The Sabbat

Opposite the Camarilla stand the Sect of vampires known as the Sabbat, the Sword of Caine.

Anarch Revolt
Vampire neonates were appalled by their clan elders who were eagerly sacrificing their young to the Inquisitors. The neonates were perishing at alarming rates during this period. A voice on the Ventrue council was the Brujah named Patricia, expressed to Hardestadt and the elders that they must stand up and fight against the mortal humans. However, Hardestadt and the fellow elders rejected her notions. They felt it was better to hide and masquerade, and form rules that would later be known as Camarilla. Disgusted with inaction, Patricia left the council and sided with rebellious neonates. To drive her point across to the elders as to what she felt was best for vampire society, she donned the name Tyler, formed a resistance of Brujah, and marched right into Castle Hardestadt. A huge battle ensued. Though she suffered heavy losses, she was seemingly successfully in committing Amaranth on Hardestadt.

When news of the Elder's defeat spread, the young Brujah of Spain turned against their sires in a frenzy that seemed to spontaneously grip all the younger members of the clan. Believing that the systems of blood lineage, clan loyalty, and feudal power, that had dominated Cainite society, were just tools of older vampires to maintain control and use the younger vampires as they pleased.

Initially regarded as a Brujah problem, the lack of organization, internal rivalries, poor communication, and the greater resources possessed by the elders, prevented the anarchs from making any large gains. The war devolved into a series of skirmishes, starting in Spain. As word spread throughout Europe, however, all the clans began considering the heretofore impossible notion of younger Cainites banding together against their elders. Ironically, this likely increased support for the formation of the Camarilla. But by the same token, it also motivated the rebellion to get organized, thus spawning a domino effect of historical anarch campaigns, namely in Italy and Romania.

Italian Front
The movement moved to Italy, when Gratiano de Veronese joined with the anarchs in a plot to kill his sire, [Lasombra]. He led a group of Assamite allies to the Lasombra Court at the Castle of Shadows in Sicily, where [Lasombra] remained in torpor. With the Assamites' help, Gratiano tried to make it appear that his brother Montano had turned against their sire. This created a chaotic event that served as a distraction for a full-fledged anarch attack that the house of Lasombra was unprepared for. With the Assamites assisting in the fight, Clan Lasombra fell apart. Of the remaining Lasombra, almost all joined the anarchs following the deaths of many of their elders and their Antediluvian.

As to who actually drank the Antediluvian's blood, there is some debate. It is interesting to note that the Shadow Guards were reputedly absent when Gratiano and his allies descended on the Antediluvian's tomb. It is assumed that Gratiano performed the Amaranth on his sire, but some claim that an Assamite antitribu drank the Antediluvian's blood, while others say that he was drained in unison by the anarchs that survived the battle. Few witnesses seem to agree on what exactly happened.

Romanian Front
With news of Lasombra crushed and the Antediluvian dead, it spurred on another campaign to take the Tzimisce down. Led by Lugoj and his anarch army, they invaded the houses of the Tzimisce Lords killing all those who did not convert. At the House of Tabak, Lugoj captured and converted the childe, Lambach, who was used to give the location of [Tzimisce].

Thereafter, Lugoj and his army of anarchs stormed the Monastery of Sernog, one of Romania's most ancient cathedrals. A huge war broke out between the anarchs and the Tzimisce, Szlachta. The guardians were decimated by the anarchs who successfully infiltrated. According to many eye witness accounts, Lugoj stood before everyone present, dispelled the magical protections over [Tzimisce]'s body, and unearthed the Ancient from his torpor. Without delay, Lugoj greedily consumed its blood, not sharing with anyone. The body just crumbled to dust. The anarchs rejoiced in triumph, this event now setting the stage for a new age, a new Sabbat. It seemed now that Gratiano's prediction was holding true: that all the other clans would fall as easily as his own.

