The Auctoritas Ritae
 
The Auctoritas Ritae are the central rites that bind the Sabbat together, and define in the eyes of the Sabbat what it means to be Sabbat. Knowledge of these rites, and experience in performing them is not easy to come by, but it is just as necessary for advancement in the sect as physical power or mental alacrity. Out of character, this knowledge is represented by the Sabbat ability Ritual Knowledge; a definition is provided below.

Because the Auctoritas Ritae are universal and kept doctrinally unified by the sect (especially by the Prisci), descriptions of the Auctoritas Ritae for use in the Sanctioned game follow. These include reminders of appropriate rules systems and caveats, as well as play aids to assist in role-playing the rites, much like the Moot rite in the Garou venue.

As always, use common sense when role-playing the rites, both IC and OOC. The Sabbat aren't likely to conduct a major rite in a shopping mall with public passersby, and neither should the players.



Notes
 

Blood Bath
Upon the elevation of a new archbishop, priscus, cardinal, or regent, a ceremony is held to mark their assumption of authority. Lesser leaders, such as bishops and pack leaders, can be given blood baths, but it is usually considered excessive.

All vampires within the city (for a archbishop), or representatives from a number of different packs (for a higher leader) gather before the new leader. Each then comes before the leader, one by one, and then ritually ask one question of the leader (which must be answered), give one piece of advice, and praise one quality of the new leader. Repeating any comment that has already been spoken during the rite disrupts it, and leads to a loss of status.

Upon the completion of the questions/comments, the vampire says "With this blood, I am born again with my brothers. With this blood, our brother is born again from us." and adds blood to a communal Vaulderie bowl next to the leader. All vampires present go through this cycle, and a communal Vaulderie is performed with all vampires present.

The leader is then lead to a pool of blood (be it a bathtub, Jacuzzi, whatever) and disrobes (obviously implied for our purposes), and sinks to the bottom of the pool.

Three lesser leaders (bishops, pack priests, etc) then come up to the pool, taste it, and turn away, one after the other.

The leader rises up from the pool, and the first lesser turns around, takes the Vaulderie bowl, fills it from the pool, and pours half over the head of the leader, pronouncing "With this blood, our brother is born again from us.", then drinking the other half, pronouncing "With this blood, I am born again with my brothers.". The next two follow, then all vampires present close and drink the pool dry.
 

Creation Rites
New recruits are taken to a secluded location, usually a graveyard. There they are dominated into quiescence or bound and gagged after being  beaten, and the Creation Rite is performed.  In times of peace, there is  at most one new recruit for every two pack members, in times of war,  each pack member Sires; each recruit has a single Sire, and blood is not  mixed as it was in the old days.

To begin the Rite, the pact Priest stands before the assembled Kindred  and morals, and intones the following benediction:

"As Caine was once mortal, so you are mortal.  As Caine was raised, so  are you raised.  As Caine cursed his grandchilder, so do we also curse  his grandchilder.  This night, you leave behind your old life.  You enter into another world, a better one, casting off that which was for  that which will be.  As I was mortal, now I am no so longer, raised through the power of Caine's blessing to mycurrent state, superior in all things to that which I once was, a vampire, doing the work of  Caine.'"

After that, the mortals are each stood up by their Sire, drained of  blood.  As they are being drained, the benediction continues:

"This night, you are to be given the greatest of gifts, the gift of immortality, the gift of power.  With this gift comes responsibility, the duty to rid the world of the evil of the Antediluvians and all their minions and childer.  If you are worthy, you will rise as one of us, gaining in power as you perform the work of Caine.  If not, then the worthy will be made strong by your weakness.  As it has beensaid 'this is my blood, this do in remembrance of me.'"

The mortals are then given a taste of their Sire blood, and hit over the head with a ceremonial shovel, such that they topple into an open grave.  The Sabbat fill in the grave and wait, listening to a Sermon of Caine, for the new recruits to emerge from the graves. Those who are successful engage in the Vaulderie, those who are not lie forever in torpor within the earth.
 

