Belial's Brood

’Twere better that nothing were begun. Thus everything that you call “sin,” destruction — in a word, as Evil represent — that is my own real element. — Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

Vampire the Requiem - Rulebook
Vampire the Requiem - Covenant - Belial's Brood

Not every covenant is as fully structured as the rest. Indeed, some covenants are local phenomena or simply too small to merit the elaborate systems that the larger ones have in place. With Belial's Brood, however, the covenant law is unnecessary because, "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."
A loose confederation of Satanists, demon-worshippers and overt miscreants, Belial's Brood claims that the origin of the Damned is literally from Hell itself. Vampires are not their own unique species, they are "demons" given mortal form or devils who have found passage from the Pit's sulfurous depths to the surface of the world. The purpose of the Damned, in the opinion of this covenant, is to indulge the dark urges that the Beast imparts.
The Brood is truly a hellish faction of kindred. Members exult in their wickedness, inflicting pain and misery with no remorse and even less discretion. While Belial's Brood is about, buildings burn, mortals die under overturned cars, and shocked victims covered in blood stagger down the street before collapsing. The Damned should be the Beast incarnate, they preach. Vampires serve none but the Devil himself!
Belial's Brood rarely survive long in any given domain. Its behavior is antithetical to the continued existence of the Kindred, both under literal and interpretative understandings of the Masquerade, so few Princes suffer its ilk to esablish havens or stay in the their demesnes. Even if Princes didn't rally entire domains against them, members of the Brood would probably bring their own Final Death about sooner rather than later.
Their overt acts and blatant wickedness tend to earn them the attention of witch-hunters, moral authorities and other groups who don't want the demoniacal murderers threatening them.
The truly remarkable aspect of Belial's Brood is that, even with all right-thinking Kindred efforts to stamp them out, the same Satanic ideology survives to take root elsewhere. Belial's Brood is seldom sophisticated enough to remain secret or hidden for long, and Princes who have destroyed cells to their last members are often surprised to see the phenomenon return a score of years later. The group's chaotic philosophy is too manic for the covenant to truely have a center anywhere, but if that's the case, how does the same sectarian philosophy keep resurfacing if the covenant's many enemies are so vigilant in rooting it out and destroying it?

The Devil You Know

One of the Brood

Being a member of Belial’s Brood is a substantially more transformative experience than many outside the Brood’s ranks could possibly imagine, and while outsiders would undoubtedly be disturbed by what the Brood does, they’d likely be even more disturbed to discover what the Brood is and what the Brood believe.
Contrary to the oft-rehashed stereotype, the vampires of the Brood are not maddened arsonist nomads, charging into town and causing random destruction at every turn. They are vampires who have turned from the “damnable lie” taught to them by Kindred society, and by the Man within. They are vampires who have chosen to deal with the eternal struggle of Beast versus Man by accepting the Beast’s dominance and power, rather than by fighting with it for what could amount to eternity. The Beast, they feel, is not some curse leveled upon their race, a fate to which they are doomed for all time. Rather, the Beast is their own dark soul, given them by the deity who claims dominion over the physical world — an entity some call the Demiurge and others call the Adversary (and others still even call by its Biblical name: Lucifer). If the supernal deity figure (which some call God) was responsible for their lives as mortals, and for the part of them that is Man, then His infernal opposite, the primordial Other, is responsible for the Beast, and thus for who and what vampires are once bereft of life.
Some factions among the Brood actively venerate the Adversary, most often through sacrifice and ritual, but by and large, the Forsworn view the Demiurge as unknowable and removed, distanced from the material realm over which the deity reigns. Indeed, many even believe that if they were to gaze upon the Demiurge’s countenance before their souls were ready — before they return to his grace upon their Final Death — that doing so would drive them mad before annihilating them utterly. In a very real way, the Brood fears the Adversary, the Lord of Beasts and the ultimate predator, and the Brood knows all other vampires are wise to do likewise. But if the Brood’s deity figure is so fearsome and unknowable, how can the race of vampires come to know the deity’s grace and purpose? Why, through an intermediary, of course.