Convention of Thorns
As the Tzimisce anarchs moved into Western Europe, they brought with them the secret of the Vaulderie, which allowed Cainites to escape the blood bond in exchange for a pledge of loyalty to the anarch cause. This brought the revolt to every clan. As the battles intensified, however, so too did the efforts of the Inquisition, and the pressure of twin assaults led directly to the creation of the Camarilla. The Anarch Revolt continued for seven years after the Camarilla's formation, but the anarchs were outnumbered and outmatched, and, after suffering heavy losses, their rebellion formally ended on October 23rd, 1493 with the signing of the Convention of Thorns.

On October 24th the Sabbat was formed.

Hardestadt and his pawns had offered an ultimatum, call off the rebellion and return to the fold. The Camarilla wanted a return to the status quo, for the young to return to their lives under the blood bond and the the anarchs that would become the Sabbat refused.

Leaders of the endeavour were the Tzimisce and the Lasombra, two Clans that had destroyed their Antediluvian founders and had accepted that there was no turning back for them. The Tzimisce would not cede their lands to the hated Tremere and reject the philosophy of Metamorphosism for the limited ideals of Humanity, while the Lasombra had invested too much in the rebellion to surrender their success to decrepit elders of other Clans and in the words of Lasombra representative, Gabriel Baruch, at the Convention of Thorns: "I came to negotiate, not to surrender."

Forging the Sword of Caine
Delegations of both Clans met at the island of Majorca, Spain and began their own negotiations, aided by several malcontents among the Anarch Movement, who refused to surrender to the Elders or did not share the view of their main Clan. Others joined to escape the practice of the Blood Bond, among them venerable Elders like the Malkavian Vasantasena, the Tremere Goratrix, and the Ventrue Dominique Touraine. These groups existed as small packs in the wilderness that harassed the holdings of the Elders and those who had submitted to the Camarilla, called "Sabbats" by the superstitious mortal population for their rapacious behavior and proud display of their inhumanity. Slowly, these disparate packs were brought to heel by the spreading of the Vaulderie, uniting the remnants of the Anarch Revolt as the Sabbat, a sect devoted to warfare against the Antediluvians and the tyranny of their catspaws among the Camarilla.

As the Camarilla consolidated their hold on the major European cities, the Sabbat was pushed into the defensive. Within the Black Monastery in Switzerland, the sect formalized the modern Paths of Enlightenment in 1666 out of the Roads that had become obsolete. Despite open protests against it as a tool of the Antediluvians, the Sabbat Elders realized the worth of secrecy in the modern night and the real danger of falling into Wassail in the face of the demands of the Beast, so they sought to accommodate to these circumstances without pretending to be human.

Aside from Spain, which was controlled by a majority of Lasombra, and territories in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, which were claimed by the Tzimisce, most packs traveled across the sea to the New World. The sect flourished in the evolving colonies. Amid a revolutionary and radical mortal backdrop, the Sabbat's presence was easy to hide among the insurrectionists, fighting against the Cainite masters of the Aztecs, the dreaded monster Huitzilopochtli and his peers, as well as against the native Lupines.

First Sabbat Civil War
The First Sabbat Civil War began in North America around the time of the American Revolution. The conflict began as younger Lasombra and Tzimisce in the New World turned against one another in competition over mortal resources — resources that had became bitterly contested as more and more Cainites emigrated from Europe or sired new childer.

These younger Cainites had little supervision from their elders in Europe and little connection with the Sabbat outside the Americas; as a result, they had come over time to see their fellow Sabbat as competition rather than compatriots. The strife of this civil war allowed the Sabbat to lose much of their territory in the American East Coast to the Camarilla.

The war ended with the signing of the Purchase Pact in 1803, which declared all internal grievances void and decreed that any Sabbat who waged war against his fellows was to be hunted down and destroyed by any and all Sabbat. Following this war, adherence to the Code of Milan became more widespread within the sect.

Second Sabbat Civil War
This war occurred in Mexico and Canada during the latter years of the 19th century. The conflict is generally said to have begun with the assassination of Regent Gorchist by Ravnos antitribu in Mexico City in 1863. The conflict was exacerbated by rivalries between the Lasombra and Tzimisce that had been simmering since the prior Civil War. Fighting continued until December 21, 1933, when the Code of Milan was formally acknowledged by the sect and further revised into its current form.

