Post by Tami on Aug 5, 2006 18:05:32 GMT -5
Acceptance Ritus – Basically a rite that welcomes a new member to a pack. Basically each ember of the pack recognizes the new position of their fellow Sabbat in a personal manner, be it by giving blood a gift or what ever. The Sabbat being accepted must make an oath of allegiance to each member of the pack, and to the sabbat cause in general. This differs from the Creation Rite because it is more social rather than supernatural.
Allegiance Ritus – Before the Acceptance Ritus occurs, a Vampire already embraced but not yet Sabbat must go through the Allegiance ritus. This ritus is especially important for the Camarilla defectors. The Allegiance Ritus is long and involved, and may go on for years before the recruit is permitted the acceptance ritus and welcomed as a full member of the sect. Part of the process involves the implanting of a secret mark on the body of the defector (A tattoo, scar, brand etc.) through the use of Vicissitude so it will be permanent. Before receiving this Ritus the recruit must sit or stand at the back of his packmates during auctoritas ritae. He must drink last at the vaulderie, and may not contribute himself. He may not read or discuss the Book of Nod aloud. The time involved in confirming an initiates commitment to the Sabbat makes it all the more difficult for him to leave the sect.
Contrition Ritus – This rite allows for the atonement of indiscretions and sins against the sect. It is perhaps the most important of the Ignoblis Ritae, as many Inquisitors, Black Hand operatives, priests and ducti offer a choice of death or Contrition to Sabbat who have wronged the sect. All sensible Sabbat take these ritae as seriously as they would any other, for only by the graces of their betters can they continue to exist.
Welcoming Ritus - This ritus is largely a social convention. Priest invokes it whenever two Sabbat packs meet to spend time together, or pack unite towards a common short term goal. The Welcoming Ritus enforces the Sabbat ideology that respects the individuality, while requiring unity to achieve the sect’s purposes. Most packs carry this ritus out quite informally, with the pack leaders sharing blood while their packmates bear witness, but there are two incidents of protocol which typically must be met. At the opening of the ritus, all pack members greet each other, stating their names and home (if any). This provides the members with a sense of location – where they come from and where they may travel. At the height of the celebration, a gift is exchanged from pack to pack. It could be a weapon, a treaty, or the head of an enemy. The gift is presented from a pack's True Sabbat to the other’s Ductus under the Priest supervision. Ducti and priest often use this ritus as an opportunity to discuss Sabbat plans.
Ritus of Thanksgiving – This ritus is actually less a thanksgiving than a session to boast of one’s exploits. The Thanksgiving usually comes under the auspices of “I thank Caine for his favor when I…” stories, which usually exaggerate or aggrandize the speaker’s prowess. The Ritus of Thanksgiving generally precedes esbats or other gatherings of the sword of Caine.
Martial Ritus – In time of war, a Sabbat pack tries to increase its strength in any way possible, often by creating the sense of kinship found only in combat. The Martial Ritus serves to whip the Sabbat into a fervor that heralds destruction for its enemies. The ritus begins with chanting a mantra such as “Strength”, “fire” or “muscle and hate.” The beating of drums, usually led by the priest, accompanies the chanting/ Packs sometimes decorate each others’ faces and bodies with blood, paint or henna.
Spilling of Blood – When two or more Sabbat feed together, they sometimes recognize the sharing of blood meal, saying together “Hot blood that spurted from Abel at his time of death, sustain us for the will of the Sabbat.”
Stealth Ritus – In the interest of maintaining silence, some packs take extra precautions and invoke favorable omens. In the Stealth Ritus, all participating vampires bite out each other’s tongues and spit them onto a fire. Though this cause no health levels of damage, the immediate bleeding and healing cost one blood point. The priest or Ductus usually bows out so he can issue orders, but some packs have developed complex hand signal systems so they may communicate silently while on Stealth intensive maneuvers.