Monomancy
Monomancy is more than just a way to gain power and legally kill another Sabbat member; it is also considered one of the Sabbat's holiest traditions. There are several caveats to Monomancy that _players_ should be aware of:

First, the challenged vampire gets to choose the arbiter of the Monomancy, and the arbiter may set any and all terms of the duel. This generally means that it is a bad idea to challenge someone within the sect with completely different strengths and weaknesses; it is likely that the arbiter they will choose will put the challenged vampire in an ideal situation. (Example: Billy Brujah from the Nasty Ones challenges Terry Tremere from the Chosen, a intellectual pack. Terry accepts, and asks his packmate, Tom Tzimisce, to arbitrate. Tom decides to set the terms of the deal to be thaumaturgy at a distance. Billy can choose not to accept the arbiter's decision -- and lose status and generally look like a fool – or to take the beating that's coming with good grace.)

Second, the victory condition does not have to be death. First blood is an acceptable victory condition for many challenges, especially if honor and not a position is at stake. Monomancy is frequently invoked to resolve disputes and disagreements within the sect, and a variety of different victory conditions exist, all defined by the arbiter (until one yields, torpor, leaves a circle, etc).

Third, the victor has the right to _choose_ who occupies the loser's position; the victor is not required to take the position.

Fourth, frequent attempts to initiate Monomancy - say more than twice a year - are likely to attract negative attention from the Sabbat hierarchy, especially if they are done to gain rank within the hierarchy, and are likely to merit a challenge from a Templar sent by the Consistory..

Lastly, the stigma to refusing a challenge is negligible if the vampire in question is of greatly inferior status -- if the challenger has half or less Sabbat status, the challenged can refuse the challenge without any penalty to status. In addition, any individual of archbishop rank or higher can defer the challenge to one of their Templars, although they are still responsible for the consequences of the duel.

When the conditions are met, the two vampires close with the arbiter, who speaks: (to the challenger)

"You come as Caine unto Abel, seeking to be first in your Father's eyes. May you make the first sacrifice and be triumphant."

(to the challenged)
"You stand as Caine before the world that would destroy you. May your vengeance fall seven-fold upon those who would cause you
harm."

(to both)
"Begin."



Vaulderie
The central ritual that binds the Sabbat together and defines the Sabbat as an entity, the Vaulderie is perhaps practiced most frequently of all of the Auctoritas Ritae. The frequency of the Vaulderie varies between packs; some packs Vaulderie nightly, and some Vaulderie on a monthly basis Generally speaking, nomadic packs will Vaulderie more frequently than founded packs.

Despite its simplicity and commonality, the Vaulderie is considered to be absolutely sacred; the Sabbat will not engage in theVaulderie in the presence of non-Sabbat. False Sabbat are permitted to drink from the Vaulderie, but are not permitted to add their blood to the Vaulderie of True Sabbat.

Systems for the Vaulderie are found in Laws of the Night. The pack closes in a circle, around the pack priest and the Vaulderie chalice. The priest blesses the chalice; "I consecrate this vessel to the blood of my brothers, purified by the mark of Caine.", and hands it to the highest ranking member present, who adds his blood to the chalice, saying "I give this blood onto my brothers, that they might be freed by me." and adding a number of (labeled) blood traits as appropriate. He then passes it (preferably to the left) to the next highest ranking vampire who repeats  it, etc, until all vampires present have added their blood to the chalice.

The priest then takes the vessel and hands it to the highest ranking vampire, who says "I take back this blood from my brothers, so that I may break the bonds of the Antediluvians, and follow with them in the footsteps of Caine.", and drinks (i.e. takes) a appropriate number of traits. The vessel then passes down the line and is recovered by the pack priest.

Note that Sabbat generally *don't* know the strength of the Vinculum that other Sabbat have for them, and it is common practice to fake a higher Vinculum rating for an individual then you actually have. Players and storytellers are encouraged to keep Vinculum ratings secret to foster the atmosphere of doubt that surrounds the Vaulderie within the Sabbat.
 