"Third" Sabbat Civil War
This "war" occurred in 1957, and lasted for only a hundred nights. The conflict began when Brujah antitribu in New York attempted a coup against the Lasombra and Tzimisce that had dominated the sect since its inception. The conflict was settled by diplomacy, as the Lasombra and Tzimisce finally recognized their antitribu compatriots as equals within the sect. As a result of the success and loyalty of the faction headed by the Caitiff "antitribu" Joseph Pander, the Caitiff were granted a position as its own clan within the sect: the Panders.

Modern Nights
In the Modern Nights, the Sabbat has undertaken great offensives against the Camarilla, but also faced several internal crises. Atlanta and Washington, D.C. have fallen to their hands, but they lost New York City and Milan. The arrival of new allies, the Salubri antitribu and the Harbingers of Skulls, who joined the Sabbat to exact vengeance against their enemies has invigorated many packs. The Black Hand, once a bastion of stability, shakes with several prominent Assamites abandoning the sect to return to Alamut under the leadership of Ur-Shulgi. Tensions between the Sabbat elders of the Old World and those of the New World arise.

The Code of Milan and Purchase Pact
The Code of Milan

The Code is divided into three sections:

The Tower of Duty - details appropriate behavior for a Knight via simple maxims and clear examples of proper action.

The Tower of Honor - fully details the Path's spiritual tenets. These tenets are exemplified by six different parables: the Tale of Blood, the Tale of the Lone Wanderer, the Tale of the Midnight Court, the Tale of the Kine, the Tale of the Wolf, and the Tale of Dawn.

The Tower of Courage - a dense and allegorical tale of a Knight's travails on a shadowed quest, laden with coded language and disturbing hidden meanings. Addenda to the Code of Milan The Purchase Pact
 * The Sabbat shall remain united in its support of the Sect’s Regent. If necessary, a new Regent shall be elected. The Regent shall support relief from tyranny, granting all Sabbat freedom.
 * All Sabbat shall do their best to serve their leaders as long as said leaders serve the will of the Regent.
 * All Sabbat shall faithfully observe all the auctoritas ritae.
 * All Sabbat shall keep their word of honor to one another.
 * All Sabbat shall treat their peers fairly and equally, upholding the strength and unity of the Sabbat. If necessary, they shall provide for the needs of their brethren.
 * All Sabbat must put the good of the Sect and the race of Cainites before their own personal needs, despite all costs.
 * Those who are not honorable under this code will be considered less than equal and therefore unworthy of assistance.
 * As it has always been, so shall it always be. The Lextalionis shall be the model for undying justice by which all Sabbat shall abide.
 * All Sabbat shall protect one another from the enemies of the Sect. Personal enemies shall remain a personal responsibility, unless they undermine Sect security.
 * All Sect members shall protect Sabbat territory from all other powers.
 * The spirit of freedom shall be the fundamental principle of the Sect. All Sabbat shall expect and demand freedom from their leaders.
 * The Ritus of Monomacy shall be used to settle disputes among all Sabbat. XIII. All Sabbat shall support the Black Hand.
 * All Sabbat have the right to monitor the behavior and activities of their fellow Sect members in order to maintain freedom and security.
 * All Sabbat possess the right to call a council of their peers and immediate leaders.
 * All Sabbat shall act against Sect members who use the powers and authority the Sabbat has given them for personal gain at the expense of the Sabbat. Action shall be taken only through accepted means, approved by a quorum of Prisci.

"Let it be know that forthwith, the Sabbat exists as a free entity though the price of that freedom comes in the form of the sacrifice of certain rights.

On this, the 19th of September, 1803, all Sabbat of good faith and conscience do hereby suspend aal grievances with other Sabbat.