Sun Dance – the Sun Dance tests Cainites endurance and bravery. During the Ritus, vampires writhe and gyrate in a hypnotic dance around a symbolic inscription of a firey sun from sunset to sunrise without pause, until they collapse in exhausted heaps, covered in blood sweat. The ritus always takes place on the night of a full moon, and pack member usually dress for the occasion, wearing frightening mask or red body paint. Pack members prove their courage by seeing who among them, after an exhausting night’s dancing, can remain in the open the longest. A Blood Feast sometimes follows the Sun Dance (Especially when it is performed at sect functions.), as the vampires must replenish their spent energy constantly for the duration of the ritual.
Tests of Pain – Sabbat priests use these grueling ritus to test how strong of spirit their packmates are. Different packs use the ritae in different ways, some for those claiming leadership, others as punishment. One such trial is the Indian Stick trial: the pack suspends the subject from a timber forced through his chest at dusk, and he remains immobilized until they release him just before sunrise. (Truly brutal subjects tear their bodies from the pinion before sunrise, and may subject themselves to other tests.) The Trial by Fire involves the ritual singing of various body parts by the pack priest. The gauntlet sees Sabbat Cainites line up in two rows while individual vampires run between them, suffering punches, kicks and stabs from the vampires in the line. These are just a few examples of what can be done for this ritus.
The Asp’s Blessing – In some accounts the Sabbat likens itself to a serpent, and many packs practice ritae that involve snake-handling. This ritus, however, fits with the more traditional and occult ritual of the sect. The priest raises a (usually poisonous) snake before the pack, asks for Caine’s watchful eye to preside over the assembled vampires; kisses the snake and holds it before every member of the pack, who must kiss it themselves. If the snake bites an unfortunate vampire, it is believed that Caine holds disfavor for that vampire, and that he caused the snake to bite her for some past or secret transgression. Some Sabbat even bring Mortal into this ritus, in hopes that the snake will bite them, and thus show Caine’s disdain for mortals, the children of Seth.
Truth Revealed – This ritus ensures the honesty of a statement to be revealed (much like the swearing in of a witness at court – it doesn’t truly ‘compel’ truth in a mechanical manner.) If a priest doubts an individual’s statement’s veracity, the victim writes his statement on a piece of paper given him by his accuser, in his own blood. The priest then burns the paper, sometimes in a censer. If the smoke burns black, the statement is a lie. If it burns white, the statement is truth. In truth, the power of the pack’s belief in their packmate and his statement determines the outcome of the revelation, and this ritus is seldom employed for grave matters
Allegiance Ritus – Before the Acceptance Ritus occurs, a Vampire already embraced but not yet Sabbat must go through the Allegiance ritus. This ritus is especially important for the Camarilla defectors. The Allegiance Ritus is long and involved, and may go on for years before the recruit is permitted the acceptance ritus and welcomed as a full member of the sect. Part of the process involves the implanting of a secret mark on the body of the defector (A tattoo, scar, brand etc.) through the use of Vicissitude so it will be permanent. Before receiving this Ritus the recruit must sit or stand at the back of his packmates during auctoritas ritae. He must drink last at the vaulderie, and may not contribute himself. He may not read or discuss the Book of Nod aloud. The time involved in confirming an initiates commitment to the Sabbat makes it all the more difficult for him to leave the sect.
Contrition Ritus – This rite allows for the atonement of indiscretions and sins against the sect. It is perhaps the most important of the Ignoblis Ritae, as many Inquisitors, Black Hand operatives, priests and ducti offer a choice of death or Contrition to Sabbat who have wronged the sect. All sensible Sabbat take these ritae as seriously as they would any other, for only by the graces of their betters can they continue to exist.
Welcoming Ritus - This ritus is largely a social convention. Priest invokes it whenever two Sabbat packs meet to spend time together, or pack unite towards a common short term goal. The Welcoming Ritus enforces the Sabbat ideology that respects the individuality, while requiring unity to achieve the sect’s purposes. Most packs carry this ritus out quite informally, with the pack leaders sharing blood while their packmates bear witness, but there are two incidents of protocol which typically must be met. At the opening of the ritus, all pack members greet each other, stating their names and home (if any). This provides the members with a sense of location – where they come from and where they may travel. At the height of the celebration, a gift is exchanged from pack to pack. It could be a weapon, a treaty, or the head of an enemy. The gift is presented from a pack's True Sabbat to the other’s Ductus under the Priest supervision. Ducti and priest often use this ritus as an opportunity to discuss Sabbat plans.