War Party
War parties are competitions between packs whose end result is the diablerie of a non-Sabbat elder.  A suitable target is found, dictated by the Archbishop, Priscus, or Cardinal, and the packs are called  together.  The Rite leader performs a mass Vaulderie and intones the following:

" Freedom.  Loyalty.  Power.  Freedom from the oppression of the Antediluvians, loyalty to the Sabbat, which protects us from Antediluvians, and power to defeat the Antediluvians on the night of Gehenna.  One who is strong, a lieutenant of our hated enemy has been found, strong in the blood, and strong in power.  As power is taken from our enemy, so too does our power grow. "

The Rite leader then takes out a likeness of the Elder to be hunted, usually a fleshcrafted mortal.

" This effigy represents the holder of the power of the ancient ones, the enemy against whom we strive.  This slave is a dog, unswervingly loyal in the service of its foul master.  Strengthened by his (her) blood, we cannot lose in our holy quest.  Go now, find this one, make his power your own, and in so doing, prepare yourself for the night of Gehenna. "

This said, the Rite leader swoops down upon the fleshcrafted mortal and drains it, throwing the body into the fire as the packs cheer and depart for the hunt.  The packs engaged in the Wild Hunt do not fight each other, though they may take small steps to hinder the other packs' progress.  The end goal is always the diablerie of the Elder in question, and no steps are taken to protect the Masquerade, property, or innocent bystanders.  The Hunt is truly wild, and the packs will not stop until the elder has been diablerized.  This usually involves the death and/or diablerie of several of the elder's minions, retainers, or childer.
 

Wild Hunt
The Sabbat is a sect based largely upon keeping secrets, most specifically the keeping of secrets from those not within the Sabbat. This secrecy has contributed much to the success and survival of the Sabbat throughout the centuries, and is something which all Sabbat take extremely seriously.  There times, however, when the secrecy is breached, when the sect is betrayed by those within, or spied on by those without.  When this occurs, the sect's secrets must be kept safe, and a Wild Hunt is called.  The Wild Hunt involvesthe location and elimination of any individuals who know Sabbat secrets, most specifically the traitor or infiltrator personally.

When it is found that a leak has occurred, the Archbishop or other leader of an area calls together the packs, and explains the imperative to them, calling the Wild Hunt.

"As all True Sabbat surely know, our holy mission is to root out and destroy the power of the Antediluvians.  Their spies and sentries are everywhere, seeking to know our secrets, trying to plumb our depths.  We must remain ever vigilant against their threat, growing our power in secret, safe from the wiles and depredations of the Ancients.  As you well know, for all True Sabbat, secrecy is key.  Any secretthat falls into the hands of our enemies may spell doom for our mission.

Just such a betrayal has occurred, and the officials of the Camarilla now know information that they will surely take back to their true masters.  Even more heinous, it is one of our own, a fallen comrade, which has allowed them this transgression.

And so I charge all of you, you True Sabbat, to bring this one down, along with everyone that he has spoken to, everyone that knows our ways, our secrets, everyone that can help the Antediluvians prepare for the night of Gehenna.  I bless you and charge you to take these ones power and make it your own, extinguish the souls of those he would betray the Sabbat, those who would serve the Ancients. Go now with my blessing and find this one and his companions.  Bring him down, lay him low, and extinguish his soul - for it is forfeit.  No longer is this one to be called "brother", and his name shall forever be spoken with distaste, a traitor to or holy cause. "

Was that, the Archbishop makes the sign of an upside down cross in front of his chest, ending as he adds his blood to a Vaulderie chalice, and thus begins the Vaulderie.  Once the Vaulderie is complete, the Sabbat go on a Hunt for the traitor and all who are known to know the secrets of the Sabbat.

The Wild Hunt is much like a Blood Hunt, except that the Sabbat are much more enthusiastic about fulfilling their hunt than many Camarilla vampires are.  They generally don't worry about maintaining the Masquerade, and may Hunt openly or subtly as seeps their whim.  The Wild Hunt is one of the only ways in which a Sabbat may diablerize another Sabbat, and any companions the traitor may have found are fair game as well.