Any Sabbat found in open violation of this agreement -- e.g., any Sabbat making open war on another for the purposes of his own benefit at the expense of the sect -- is hereby declared forsaken, and may be hunted for the blood in his veins. Such abandonment must be pronounce by a duly recognized bishop, archbishop, or other elder member of the sect.

In this we are united. In this we are Sabbat.

Signed,

Regent Gorchist

Witnessed,

Cardinal Radu Bistri

Priscus Livia Boleslav Czerbzy

Archbishop Enrique Albertos Marquez

Bishop Federic Montaigne"

Ranks and Titles

 * Archbishop: With many of the same powers as a Prince, the Archbishop is the closest analog the Sabbat has to that position. An Archbishop is different, though, in that the Sabbat is not concerned with enforcing the Traditions and more concerned with waging its holy war against the Antediluvians and everyone else. Thus, the Archbishop is part spiritual leader and part warlord, advancing the Sword of Caine’s agenda and establishing Cainite primacy. This last is a difficult task to undertake, as it’s not simply a question of turning a Sabbat city into a living hell and declaring that vampires rule; the fundamentals of the Masquerade and the sheer weight of the mortal population means that is a war to be waged in stages. Too many Sabbat fail to understand this, especially among the young, and lose faith in their leadership because they’re too impatient to play out the long-game Jyhad. This subversion of ignorance is perhaps the Archbishop’s greatest challenge to overcome.
 * Bishop: If a city has no archbishop, it generally hosts a council of three to five bishops depending on the city’s size. Similar to the archbishops, bishops bear the responsibility of maintaining Sabbat influence in their cities, as well as the spiritual growth of the vampires therein. Sabbat bishops often hail from the ranks of the pack priests, but many originate among the ducti as well. Because bishops are generally younger and/or less capable than archbishops, the Sabbat installs the councils. In this manner, no bishop needs to function in a capacity to which he is ill-suited. For example, a charismatic and iron-fisted administrator may not know the first thing about presiding over the mystical ritae, so the sect makes sure it covers all its bases with the bishops. Most bishops, promoted directly from the packs in which they serve, are 200 years old or younger
 * Cardinal: Cardinals oversee Sabbat affairs in grand geographical regions. As the superiors of the archbishops, cardinals coordinate the Sabbat in their cities and direct them in the Great Jyhad. Cardinals wield immense amounts of power as their influences cross great distances. Yet, even if they have no direct influence in a particular arena, their underlings generally do. The office of cardinal is far more than simply regional management, however. The cardinals bear the responsibility of the crusades — it is their direct duty to bring cities within their diocese under the Sabbat’s sway. Of course, doing so is quite difficult: The fall of a city takes years to plan and execute. Additionally, sweeping in and taking over requires finesse. Simply firebombing an entire town leaves nothing within the town to be desired.
 * Ductus: Leaders of individual packs, ducti attend to the operation matters of their charges. As most packs number between three to seven individual members, ducti resemble gang leaders or chiefs of small tribes. The title of ductus is largely honorific, according recognition to the most accomplished member of a pack. Some authority accompanies the title, however, but the ductus who throws his weight around is likely to find his ass kicked and dumped unceremoniously in a trash bin, if not staked out to welcome the next sunrise. Ducti rely more on presence and force of personality to motivate those in their packs. They work closely with pack priests to coordinate attacks, grow sect and pack influence, and act as liaisons to the bishops and archbishops.
