Post by HST Seth on Oct 12, 2014 9:19:19 GMT
The Friends of the Night
Throughout history Clan Lasombra has accomplished many great things, from the destruction of their Antediluvian to the founding of the Sword of Caine. The reason behind this is known to any Lasombra who has survived past their first century; all this and more is due to the secret society known as the Friends of the Night, who govern the clan from the shadows in a way greatly similar to the Giovanni familial structure or the Pyramid of Camarilla Tremere. This structure goes beyond sect boundaries, and indeed is often held above them, seeing the goals of the clan as more important than the goals of any sect.
History
Pre 27 B.C. – Lasombra a relatively disorganized band of pirates in the Mediterranean Sea.
27 B.C. Roman Empire founded by Emperor Augustus with heavy backing from the Lasombra Antediluvian and his Childe Montano.
23 B.C. Montano becomes directly involved in the politics of the Roman Empire after poisoning the heir to the throne and ghouling Emperor Augustus’ close friend and military commander Marcus Agrippa.
21 B.C. Agrippa marries into the royal family, and is chosen as successor to the throne.
20 B.C. – 235 A.D. Clan Lasombra becomes deeply involved in the politics and expansion of the Roman Empire, becoming further and further from their brutish pirate roots.
235 – 285 The Empire falls into radical decline due to poor planning, lack of oversight and no repercussions for treason within the Clan Lasombra. Many Lasombra convert to the quickly growing religion of Christianity in desperation.
288 – Montano establishes the Brether Nokw, a secretive group of hand-picked judges to oversee internal affairs of the Clan.
312 – Emperor Constantine converts to Christianity and rules the Eastern Empire with Christian dogma. The Clan begins to invest in the Church and its dealings.
324 – Emperor Constantine unifies the Empire, becoming sole Emperor.
376 – An immense influx of Goths begins to overtake the Empire, signaling the start of the decline of the Empire. Montano attempts to maintain control of the Brether Nokw, but the sudden migration causes panic and he is unable to restore order.
376 – 460 – The steady decline of the Empire, including the deaths of several Emperors, two Sackings of Rome, and a number of fruitless wars. Montano continues to attept to organize the Brether Nokw, to no avail.
461 – Emperor Majorian, the last Emperor to attempt restoration of the Empire, dies, marking the last chance for recovery in the declining Roman Empire. Montano retreats to Sicily, banning the Brether Nokw from conducting their affairs on the isle.
476 – With the Western Roman Empire collapsing rapidly, the Brether Nokw ally more heavily with the Catholic Church and invest in the Eastern Roman Empire. They are renamed the Amici Noctis.
570 – Several Elder Lasombra who went into torpor before the Rise of Rome awaken. Disagreeing with the clans reliance on the church, they head east to the Arabian Peninsula.
610 – Muhammad receives his first visions from Allah, attracting Cainite and Kine followers alike, several among them being the disgruntled Lasombra Elders. Suleiman ibn Abdulla is among them, and is one of the first vampires to convert to Islam.
632 – Suleiman, having converted a number of Cainites of all clans, establishes the Ashirra, a sect of Muslim vampires with himself at the head.
711 – Backed by the Ashirra, the Islamic Moors cross the Strait of Gibraltar and, by 719, quickly conquer much of the Iberian Peninsula.
718 – The Reconquista (literally the re-conquest) of Iberia begins, and the Moors have to fight to keep control of the region.
750 – The Abbasid dynasty rises to power, and begins conquering the Mediterranean Isles.
791 – Seeing only minor successes in the Reconquista, the Christian Lasombra join in the recapture of Spain, and Moorish holdings begin to fall more quickly.
827 – The Abbasid dynasty conquers the Isle of Sicily, and with it the Castle d’Ombra.
830 – Seeing new opportunity in the Muslim Lasombra, Montano emerges once again, establishing a new and more refined version of the Brether Nokw, shaped somewhat by his years of meditation and Islamic methodology. It is named the Asdiqua al-Lial, and spreads quickly throughout the Ashirra.
835 – The newly unified and organized Lasombra within the Ashirra turn their gaze to the Reconquista, siding and fortifying the Moors. This starts the Shadow Reconquista, as both sides are now backed by ideologically different Lasombra, and the Moors begin retaking some of their lost ground.