In general, any non-Sabbat vampire (including members of Autark clans like the Giovanni and Ravnos) who is found to possessknowledge equating to Sabbat Lore 2 or more is Wild Hunted.  And no, the Sabbat don't usually rush into Elysium after their prey, they Hunt their quarry like the intelligent and devious creatures they are.  Note that this goes for Assamites and Nosferatu who display overmuch knowledge of the Sabbat, as well, but most members of those clans either know how to keep their mouths shut or are already dead.



The Rite of Scorn
As being declared disloyal carries serious weight under the new code, this is a big deal. Not performing this rite will get you Wild Hunted. Performing this rite is de rigeur prior to a Wild Hunt.

To start the rite, the Sabbat of a city gather in an esbat. The one who initiates the rite finds an elevated position, and speaks to the Sabbat gathered.

"As the Father gave out his Law in the city of Enoch, so do we give out our Law in this, the third city, Gehenna. Those who are true childer of Caine will be recognized as such, and welcomed into communion. Those who are false and disloyal childer shall also be recognized as such, and damned."

The speaker will then name an accuser, a PC or NPC which believes the accused is disloyal.

"At the right hand, there will be vengenance. Rise, (insert PC name here), and stand at my right."

The speaker will then name out the accused. If he is present, then he names the left hand. If he is not, the speaker will.

"There is one whose faith has been called into question. Stand, and face your brothers and sisters."

The accused (if present) will stand up in front of the speaker, facing the audience. If present, he says the following:

"As I stand before you, I ask you not to forget the left hand, the hand of mercy. Stand (insert PC name here), and rise to the left."

If not present, the speaker says the following:

"Even in their absence, Caine maintains his mercy. Stand (insert PC name here), and rise to the left."

The right hand states the sins of the accused against the Code; the left defends them. The speaker is left to make a decision. Each side only gets one statement, and brevity is favored.

The speaker, prior to making a decision, offers up the following:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you have heard the words of mercy and the words of vengenance. Do you wish to stand by them, or do you wish to stand by your strength alone?"

The accused has the right to either choose not to (and accept the verdict of the speaker) or challenge the accuser to monomacy. If the latter, the challenge is usually uniformly to death, and very open. If they are successful, then the rite is carried out as if they were found innocent.

If not guilty:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you stand as one deserving of Caine's mercy. May you be accepted back into the ranks of the Sword, and your past crimes be seen as those of ones of a brother."

The PC is not declared disloyal, but is still under the onus of the Sabbat Code of Justice (see Guide to the Sabbat or Player's Guide to the Sabbat).

If guilty:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you have turned your back onto the laws of our Father, and stand disloyal to your brethren. You are renounced, and you cannot claim the protection and loyalty of this city."

The PC is now disloyal, and in deep trouble. Other PC's are not mandated to destroy them - that's a Wild Hunt - but no repercussions can be inflicted on anyone who does destroy them.
 

Games of Instinct
A variety of different Games have been adapted by the Sabbat over the last few centuries. While the actual games themselves have changed to reflect the times, the qualities that they are testing (loyalty, strength, courage, callousness, instinct) have not. Therefore most Games of Instinct probably fall closer to Ignoblis Ritae than Auctoritas Ritae, although they are generally considered to be more important in the average pack's eyes. Consider the following a guide.

1) Deliver the Message (Loyalty)
This game is designed to test the loyalty of new recruits as well as their physical prowess. The initiate is given a "secret" message and told to deliver to this pack leader across town. A second pack is involved in this game, that pack begins hunting the initiate. When they catch him, he's tortured and given the choice, release the secret or die. If they tell they die, if they keep silent they are beaten into torpor and given back to their pack. He the initiate is awaken they are congratulated for their loyalty. If they ACTUALLY are able to deliver the message the initiate can garner quite a bit of respect.

 
Fire Dance
The packs of the city converge a few hours after sunset. Each member bringing forth fuel, wood, and the like to create a huge bonfire. The highest ranking Sabbat member (archbishop) leads the ceremony. "We are the sons and daughters of Caine, his blood is our blood, his gifts are our gifts, his curse is our curse. Caine was spurned by God for his sacrifice and cursed for his pride. We are his childer, his sacrifice is ours, we share his pride. As God made fire Caine's enemy, he has made fire our enemy and we will defeat it. As we took up the courage of Kupala, we will make fire our slave and we will master it. Give forth your pledge."

