Post by HST Seth on Oct 12, 2014 9:06:01 GMT
The Order of St. Blaise
Karl Marx once said that religion is the opiate of the masses. This elicited a snarky, knowing wink from several of the less dignified members of the Order of St. Blaise.
Humanity has always rallied around figures of power and leadership in times of trouble. In the 14th century, as the Black Death ravaged the population of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church established 14 saints to safeguard the people. St. Blaise was known for his power to heal symptoms of the throat, and many a vampire was happy to give thanks for a meal preserved.
Seeing the effectiveness that the Church had demonstrated in attracting a following, the several Cainites took advantage of a present opportunity and worked to infiltrate the Catholic Church to subtly nudge and steer it's power and resources to their own ends. They took a particular liking to the natural charismatic force of charity and have utterly perverted it to a drug like none ever seen since.
Now the order of St. Blaise establishes soup kitchens, education programs, and neighborhood watches to firmly and securely anchor themselves in human society. They cultivate herds among the poor and the needy, and provide spiritual guidance for those downtrodden by the bleak and unforgiving existence that is offered in the modern nights. They build themselves into the lynchpin of their community and take comfort in the fact that any who challenge them will face the combined wrath of the herd that depends upon them so very much.
Some younger sub-factions have largely split from the Church, but regardless of direct allegiances, all members of the Order of St. Blaise remember one essential truth:
Providence is mastery.
History
The 14th Century - The Order of St. Blaise began in Europe in the middle ages, in the wake of the Black Death. vampires noticed the following that the Catholic church had accumulated through their traveling saints that spread their blessings among the masses. These Vampires seized upon this opportunity and in the centuries since have infiltrated nearly every level of the Church’s infrastructure.
1493, The Anarch Revolt- Abigail Vasquez, a Lasombra elder who supported the revolt with all her passions, takes the Order of St. Blaise into the Sabbat, where her clan has taken its roots. A firm believer in the rights of the young and equal treatment of all, Abigail's personal power is unquestionable. Her control over the church is vast and far-reaching, and she uses her wealth and reach to support the Sabbat's stability.
1500, Abigail joins the Consistory- As the speaking member for St. Blaise, Abigail is asked to take a seat on the consistory council. Although her ideas are largely ignored by the raging anarchist spokespeople, the Order of St. Blaise is placed in high regard in each of the new budding cities of the Sabbat. It is recognized without question as the Lasombra's faction, although others are gathering quickly to the cause.
1706 - 1920, the French Revolution- Through control of the Catholic church, the Order of St. Blaise directly interferes with the French revolution. Although Abigail does not say it aloud, her designs on the game are to upset a few Toreador she has decided to play with. Taking losses on purpose, Abigail directly utilizes Napoleon Bonaparte, and through his revolution, stirs the country, before re-establishing the Catholic church's power through him right afterward.
The 19th Century, the Women's Institutes - Floretta and Genevieve, Abigail's childer, begin the movements of the Women's Institutes, frustrated by the lack of power women have in the Church itself. They flourish.
1872, The Order of St. Blaise Recruits- A mass recruitment campaign begins as Floretta and Genevieve begin to have disparate ideas with their sire and each other. These never grow into full hostilities, but it sees a boom in different ideals being recruited into the sect, most notably those not of Lasombra clan blood.
1932-1945, The 2nd World War- Abigail having stepped away from the issues of her childer does not interfere as Floretta and Genevieve begin to war with each other over the difference in opinion on Hitler's new visions of the world. The church sees a mass of hypocrisy during this time, supporting Hitler's invasion of Austria by stepping out of the way of his party, and hiding victims of his violence and secreting them away.
1960, The Sexual Revolution - The sexual revolution sees a rift in the Order of St. Blaise, as many of those who at least somewhat believed in the faith they were perpetuating lose it. Many people follow Floretta as she takes the last steps and denounces her religious ties, using her power in the faction to build infrastructure from a standpoint that does not rely on the religious pull of the Catholic church.
2014, the US Falls - With the recession and failure of the dollar, the Order of St. Blaise has seen a new boom in recruitment and membership, calling this the opportune time to take the power back from the Camarilla. Whether doing it for power or out of the desire of their own conscience, the recent economic recessions around the world have given them frequent and fresh new thralls to whom they peddle their brand of salvation.
Organization and Positions
The Order of St. Blaise has a maintained ties with the Catholic church and made use of the Church’s vast resource whenever possible, ensuring that these resources are always put towards the “best” possible ends. Some daring souls have even plied this trade within the ranks of the Witch Hunters of the Society of Leopold. Most Cainites of the order remain relatively anonymous, operating at the local level to avoid scrutiny. Some have allowed ties with the church to fall away entirely, and employ their ghouls and herd through neighborhood watches and clothing drives.
Regardless of claims to secular or spiritual approaches, the Order of St. Blaise remains largely united wherever it is found. It’s members seek collaboration rather than competition. Some among the other factions murmur of cowards who have grown weak in the absence of competition… when not feasting on Blaisian-sponsored vitae that is.