1002 – 1035 – After the deaths of several members of the Caliphate, the remaining Moors on the Iberian Peninsula erupt into civil war, making easy pickings for the crusading Christian armies.
1095 – Inspired by the successes of the ongoing Reconquista, Pope Urban II declares the first crusade to “defend Christianity in the East”. In truth, he is spurred on by a number of Lasombra, hungry for vengeance against their Muslim kin. It ends in 1099, far more successful than anticipated.
1121 – Terrified by the success of the Crusades in the east, the Ashirra retreat from the Iberian Peninsula. Several surrender and give sect secrets to the Christian Lasombra, leading to a revolution in organization amongst the Amici Noctis. This ends the Shadow Reconquista.
1130 – Gratiano de Veronese is embraced by the Shadowed One.
1413 – Gratiano destroys the Shadowed One, who had fallen into voluntary torpor.
1435 – The Camarilla is established.
1493 – The Sabbat is established.
1492 – The last of the Moors are exiled from Iberia, ending the Reconquista.
1523 – The Amici Noctis and Asdiqua al-Lial hold a mass convention which lasts several months, ending in the unification of the two groups, and further assimilation of the clans warring parties. Lasombra civil wars are halted completely in favor of the Amici Noctis Blood Courts.
1559 – Due to the spread of British Imperialism and English becoming a more widespread language, the Amici Noctis are renamed the Friends of the Night.
1666 – The Sabbat meets to establish the modern Paths of Enlightenment, seeing that the old Roads are no longer acceptable.
1667 – The Friends meet in secret, expanding upon the Path of Night, creating the Allied Path of Night, which most members agree to adhere to. Members in the Ashirra and Camarilla agree in fewer numbers than Sabbat members, but are for the most part persuaded.
1837 – The remaining Ashirra sign a truce and seal of protection with the Camarilla.
Organization and Positions
Initiation: Nobody chooses to join the Friends, though most Lasombra ache to be chosen. All possible initiates are watched by the Friends, and those most worthy are kidnapped by one member known as the Sponsor. All members have the right to sponsor new members, but most often there must be a 100 year age gap between a potential Friend and their sponsor. This is informal but a generally accepted rule of the Friends.
Once kidnapped, the potential Friend is locked in a lightless and inescapable place for anywhere from 3 days to 14 without interaction with the outside. They are carefully watched during this period. During this time they are meant to meditate and come to terms with darkness both internal and external. If the Sponsor believes they have managed this, they are freed and meet their Sponsor, often for the first time. If they fail, they are freed but not inducted, and many times have their memory altered regarding their experience.
Blood Courts: At the core of the process of the Friends is a meeting known as the Blood Court. A Blood Court may be called by any Judge or higher who believes there is a transgression from one Lasombra to another. Additionally, a Lasombra not a member of the Friends may spread knowledge of grievances they wish to express before a Blood Court throughout their clanmates, and hope one of them is able to bring the attention of a Judge to their claim.
The two or more parties involved are brought into a lightless chamber, and all sides will express their side of the story (invariably starting with the one who considers themselves the victims). Those brought
forth always stand for themselves, and no “lawyers” are appointed to the parties. After hearing both sides, the Court (made up from anywhere between 2-12 Judges and an Overseer) discusses and passes judgment.
For small grievances, payments made in blood or boons are ordered and enforced by the courts. For larger issues, exile from a city or region is acceptable, in addition to other reparations. In the case of the most dire transgressions, the accused party is sentenced to death. In the case of a Final Death ruling, the accused simply disappears, and is never seen again outside the court. For those in the know, Initiates that act as scribes during these sessions occasionally bear marks of diablerie.
Initiate: At this stage the Friend has completed their Initiation and is learning the secrets of the Friends. They are learning the laws of the Blood Courts, and discovering how the judges make their rulings. They cannot yet serve on the Courts as a Judge, but often act as the ears and eyes of the organization. If they hear of discontent within the clan, they will bring it to a Judge, who will convene a Blood Court and summon both parties to the event.
Prerequisites: To be considered for Initiation, one must meet the following prerequisites.
