Tenets

CHRONICLE TENETS

The troupe should assemble a set of chronicle Tenets, based on anything from genre emulation, dramatic irony, to personal taste or real-life player concerns. Remember that Tenets only impose moral sanction and degeneration on the characters when violated. They aren't hard lines, and are something players want to see their characters struggle with.

Chronicle Tenets apply to all player characters in a chronicle, even if the character doesn’t hold this belief personally. The struggle between a character’s individual moral code and that of their society forms one of the core stories in human literature, after all. The chronicle Tenets comprise a kind of ethical ground floor, so that when and if the characters do become nihilistic serial killers, it carries a cost.

Some sample chronicle Tenet sets follow:

Humanist

• Thou shalt not kill, save in self-denfense.
• Thou shalt not enslave or torture.
• Thou shalt not harm the innocent.

Creed of Justice

• Never kill the innocent.
• Be your own, never submit.
• Without a cause, you are nothing.

Gothic Romantic

• Never deny true love.
• The guilty should suffer.
• Uphold the norms of decent society.

Street Code

• Snitches get stitches.
• Respect others, and demand respect.
• Don't kill outsiders.

Goth Club

• Always wear black (perfect your inhumanity)
• Love will tear us apart (never deny yourself)
• Death is fleeting (glory is forever)

Forbidden Secrets

• Do not summon what you cannot banish.
• Do not heed the siren call of the forbidden.
• Dark mystical secrets must be destroyed.

High Society Esotericism

• Never humiliate a sorcerous fellow.
• Sorcery must never be in the hands of commoners.
• Only the sorcerous can punish their own kind.

Hubris in Magicka

• Understand your limits, never exceed them.
• Seek power only when it’s offered.
• Fools who exceed their grasp must be stopped.

Warlock of the People

• When drawing blood for a Ritual, cause no suffering.
• Never involve the innocent in your sorcery, no matter how potent their blood.
• Respect humanity’s moral laws, even when you know you rise above them.

Rebellious Sorcery

• Never back down from a sorcerous challenge.
• Blood Sorcery must uplift the downtrodden.
• Do not shackle yourself to the Old Ways.

CONVICTIONS

Each character begins with one to three Convictions: human values they attempt to uphold even after death. The specifics of these Convictions are up to the player. They might reflect a religious code, a personal ethical core, a vampiric path, or just things the character does or balks at doing without ever really considering their philosophical weight. The Storyteller should feel free to reject suggested Convictions on the grounds of taste or of suitability for the type of story they intend.

Some example Convictions might include:

• Thou shall not kill.

• Kill only the unworthy/unbelievers/in fair combat/in self-defense.

• Never expose children to violence.

• Love thy neighbor.

• Disobedience is dishonor.

• Courage is the highest virtue.

• Always keep your sworn word.

• The truth is sacred; thou shalt not lie.

• Slavery is evil.

• Obey authority.

• My country, right or wrong.

• None may control me.

• Never do drugs.

• Thou shalt not torture.

• The guilty must be punished.

• From each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs.

• Rob from the rich, give to the poor.

• Never act against another (insert own group/faith/sect)

• Always aid women in need.

• Stand up for the disenfranchised.

• Respect (insert religion) as sacred and obey its moral laws.

BLOOD CULTS

Undeath causes many a crisis of faith. The devout Christian might cease to believe in the sanctity of life and the forgiveness of God Almighty. The Muslim might fail to reconcile their own experience with the Qur’an’s teachings on death as a long night of sleep, where upon dying, the individual immediately discovers their destiny in heaven or hell. The Hindu waits for their atman to be reborn in a new body, only to find themself locked in their own damned, unliving shell.

It is enough to drive one away from faith entirely, and yet, vampires discover new beliefs. There will always be great mysteries in the world, and faith has provided millions, perhaps billions of humans with answers, and comfort where there are no answers to be found.

Vampirism is a terrifying state in which to find oneself. It’s only natural that Kindred flock together to find meaning, purpose, and sometimes, salvation in communal struggle. Sometimes it comes in service to a higher power, other times it comes through examining the Beast within, and rarely, it leads to transcendence beyond a vampire’s base instincts.

The Ashfinders

• Always sample new experiences to offer.
• Never withhold Ashe from other who wish to sample it.
• Never allow someone to silence you.
• Always listen to those with greater experience.
• Always know where your next fix is coming from.
• Never allow the kine to realize your undead nature.

The Bahari

• Always correct the false myths of Caine when you hear them.
• Never feel remorse for serving Lilith.
• Always participate in Bahari rituals.
• Never show fear in the face of death.
• Only kill in sacrifice to Lilith.
• Never fail to dispense pain and anguish to Lilith's enemies.

The Church of Caine

• Never unwilling allow the Beast to take over.
• Never succumb to fear.
• Let nobody prevent you from growing closer to Caine.
• Feed only from hell's denizens.
• Do not consort with the lowest beings of hell.
• Never brook an insult to Caine's divinity.

The Temple of Set

• Always strive to liberate other of the vices.
• Never refuse aid to another member of the Temple.
• Always respect the commands of those in the later Hours.
• Always do what is necessary to test another's resistance to liberation.
• Always seek the mysterious of Set, hidden throughout the world.
• Always do what is necessary to test the flaws in a social order.