 * False Sabbat: A False Sabbat is a vampire who has not undergone the Creation Rites, or someone who had his status among the sect revoked. Such an unfortunate individual may not participate in Sabbat rites or functions until he has received the Creation Rites, and is in fact considered vampira non grata, to be kicked about, abused and ordered around at any of the "real" vampires' whims.
 * Grand Inquisitor: The Grand Inquisitor is the head of the Sabbat Inquisition and appointed but the Regent themself.
 * Pack Priest: Priests bear the responsibility for the spiritual wellbeing of their packs. Second in command to the Ductus, the Pack Priest officiates all the rituals observed by the pack, and often creates a few for the sole use of the pack. All packs have at least one Pack Priest, though some rare and large packs have two. In the event that the Ductus is eliminated, the Pack Priest becomes a temporary leader until a new leader can be appointed by the Bishop, Archbishop, or (in autonomous packs) the pack itself.
 * Paladin: Paladins are hand-picked from members of the Templars and sworn to one of the leading members of the Sabbat (such as a Cardinal). Paladins handle delicate matters best solved by a judicious application of violence. For the sake of anonymity, most paladins disguise themselves as Templars and are forbidden from membership in the Black Hand.
 * Priscus: Preeminent among the Sabbat, the prisci are vampires of great age or power, selected by the consistory to join its ranks as advisors. Prisci require little or no temporal power; they are not responsible for maintaining Sabbat influence in a city, nor must they coordinate sieges or other war efforts. Rather, the prisci offer their unique insight to other members of the sect, particularly the regent, cardinals and archbishops. Often, however, prisci do achieve some degree of political influence, usually at the expense of those who have failed them. Most prisci belong to Clans Lasombra, Tzimisce and Toreador antitribu, though no formal rules exist as to whether or not a member of a given clan may belong. Of course, becoming a priscus requires that one prove oneself to be of inestimable value to the sect — no vampire younger than 200 years has ever attained a priscus’ position.
 * Regent: The regent of the Sabbat supposedly coordinates the grandscale master plan of the sect, much like a mortal dictator or corporate president. Supported by a consistory of other powerful vampires, the regent holds little sway over the sect as a whole, however. Young Sabbat often make a big show of rejecting this hypocritical figure of authority as elder Sabbat flout their rule for their own personal gain. In the end, the regent may demand service, fealty and respect, but they had best be able to back it up, as the Sabbat has no lack of wide-eyed megalomaniacs who would not hesitate to usurp the position for themselves.
 * Shovelhead: Shovelhead is a term used to describe a vampire who has undergone a particular form of Mass Embrace employed by the Sabbat.
 * Templar: The templars are an elite force of bodyguards appointed by a bishop or greater leader. Although they have no formal organization, being named as a templar is a great honor for the Cainite so titled. Being recognized as such is a symbol of strength in the Sabbat and a public acknowledgment of one’s fighting skills. Templars serve a variety of duties, always in a martial capacity.
 * True Sabbat: A True Sabbat is a vampire who has undergone the Creation Rites. In opposition to the False Sabbat, these are considered worthy Cainites who have proven themselves in combat or intrigue against their rivals. The typical attitude is that being a True Sabbat is a matter of importance and distinction - you don't want just anybody coming in and claiming all the rights and privileges of Sabbat without having proven themselves first.