The order recruits members who have potential with the mortal world, and prefers to grab its members from neonates who have just been embraced to take advantage of their ties. Any member of prestige 3 or higher may induct a member into the Order of the St. Blaise, granting them 1 prestige upon joining and the sabbat positional status Preacher.
In order to avoid cross-over between the Catholic titles, the Order of St. Blaise took on titles according to the ranking Angels as denoted by St. Paul.
Throne: The Throne is given to only the highest members of the Order of St. Blaise, and these are those who are considered for the Consistory position. A member of this level controls not only her own domain, but oversees the control of all others within her Cardinal's reach. A Throne is often settled in the city containing a cardinal and is expected to work alongside them, assisting them with any mortal issues. A Throne gets the status Saint along with any other status given to them for being a member of the Order [Order Prestige 5]
Dominion: To be a Dominion is to have authority over almost any other member of the faction, but it is also their responsibility to educate those members younger than themselves. Unlike the Throne, A Dominion's control extends to their Domain--usually the city in which they reside. A Dominion is expected to be able to find Camarilla spies as easily as she is able to find new recruits. Dominions are rare, though, and only the most important of cities tend to have them. [Order Prestige 4]
Power: In general, a member of St. Blaise that is worth their salt is known as a Power. When they reach this prestige within the faction, they are no longer a baby, nursing on their mother's teat. A power has grown a significant base of control among the mortals and maintained it, and is expected to be able to wrest control from an average Camarilla incursion. [Order Prestige 3]
Principality: A principality is one who is looking very promising within the faction. To be given this title is to know that they are being watched for advancement. This title is often lost and gained again and again before it is bypassed, as a slip-up at this stage will see the faction member brought back down to her unspecified rank [Prestige 2]
All members of the Order of St. Blaise gain the status Preacher in addition to any other status traits.
Prominent Members
Abigail Vasquez - Cardinal of the Sabbat, South Mexico
Clan: Lasombra
Generation: 6th
Faction Position/Prestige: Throne
Abigail is a steadfast woman of action and freedom--freedom from everything. She believes in the rights of the meek and the proud, but she is a dangerous warrior and an overwhelmingly powerful chess player. Although known for being on Path of Cathari, her true path is Via Adversarius. Abigail is the voice of her peers on the consistory, a Lasombra that was an elder by the time the Sabbat was created, she has been considered for diablerie by many a foolish loyalist who claims her to be weak. Her Undefeated status stands on its own, through no action of hers. She has become quiet in the modern years, which leads those who know her to suspect that her web is at work for her, and they watch carefully for the revolution.
Floretta Adler - Throne to the Order of St. Blaise
Clan: Lasombra
Generation: 7th
Faction Position/Prestige: Throne
Floretta commands the St. Blaise order on the East coast, staying far away from Genevieve and her sire. Floretta has always teetered somewhere between her sire's philosophy and something entirely divergent, almost humane. Although she walks a fine line along the Path of Night now, Floretta's tendency to feel emotionally attached to the downtrodden has gotten her in more than one argument with Genevieve. Floretta believes that all people have value, even those that they eat, and their place in this world is just as valuable as a Cainite's, although she would never speak this opinion out loud. As such, she remains packless. If not for her prestigious sire and endless usefulness, Floretta might have seen the bad end of a Cainite's teeth by now.
Genevieve Hughes - Priest of the Sisters of Mercy
Clan: Lasombra
Generation: 7th
Faction Position/Prestige: Throne
Genevieve has been religious all her life, and a bit intolerant of those who are not. A follower of the Path of Caine, it has taken considerable likenesses to her Catholicism of mortal time. A supporter of Hitler's crusades against those who defiled Jesus, Genevieve and Floretta did not get along. Of the sisters, Genevieve is the easiest to violence, as proven when she attempted to kill Genevieve and consume her during the arguments of the second World War, but was torpored by her sire for her impudence. Genevieve has never made the mistake again, her pride unwilling to allow her to outright lose a challenge, and her self-preservation unwilling to see her killed for taking Floretta's life. Genevieve resides as the Throne in power in Spain.
Father Kennison - Bishop of Cleveland
Clan: Toreador
Generation: 11
Faction Position/Prestige: Power
Father Kennison has always been a man with a warm smile and a genuine face. His piercing gaze seems to lay bare the secrets of the heart and the members of his congregation are secure in knowing their shepherd is always ready with a few wise words. He maintains a congregation by cover of night to offer guidance and solace to those who might feel ashamed to show their faces in the light. Though all of his regulars will admit a strange otherworldliness about him, few doubt this as anything other than proof that he is an angel come to earth to lead wayward souls back into the herd. Father Kennison’s influence is slowly seeping through the city as more and more of the dejected outcasts and lost children come in search of the Night Priest’s guidance. Thus far his presence has been discovered by only a single Kindred, and this kindred has yet to strike at Father Kennison until the ramifications of casting down such an integrated community Hero can be fully predicted and contained. He hopes to have the upper ranks of Cleveland fully in his grasp before the slow bureaucracy of the Camarilla springs to action. Some fear this goal may be close in sight...