Ritus of Thanksgiving – This ritus is actually less a thanksgiving than a session to boast of one’s exploits. The Thanksgiving usually comes under the auspices of “I thank Caine for his favor when I…” stories, which usually exaggerate or aggrandize the speaker’s prowess. The Ritus of Thanksgiving generally precedes esbats or other gatherings of the sword of Caine.
Martial Ritus – In time of war, a Sabbat pack tries to increase its strength in any way possible, often by creating the sense of kinship found only in combat. The Martial Ritus serves to whip the Sabbat into a fervor that heralds destruction for its enemies. The ritus begins with chanting a mantra such as “Strength”, “fire” or “muscle and hate.” The beating of drums, usually led by the priest, accompanies the chanting/ Packs sometimes decorate each others’ faces and bodies with blood, paint or henna.
Spilling of Blood – When two or more Sabbat feed together, they sometimes recognize the sharing of blood meal, saying together “Hot blood that spurted from Abel at his time of death, sustain us for the will of the Sabbat.”
Stealth Ritus – In the interest of maintaining silence, some packs take extra precautions and invoke favorable omens. In the Stealth Ritus, all participating vampires bite out each other’s tongues and spit them onto a fire. Though this cause no health levels of damage, the immediate bleeding and healing cost one blood point. The priest or Ductus usually bows out so he can issue orders, but some packs have developed complex hand signal systems so they may communicate silently while on Stealth intensive maneuvers.
Sun Dance – the Sun Dance tests Cainites endurance and bravery. During the Ritus, vampires writhe and gyrate in a hypnotic dance around a symbolic inscription of a firey sun from sunset to sunrise without pause, until they collapse in exhausted heaps, covered in blood sweat. The ritus always takes place on the night of a full moon, and pack member usually dress for the occasion, wearing frightening mask or red body paint. Pack members prove their courage by seeing who among them, after an exhausting night’s dancing, can remain in the open the longest. A Blood Feast sometimes follows the Sun Dance (Especially when it is performed at sect functions.), as the vampires must replenish their spent energy constantly for the duration of the ritual.
Tests of Pain – Sabbat priests use these grueling ritus to test how strong of spirit their packmates are. Different packs use the ritae in different ways, some for those claiming leadership, others as punishment. One such trial is the Indian Stick trial: the pack suspends the subject from a timber forced through his chest at dusk, and he remains immobilized until they release him just before sunrise. (Truly brutal subjects tear their bodies from the pinion before sunrise, and may subject themselves to other tests.) The Trial by Fire involves the ritual singing of various body parts by the pack priest. The gauntlet sees Sabbat Cainites line up in two rows while individual vampires run between them, suffering punches, kicks and stabs from the vampires in the line. These are just a few examples of what can be done for this ritus.
The Asp’s Blessing – In some accounts the Sabbat likens itself to a serpent, and many packs practice ritae that involve snake-handling. This ritus, however, fits with the more traditional and occult ritual of the sect. The priest raises a (usually poisonous) snake before the pack, asks for Caine’s watchful eye to preside over the assembled vampires; kisses the snake and holds it before every member of the pack, who must kiss it themselves. If the snake bites an unfortunate vampire, it is believed that Caine holds disfavor for that vampire, and that he caused the snake to bite her for some past or secret transgression. Some Sabbat even bring Mortal into this ritus, in hopes that the snake will bite them, and thus show Caine’s disdain for mortals, the children of Seth.
Truth Revealed – This ritus ensures the honesty of a statement to be revealed (much like the swearing in of a witness at court – it doesn’t truly ‘compel’ truth in a mechanical manner.) If a priest doubts an individual’s statement’s veracity, the victim writes his statement on a piece of paper given him by his accuser, in his own blood. The priest then burns the paper, sometimes in a censer. If the smoke burns black, the statement is a lie. If it burns white, the statement is truth. In truth, the power of the pack’s belief in their packmate and his statement determines the outcome of the revelation, and this ritus is seldom employed for grave matters