Traditional Strongholds

 * Detroit
 * Once the hub of the United States’ automotive manufacturing, Detroit, Michigan has become a shell of its former industrial self. Detroit is valuable territory for the Sabbat despite its economic woes, and the sect seeks to revitalize the city with a shift in industrial focus. With one of the highest murder rates in the United States, Detroit (which has been known as “the murder capital of the US”) provides ample feeding grounds for its dwellers. Unlike some of their brethren to the south, the Sabbat of Detroit do not concentrate on capturing neighboring Camarilla cities. Rather, the city’s vampires focus on bolstering the flagging fortunes of their home. After all, the Sabbat must have the proper resources if it is to launch a successful attack.…
 * Madrid
 * Ruled by an ancient and twisted Lasombra, the Archbishop Monçada, Madrid remains a bastion of Sabbat power and prestige. Here, the Lasombra come for confession and to participate in their clan’s oldest ritae. No Camarilla would dare attack the city — who would be fool enough to challenge the viper in his own lair? — so the sect’s control of the surrounding territory is absolute. From Madrid, Sabbat vampires of all clans spread out through the Iberian peninsula, conducting neutral business in Barcelona or traveling to the rest of continental Europe to engage the Camarilla elders in overt or covert schemes. Although Madrid is not as large a city as Barcelona, it is the capital of Spain, and is therefore a seat of political power. The Lasombra enjoy their chess games of intrigue here, though Monçada brooks no challenge to his power. With the city’s beautiful architecture, Toreador and antitribu alike flock to the location to study the old stonework and paintings. Cainites with a taste for sport watch bullfights in the evenings; some vampires even cultivate their own ghouled bulls, and watch hungrily as the matadors become the victims. In Madrid, aristocratic Sabbat vampires indulge their every depraved whim. Who would stop them?
 * Milan
 * Once a Sabbat stronghold in the middle of Italy, Milan recently changed hands. Giangaleazzo, the former archbishop of the city, masterfully orchestrated a purge of the loyal Sabbat elements and pledged his fealty to the Camarilla in a sudden coup. Enraged, the Sabbat has sworn to destroy Giangaleazzo utterly, and to retake the city. However, since Milan is surrounded by Giovanni and Camarilla elements, direct assaults are difficult at best. It appears that the erstwhile archbishop of the city may have his way.
 * Mexico City
 * The center of Mexico claims a population in excess of 20 million people, with the vast majority living in hardscrabble poverty. Dense smog and befouled water make the city among the most polluted places on Earth. Entire towns built on landfills house generations of people who likely never learn of electricity, writing or numbers. Among these masses of uneducated and dying kine, the Sabbat revels. The current Regent of the Sabbat, a fifth-generation Toreador antitribu, makes her haven in Mexico City, considering the goals of the sect and holding sway over the Black Hand. Vampires who seek true political power within the Sabbat must travel here at some point, to be recognized — or scorned — amidst the hundreds of vampires who fight for prestige and position. Indeed, the vampires here are so numerous that even the city’s wardens cannot recognize them all; any vampire who gives the proper countersigns is considered welcome. Entire packs may enter, vanish into the slums, and leave without anyone becoming aware of their existence. Mexico City epitomizes the Sabbat in many ways: Here, vampires flaunt their powers openly to the kine (even if only frightened street gangs). Blood is always available for the taking (from the faceless denizens of the slums, who will never be missed). Vampires test against one another in bouts of strength and cunning, while industry and trade may be influenced by any Cainite bold enough to exert her will. Some vampires speculate that as many as 1,000 vampires keep their havens in Mexico City, making for a hellish preponderance of urban predators who act in whatever manner takes their whim. So is the mighty, diseased heart of the Sabbat’s empire constructed.
 * Montreal
 * As part of the hammer that keeps southeast Ottawa in line (with Detroit as the anvil), Montreal boasts a population of exceptionally powerful Sabbat. Highly religious and organized, the packs of the city revel in freakishness. The trade and tourism of the area mean that Sabbat have easy pickings when hunting, and those who dabble in mortal works can lead wealthy and comfortable unlives. However, the same strengths that make the city lucrative and abundant for Sabbat also feed its own rot from within — many members of the sect in Montreal are suspected of being infernalists, and without the constant tests and trials that characterize the sect elsewhere, the Sabbat of the city turn to spiritual decay. The Sabbat Inquisition has taken a keen interest in the affairs of Montreal’s Cainites, and several of the latter have fallen to claims of heresy and traffic with demons.
 * Tijuana
 * Located just across the border from San Diego, California, Tijuana is a coastal city focused on tourism — mainly of the high-school-crowd-looking-to-become-intoxicated kind. As with many of the squalid cities in the throes of economic crisis, Tijuana faces problems with pollution and poverty. Much of the city has a cracked and decaying carnival atmosphere, with winding streets passing huddled clusters of low-life bars and clubs. As the Sabbat’s staging ground against the rabble vampires of southern California, Tijuana holds a disproportionate number of Cainites. The high incidence of tourists and poverty-stricken neighborhoods allows the city to support more than its usual share of vampires. The Bishop of Tijuana fights a two-front war, organizing War Parties to feel out the anarchs’ wartime defenses while simultaneously attempting to exert influence across the border into San Diego — often through the use of immigrants and political conflicts over the border.
 * Others
 * Saudi Arabia
 * Scandinavia
 * Turkey
 * Washington DC
 * Eastern Europe