The House of the Lamb
The House of the Lamb is a religious order spread throughout the Middle East with small groups found in eastern Europe. It is starting to appear in western Europe too now. It seems to be based on Christianity though requires blood sacrifices, especially lambs, and rumoured to have human sacrifice too, with each person meant to supply a little blood during each meeting.
Structure
Led by a single lord, the leader is always appointed by the Children of the Nazarene. They are a cover for vampires with some oversight by Dassem Luqman, who uses it as a front for his activities of choosing living specimens for his research. He also uses it as a front for releasing strains of vampires onto other regions of the world.
Culture
The House is generally religious in nature and prefers to do religious rites at night. Following strong elements of Christian doctrine, primarily Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Coptic, they appear pious and welcoming to all Christian sects. They appear to take in travellers & the homeless looking after them. Not all seem to make it out though and the House puts this down to some running away at night or passing away.
They appear friendly and make regular trips into the greater areas around Jerusalem, they visit religious sites and regularly preach in them claiming that the Lord is coming soon. They will try to answer any question put to them and if proven wrong appear to accept it, at least temporarily. Small groups are found outside their buildings usually numbering in threes & fours. They never seem to carry any weapons except with staffs & knives. They rarely instigate combat themselves, preferring peaceful settlement to any dispute.
Sacrificing a lamb at 3am is a common practise. They believe that by doing so staves of evil, and protects the members, as well as keeping the Devil from rising. Each member will regularly make a small cut once a month on their left thumb, and mix it with blood from their sacrifice. During this specific ritual they will partake of the blood, and pour any remaining into a hole in the ground of their places of worship. Something below seems to be heard lapping up the blood.
Priests appear at many of their rituals speaking off the blood is the life, and for all to partake. The followers seem to allow the priest to take a little blood from each, and allowing them to take a little of his or hers. The priests are usually covered head to toe and no-one has ever gazed upon one outside the House. Those that have end up joining the House, or disappearing in mysterious circumstances.
Public Agenda
Their public agenda appears to find common cause amongst the Christian denominations, they preach about the Lord of Hosts returning. They preach regularly that He will come back in the next few years washing away the old world in a sea of blood. Only those that have the blood of this Host will be saved and be given eternal life. Any others that survive will serve the House of the Lamb.
Assets
Each House of the Lamb is usually based round a large building where all the members reside no matter what their age is. At the centre is an altar and an opening to the basement. It leads to a store room, and contains the remains of the "Martyrs & Saints" and the House treasures. Blood id poured through a hole into the basement onto the "Martyrs & Saints". Some believe these interact with the House. All have member dormitories & sleeping quarters and a kitchen.
Each House division will have at least one of these in a given region along with smaller safehouses that act as a branch of the main building. The House also has contacts through shipping organisations that brings information, messages and certain "items" to each house when requested. They also remove any said "items" too when asked. Most of the western Middle Eastern towns & cities have at least one major building & several safehouses.
Each has a stock of religious texts, predominately Christian along with a scattering of other texts. These can range from anything, from Sanskrit texts to Infernal texts. They are not above studying occult and pagan beliefs to understand them better.
Each major area will have one Bishop & one Archbishop. Both are only ever seen at night and fully covered.
History
Created a few years ago by the Children of the Nazarene, it is estimated it only became a full organisation within the past 5 to 6 years. Consistent in their beliefs of a new world order forming under the Lamb, they will be purged of all nonbelievers when the Lamb returns. They have drawn the attention of the authorities on numerous occasions due to their blood rituals but nothing untoward has been discovered so far.
Leading scholars in the occult think a certain Dassem Luqman has set up the House to attract possible vampiric thralls and test subjects. In the process the structures will allow the Children to infiltrate Christian groups to undermine them. At the same time, his own 'children' can be spread throughout the known world clandestinely.
Type
Religious, Cult
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Founders
Parent Organization
Location
Related Species
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