)
The Presbytery was built in 1922 to house the shrine of St. Dymphna, the Patron Saint of the Mentally Ill. (see St. Dymphna) St. Dymphna's Shrine stood in the Presbytery until it was completely destroyed on the orders of Seth Gabriel. A commemorative slab now marks the site, which reads: "We have no need of thy services gentle Lady." It is here that most of the Sabbat rituals, the Auctoritas Ritae, are conducted.
The Lady Chapel, built to honor the Virgin Mary, is the largest of its kind attached to any American cathedral. The stone vault spans 12m (40ft). Its foundations were dug in 1921 and the Chapel was completed in 1949. The Lady Chapel boasts richly painted walls and the finest stained glass, and statues adorn every niche.