At this point each vampire brings forth his wood and fuel saying, "I am a son (daughter) of Caine, his enemy is mine."

When the bonfire is completed, the ritual leader then brandishes a flaming torch "Here is the enemy we face! Here is the one you must master! Honor your blood, honor your brothers, honor yourselves."

Lights bonfire - A Vaulderie is performed. After each member drinks she begins to dance around the fire. After the last member is finished and joins the dance, the members begin to jump across the fire. After completing the jump the dancers rejoin the circle to dance again and stand side by side to cheer on their companions. The celebration continues until the last member completed his last jump. A Vaulderie may or may not be performed after the last jumper.

Systems: The vampire must make a static Physical challenge to jump across the bonfire. The difficulty of the static challenge is dependent on the size of the fire; a campfire would have a difficulty of 5, a bonfire the size of a car 13. If the vampire in question lacks the ability Fire Walking, they must spend a Willpower to even attempt the jump. Fire Walking may be used as a retest for the static physical challenge; failure indicates that the vampire lands on the edge of the firepit and catches on fire. The vampire takes one aggravated wound, and will take one aggravated wound each round until he is put out. Putting out the vampire requires a simple test if an appropriate action is being performed (stop, drop, and roll; dousing them with water/blood, etc..).



Sermons of Caine
The sermons are based off brief excerpts from the Book of Nod. The quotes are constant, although the specific sermon will be targeted
towards current events. Most sermons tend to begin with

"Caine the first, was our father, his blood is ours, his gifts are ours, his wisdom is ours as well. His words have been brought through the millennia, lost, and found again. Listen, think, understand."

Possible topics for the sermon:

Sacrifice for the greater good: "I cried tears of love as I, with sharp things sacrificed that which was the first part of my joy, my brother [Abel]."

Power through freedom: "Caine said, a life without power will not be worth living. I will die then without my gifts for I will not live as your Thrall."

Freedom:
 "God's messenger spoke to Caine and beseeched him "Will you not repent the evil that you have done, and let his mercy wash you clean?"
 And Caine spoke unto God's messenger, "Not by His grace, but mine own will I live in pride."

Progeny: (Anti Cam Clans/Creation Rites)
 "Thou shalt not Embrace those unworthy,
 Thou shalt not use the youngest
 Those who should live long before being
 brought into My family, so that the wisdom
 of our blood will grow."

On Kine
 "Thou shalt guide the Kine as a shepherd guides his flock and cull them as they are needed. Thou shalt cleanse their blood and keep all
of them free from disease. Let them be your cup, let them be your holy bread."

On blood bonds: (And how Caine will rise up to fight the Antediluvians) "Know that there is no greater Bond than Caine has with his
Children and through me, all chains are broken, all shackles are shattered."

Caine's Vengeance:
 "I will root out the bad seed, I will weed out the worst of you, I will prove myself free, in the manner that my father, Adam, taught me."

On the Right of the Beast:
 "Vengeance is best when the blood is still hot."
 Ride the Beast, do not let it ride you.

On Demons and Infernals
 "Bargain not with Darkness, in times it will take us all."

On Gehenna:
 "On the Last Days the Founders will rise from the ground. They will break their fast on us. They will consume us whole!"

The Preaching Noddist adds whatever slant he wishes to put onto the words, always leaning towards his sect political viewpoint and whatever his personal goals and attitudes tend to be. Normally, at the end of the sermon a Vaulderie is performed to add impact of loyalty and brotherhood as well as the ecstasy of the ceremony.
 

Festivo dello Estinto
The Festival for the Dead, held in the second week of March. The scale and detail of the Festivo is beyond the scope of this document; contact the office of the AMST Sabbat for role-playing guidelines, scripts, and hints to running a Festivo..
 

Palla Grande
The Grand Ball, held on Halloween. Similar to the Festivo, the scale and majesty of this rite preclude it being included in this document. Contact the AMST Sabbat for more information.