Cult of Shalim

• Never allow yourself to celebrate life.
• Never lose your temper with failure.
• Always work to impede those who would control chaos.
• Only allow Embraces that further the destruction of society.
• Do not succumb to the allure of prosperity.
• Never maintain or protect more than a single mortal of importance.

Cult of Mithras

• Always have a say in the governing of your domain.
• Never abandon your allies.
• Accept no disparagement of Mithras' name.
• Always put the weak in their place.
• Protect the pregnant / newborns / fresh Embraces.
• Immediately punish chaos and misrule among your servants.

The Nephilim

• Always obey Michael's direct descendants.
• Do not consort with the hideous.
• Never tolerate the desecration of a thing of beauty.
• Always cultivate your own beauty.
• Reinvent yourself for every audience.
• Delve into every sensation to expand your awareness.

PATHS OF ENLIGHTENMENT

There is no standard or perfect method for how to reconstruct a vampire’s identity after they’ve stripped away the human, but Cainites of the Sabbat are known to form packs around a central shared Path. They understand that these Convictions are all that stand between a vampire and their Beast, and so they are rigorously enforced by a pack Priest.

Path of Caine

• Concentrate the power of one’s Blood to become closer to Caine.
• Partake of all blood, the better to understand its power.
• Brook no failure from one’s leaders.

Path of Cathari

• Experience every vice being Damned affords.
• Accept your damnation and lead others into it or destruction.
• Never harm those pure of spirit.

Path of Death and the Soul

• Leave no survivors at the conclusion of violent conflict.
• Investigate relics of death to discern their existential outcomes.
• Hasten death’s arrival, from humblest insect to human life.

Path of Power and the Inner Voice

• Reward success and excoriate failure, including one’s own.
• The world exists to be exploited for your benefit.
• Force those beneath you into servitude.

Path of the Sun

• Let neither one’s mortal nor Kindred heritage limit one’s potential.
• Never consume the Heart's Blood, leaving oneself untainted.
• Do not allow others to serve the bloodlines of the Antediluvians.

DHARMA

Without impedance from the homogeny of the Camarilla's rather Eurocentric views, the Kindred of East and Southeast Asia have long developed and practiced their own means to counterbalance the Beast within. These paths are better known as dharma to the Kuei, Gui Ren, Gaki, and even Asuratizayya.

Dance of the Thrashing Dragon

• Consume the dying to help the living thrive in the Cycle.
• Half-life is an abominable state. Be as alive as possible.
• Protect the spirits. Without them, the Cycle ceases.

Howl of the Devil-Tiger

• Ride the Beast, do not let it ride you.
• Throw fear into the flames and encourage others to do likewise.
• Be cultured in your passions and magnificent in your evil.

Path of a Thousand Whispers

• Live 1,000 lifetimes, each different from the last. Learn from each.
• Do not grow close with the living, they will only hinder you.
• When something appears out of balance, correct it or destroy it.

Way of the Resplendent Crane

• When you lose control, make amends.
• Correct injustice and corruption.
• Be generous to the worthy, defend the weak, and instruct the young.

Song of the Shadow

• Safeguard the pillar of family against vandals.
• Gather what you can of the falling leaves of knowledge.
• Console the grieving and remind them to respect the dead.

The Face of the Gods

• Expand both godly and demonic consciousness.
• Accept the veneration of mortals and answer their prayers.
• Use the blood to bring divinity to your immortal form.

Seekers of the Inward Way

• Balance the needs of all, that they may strive against each other.
• Be consistent in your rewards and punishments.
• Teach others the virtues of peace and moderation at all cost.

Flame of the Rising Phoenix

• Repay your debts from human life.
• Fight the Beast and deny monstrosity.
• Never deny the joys and sorrows of the living.

The Scorpion Eaters

• Survive, regardless of the cost.
• Show no mercy and expect none in return.
• Defend what is yours, lest you show weakness.

MISCELLANEOUS EXAMPLES

• Freedom is yours by right — let no one impose rules on you.

• Take responsibility for your own actions.

• Never surrender.

• Never create needless complications.

• You are a Cainite, not Kine.

• Resist any attempt at secularism.

• Pursue your goals at all cost.

• Fight any and all signs of the Antediluvians and their pawns.

• Never ignore an opportunity to understand Gehenna.

• War is not a game, and weapons are not toys.

• Make no waves or messes that you can't clean up.

• Fight infernalism wherever it may arises.

• Never accept authority as given.

• The weak are those who deserve strength. Help them to their potential.

• Money corrupts, absolutely.

• Never back down from a fight.

• Obey your superiors.

• Keep your secrets hidden, for without them you are exposed and enfeebled.

• Seek out the secrets of others. Always maintain leverage.

• Always uphold your oaths.

• Be true to your heritage, religions, or people.

• Do not fight fate.

• Never decide without knowing the consequences.

• Like all monsters, keep yourself hidden. Be the spider, not the wolf.

• Property is theft.

• Never enslave or be enslaved.

• Never refuse the rebellion.

• Always treat others according to rank.

• Always uphold the laws of society.

• Destroy bureaucracy in all its forms.

• There is no god, save for myself.

• Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.

• Kine are nothing but food.

• It is better to be feared than to be loved.

• Never suffer due to anther's mistake.

• Art without pain is a product.

• The weak only exist to justify the strong.

• Purity is being the lesser of evils. Corrupt others until you are pure.