City of Shadows Mux City of Shadows Mux

The Creed Family

The Followers of Creed are the remnants of what used to be six major families interchanging their offspring for better social positioning, financial arrangements and political goals. Unfortunately, once the cattle barons went bust, so did the cult itself, save for the Creed family and a scattering of others, yet all are technically blood relatives to one another. Some of the families even turned on each other, further ruining the sacred, concealed bond they shared.

The wisdom concealed in the high holy texts would be lackluster to a modern thinker, save for the exceedingly thorough rituals for sacrifices, both mundane and homicidal, with the rewards being some rather hefty perks - the more one gives, the more one gets. The origin of their power stems from the unknown amount of deaths brought about by the direct action of their ancestors, either through lax safety guidelines or human sacrifice rituals. Those deaths have added up to a vast ocean of potential power, waiting to be tapped, accessed by those with the will and the know-how.

Pre-requisites: Mortal or Mortal+
Motto: The first, the last, the eternal.
Symbol: the Creed family brand, often concealed in a tattoo or under clothing; a wreath with crossed cleavers.
Mantra: Serve and obey; obey and achieve; achieve and conquer.
Cultists: refugees from orphanages, street kids-turned-mean, runaways who grew up a bit, and the full-blooded members of the family.

Initiation Benefits
• - All initiates learn about the family's less-publicized rituals and observances. They gain a "Human Sacrifice Rituals" Specialty in Occult.

•• - Full members must learn to speak, read, and write in Aramaic. They gain the Language Merit (Aramaic) free of charge.

••• - As the member delves into the mysteries of the family, she gains access to greater cult assets. Spend two dots between Resources, Safe Place or Staff reflecting this relationship.

•••• - The wary and sometimes paranoid members of the family's inner circle gain the Omen Sensitivity (•••) Merit. Often, this leads to them intentionally removing some media access from themselves.

••••• - The highest ranking member of the family's cult has reached their zenith for awareness - by now, they can exert minimal efforts to gain control over another's choices and action: they gain the Mind Control Merit (•••) free of charge.

The Thorned Wreath

The Most Honorable Order of the Thorned Wreath was founded as a small martial Guild in the early 800s CE in the city of Rouen, Normandy by the Daeva Artus le Jumel. By all accounts, he maintained a modest unlifestyle, trained in martial arts to the highest levels, and always put the needs of the Invictus above his own. His unflinching self-sacrifice in the defense of other Establishment Kindred became the model for the oath that all Knights of the Thorned Wreath must swear when they join. Tonight, the Order's membership is worldwide, and their reputation as protectors of Invictus unlife is second to none among all Knightly orders in the Covenant. Though he died circa 1350 CE against a foe forgotten to time, his motto, "Courtesy, Courage, Loyalty" remain the Order's watchwords to this night, and the oath they swear upon joining the Order remains largely unchanged from its original wording 1,200 years ago.

"The life of any and every non-Knight Invictus vampire is more important than your own. Lay down your life for theirs every time. No matter the circumstance, no matter how frivolous it seems, answer the call. When the Covenant is threatened with violence, join with your fellow Knights and eliminate the threat, though it claim your unlives."

Pre-requisite: Invictus Vampire
• - A Knight must always have his weapon to hand. The character gains the Quick Draw (Swords) Merit free of charge.

•• - Knights of the Wreath are preturnaturally aware of the health and welfare of all Invictus in their domain. The character receives the Close Family Merit, which applies to members of the covenant rather than to relations. Status (Invictus) · and ·· count as four times removed, Status ··· as thrice removed, Status ···· as twice removed, and Status ····· as once removed. It is not unknown for a Knight to feel the death of an Invictus Primus on the other side of the world.

••• - A Knight must be prepared to take a great deal of punishment. The character gains the Iron Skin (··) Merit free of charge. If she already has this Merit, she instead gets Iron Skin (····).

•••• - La guirlande epineuse is the signature fighting style of the Wreath, a weaponry-based form employing both Celerity and Vigor that focuses on parries and ripostes. The character gains three dots of the Armed Defense Fighting Style.

••••• - A Knight will fight until the very last drop of blood in his veins, with no thought to surviving the encounter if even one Invictus remains in danger. The character gains the Iron Stamina (···) Merit for free.

The Windsong

A collection of (mostly Mekhet) vampires, ghouls, and duped mortals and conspiracy theorists. They are mostly librarians, and historians. A group dedicated to the recording and preservation of all history (Especially the hidden kind), they base themselves out of a hidden fortress known as the Sanctuary somewhere in Europe, and spread their fingers out along the world. Collecting information, writing down what happens, they send it back to their grand library for filing. They know much, and sometimes even share bits from what may be one of the greatest collections of lore in the world, but mostly they are neutral observers to the world. But occasionally, very rarely, when the world becomes unbalanced, when history itself is at stake. Then they leave their monasteries and the sanctuary, and their enemies find themselves against an opponent who knows all their weaknesses, everything they have done, and the Windsong rights the order to balance.

Pre-requisite: Vampire (mostly Mekhet), ghoul, or mortal.
• - Free Language (Any)
•• - Free Language (Any)
••• - 2 Dots of Library (Any)
•••• - Trained Observer 3
••••• - The special ability for The Windsong, is unfettered access to the Windsong Archives, one of the most impressive and complete collections of knowledge in the world. This will allow access to information that may otherwise be unfindable or hidden. Under two ST judgement caveats, the first being whether the Windsong actually have access to said information and history. The second is the amount of time it takes to receive such information, as finding it means either showing up in Switzerland oneself, or relying on the archivists there, in both cases the requested information will need to be found in the stacks, and then given to the petitioner. This may make requested information not available in a timeframe that is relevant.