Laws, Religion, and Blood

[Rabbit]

THE TRADITIONS

The Traditions are the unwritten code of vampires. While usually more formal among the vampires who lived through the Roman era these “laws” have nevertheless stood the tests of time.

In practice, how strictly the Traditions are followed and interpreted is dependent on the local princes. Their decrees, and their power to back them, are the ultimate enforcer of the Traditions. However, some powerful elders have been known to act as judge and executioner on their own when offended by a rebellious neonate’s failure to follow the Traditions.

The First Tradition: LEGACY
Thy blood is that of Caine, cursed by God and blessed by Lilith. To seek to change your state or return to that of your mortal life is a sin against thy Father and Mother, and against thy God.

The Second Tradition: DESTRUCTION
Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind who is thy elder. Those closer to Caine know his will, and may destroy any childer who are unfit in his sight. It is forbidden for those of weaker blood to rise up against their elders.

The Third Tradition: PROGENY
Thou shalt only sire another with permission of thy elder. If thou creates another without thine elder’s leave, both thou and thy progeny shall be slain.

The Fourth Tradition: ACCOUNTING
Those thou create are thine own childer. Until thy progeny shall be released, thou shalt command them in all things. Their sins are thine to endure.

The Fifth Tradition: DOMAIN
Thy domain is thine own concern. All others owe thee respect while in it. None may challenge thy word while in thy domain. When thou comest to the fief of another, thou shalt present thyself to the one who ruleth there.

The Six Tradition: THE SILENCE OF BLOOD
Thou shalt not reveal thy true nature to those not of the Blood. Doing so shall renounce thy claims of Blood.

[Rabbit]

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK OF NOD

The Book of Nod is the closest thing to a vampire Bible. A Series of collected scrolls written by ancient vampires and forgotten authors there is no actual book. It is more a collection of found works prized by Cainite scholars. Those claiming to posses originals hoard their prized parchments away while seeking to expand their collections. Many a vampire has dedicated their nights to the study of these scriptures hoping to uncover the origins of the Damned.

Caine
In the beginning there was only Caine.
Caine who sacrificed his brother out of love.
Caine who was cast out.
Caine who was cursed forever with immortality.
Caine who was cursed with the lust for blood.
It is Caine from whom we all come,
Our sire's sire.
For the passing of an age he lived in the land of Nod,
In loneliness and suffering.
For an eon he remained alone.
But the passing of memory drowned his sorrow.
And so he returned to the world of mortals,
To the world of mortals,
To the world his brother and his brother's children had created.

The Second And Third Generation
Though he became ruler of a mighty nation, he was still alone,
For none was as he. His sorrow grew once again.
Then he committed another great sin, for he begat progeny,
[Of whom there were only three.]
But from them came more progeny, Caine's grandchilder,
And then Caine said, "An end to this crime. There shall be no more."
And as Caine's word was the law, his brood obeyed him.
The city stood for many ages,
And became the center of a mighty empire.

The Great Flood
But then came the Deluge, a Great Flood that washed over the world.
The city was destroyed,
And its people along with it.
Again Caine fell into a great sorrow and went into solitude,
Becoming as a dog amidst the wastes,
And leaving his progeny to their own ends.
They came to him and begged him to return,
To help them rebuild the city.
But he would not come with them,
Saying the Flood had been sent as punishment
For his having returned to the world of life
And subverting the true law.

The First Fall
So they returned alone to what mortals were left
And announced that they were the new rulers.
Each created a brood,
In order to claim the glory of Caine,
Yet they did not have his wisdom or restraint.
A great war was waged, the elders against their children,
And the children slew their parents.

The Second City
The rebels then built a new city
And brought to it [13] tribes.
It was a beautiful city and its people worshipped them as gods.
They created new progeny of their own,

The Fourth Generation of Cainites
But they feared the Jyhad,
And it was forbidden for those childer
To create others of their kind.
This power the elders kept for themselves.
When a childe was created, it was hunted down and killed,
And its sire with it.

The Second Fall
Although this city was as great as Caine's, eventually it grew old.
As do all living things, it slowly began to die.
The gods at first did not see the truth,
And when they last looked about them it was too late.
Their city was destroyed and their power extinguished,
And they were forced to flee, their progeny along with them.
But many were killed in the flight, for they had grown weak.
With their authority gone, all were free to create their own broods,
And soon there were many new Cainites,
Who ruled across the face of the Earth.
But this could not last.

The Jyhad
Over time, there came to be too many of the Cainites,
And then there was war once again.
The elders were already deep in hiding,
For they had learned caution.
But their childer had founded their own cities and broods,
And it is they who were killed in the great wave of war.
There was war so total, that there are none of that generation
To speak of themselves any longer.
Waves of mortal flesh were sent across continents
In order to crush and burn the cities of the Cainites.
Mortals thought they were fighting their own wars,
But it is for us they spilt their blood.
Once this war was over,
All of the Cainites hid from one another
And from the humans who surrounded them.
In hiding we remain tonight,
For the Jyhad continues still.