-Member of Clan Lasombra or a Bloodline thereof (such as Kiasyd)
-Clan Lasombra Prestige 2
-Politics 3
-Occult 3
-Intelligence 3
-Charisma 4
-Minimum of Ancilla age
-Special: Must attract attention of Judge-level Sponsor or higher
Judge: The member is now a complete member of the Friends of the Night. They can serve on the Blood Courts (which are called in odd numbers from a minimum of 3 members to a maximum of 13), Sponsor new members, and attend all but the most secretive clan meetings.
Prerequisites: To be considered for the Judge position, one must meet the following requirements.
-Clan Lasombra Prestige 4
-Occult 4 (Specialty: Lasombra)
-Politics 4 (Specialty: Friends of the Night)
-Law 4 (Specialty: Blood Court)
-Clan Lasombra Lore 3
-Intelligence 4
-Obtenebration 4
-Dominate 3
Overseer: Just as each region in the Sabbat has its own Cardinal, so is there an Overseer for each region containing at least 5 Lasombra. The Overseer of a region acts as the manager for the lesser Judges, making sure they follow the laws of the Blood Courts, do not accept bribes for easier or harder sentences, and are generally involved in keeping with the fair brutality that is Lasombra justice.
Prerequisites: To be considered for the Overseer position, one must meet the following requirements.
-Clan Lasombra Prestige 5
-Occult 5 (Specialty: Lasombra, Abyss)
-Politics 5 (Specialty: Friends of the Night, Sabbat, Camarilla, Anarch)
-Law 5 (Specialty: Blood Court, The Traditions, The Code of Milan)
-Clan Lasombra Lore 5
-Intelligence 5
-Obtenebration 5
-Dominate 5
-Minimum of Elder age
-Must be Sponsored again by Overseer or Speaker.
Speaker: The Speaker of the Friends is the ultimate authority and mastermind behind the motions of Lasombra everywhere. Nobody knows who he or she is, or how they come to power, but they are known to occasionally stand in on Blood Courts. Those they attend, no matter how insignificant they seem, end up greatly effecting the movements of the clan, and any faulty Judges or Overseers are subject to the wrath of the Speaker.
Prominent Members
Grimwald G. Whittacre – Sabbat Member
Clan: Lasombra
Generation: 10th
Faction Position/Prestige: Overseer of Northwest North America/Prestige 5
Grimwald was born to a poor family in the mid 1300’s. He made enough money picking pockets and sweeping chimneys to keep his family from starvation, but his efforts were rendered useless when the Black Death struck the region. Watching as his family died around him, he worked harder and harder until he had enough money to bring his youngest sister (the only other surviving family member by then) to a plague doctor. Upon his death he was utterly defeated, and sought to end his own life. As he stood upon the tallest building in London, preparing to plunge to his death, he was approached by a shadowy creature that promised him new purpose and power untold.
Considering himself forgotten by God, he struck a deal with the being and was Embraced in 1349 at the age of 16. Since his embrace he has kept a low profile within the Sabbat, keeping almost entirely out of Sect politics in favor of forwarding the goals of the Clan Lasombra.
Sasha LaMonti – Sabbat Priest
Clan: Angelis Ater
Generation: 12th
Faction Position/Prestige: Judge/Prestige 3
Sasha was born in the rural swamps of Louisiana just after the Civil War, to a Cajun family who had made their home there. She spent much of her life learning the ways of the Voudon witch doctors. On her 29th birthday, the Klu Klux Klan swept into the swamps, burning her childhood home and killing her family and most of her village. She escaped into the wilds, spending weeks just surviving before coming across a small village where she overheard a conversation between two members, and recognized them from the raid on her town.
Waiting until nightfall, she crept into the town and slit the throats of every man, woman and child in the town as they slept. After she had completed, and the blood of 13 families mingled with the mud and tar of the swamps she had been stranded in, she was approached by a laughing man wrapped in darkness, claiming to be Baron Samedi, the Voudon Death Loa. Enchanted by the man’s promises of power should she choose to become his servant, she accepted the embrace and learned the ways of her new bloodline. She now holds the position of Judge within the Friends, dispensing cruel justice with an iron fist. She is known to be especially prejudiced against whitefolk and southerners.