Belial

Most every faction of the Brood, regardless of how vast the differences in mode or methodology, pays at least a modicum of respect and veneration to a being called Belial. For the three oldest and most powerful Brood factions, the Belial figure features prominently, indeed. As discussed in Chapter One, these three factions have some vastly differing perspectives on the being’s origin.
The Forsworn of the Nameless, perhaps the oldest and most organized faction among the Brood, hold that Belial was a mortal man, sent by the Adversary to bring its word and will to its errant children, the race of vampires, who wallowed in ignorance, struggling to accept their own natures until his arrival. For the Nameless, Belial was a messiah, comparable to the Biblical anti- Christ, and they venerate him for revealing the truth. Belial was, in a very real way, their savior. Many believe that he bore his own mortal children before leaving his fleshly vessel, and they search vigilantly for signs of his mortal descendants to this day.
The proud members of the Roaring Serpent faction believe they are the inheritors of a mighty legacy. These self-styled “Archons” cast Belial in the role of progenitor, believing that the Adversary blessed him with the Embrace in the early hours of man. If they’re right, and Belial was the first vampire, then that would make all vampires technically of Belial’s “brood,” and that is a notion that appeals to a great many Forsworn. The Roaring Serpent is popular among young Brood members, not just for this belief but for the faction’s adherence to the eminence of their race. The Roaring Serpent believes that vampires should be proud to be vampires, and this faction refuses to court the affections of those outside the Brood. If one wants to join, one must prove oneself. Belial would have it no other way.
The vampires of the Pandaemonium are perhaps the most iconic members of Belial’s Brood, at least where outsiders are concerned. These so-called Antinomians cast Belial in the role of demonic spirit, second only to the Adversary itself. Many of their number hew closely to the occult trappings of their ethos, believing Belial to be one of many demons in the service of “the devil.” In their view, Belial is the patron of all vampires, the Duke f Beasts, and they credit him with bringing the truth of their soul’s connection to the Adversary, as well as the secrets of the rare and disturbing powers they call Investments, to the world.
Other factions, and individual Forsworn of course, can and likely always will believe differing things about Belial. But even those who feel it is in their nature to be beholden to no other still pay at least lip service, for if Belial were real (whatever or whomever he was), and he really was sent by the Adversary, then it pays to keep him in their hearts . . . lest the Adversary think them ungrateful.

Structure

Being Forsworn

While hermitage is a viable road for one of the Forsworn, it’s a lonely and difficult road nonetheless, particularly for one who is new to the Pursuit. Once a vampire has spent enough time among his brothers and sisters to truly make the Pursuit his own, he might come to shed what he feels is the necessity of their company, but for the most part, the essential structure of the unlife of a Forsworn is a social one, revolving around the concept of the coterie — or, as Belial’s Brood calls it, the covey.

The Hexad

A vampire who has been fully inducted into Belial’s Brood is faced with an important choice, that of which faction of the Forsworn he’ll become a member. The choice of which aspect of the Trinity (pneuma, sarx, or soma) he’ll favor is an easy (and some say, inherent) one. But once that aspect is determined, the Forsworn still has a choice of which faction associated with that aspect to join. For most Brood members, only two choices exist for each aspect. Collectively, these six factions are often known as the Hexad (at least among the scholarly), and they represent the six largest, most intuitive, most “default” philosophies of Brood ideology.
The two fundamental pneuma factions are The Nameless and The Mercy Seat. The two sides of the eternal soma are The Roaring Serpent and The Throne of Smokeless Fire. And the twin faces of the sarx are The Pandaemonium and The Scarlet Rite. Each Brood vampire is free to switch from faction to faction over the course of her Requiem, but few vampires ever find the need or the will to change the fundamental Trinity aspect to which they are most attuned. Most Brood members tend to stick with a given faction until and unless their covey disbands or is destroyed, as the majority of coveys contain Brood members of like aspect, if not outright faction.
The Hexad is composed of the six most prominent factions in Belial’s Brood, and they represent the six “default” beliefs and perspectives on Belial and the Pursuit. While minor factions do exist, most are merely extensions of one of these six broader groups, sub-factions of the umbrella nature of their aspects. Of the six, two correspond to each aspect, as befits the Forsworn duality of being.

After a vampire’s Cathexis into the Brood, he finds himself faced with an important choice. He must decide which Brood faction appeals most to his own essential nature as a vampire, and it’s a choice that revolves around two core issues. The first, most determinant issue in this choice pertains to the Trinity — with which of the three aspects (pneuma, sarx, soma) he connects most strongly. Each of the major factions of the Brood contains Forsworn of all different stripes, but what binds the vampires of a given faction together most is their mutual focus on a particular aspect of the Trinity. The second issue, then, is with which of the cults of his favored aspect he feels most at home, most empowered as a Beast.
The process is similar to a Sanctified’s choice of creed, or a Dragon’s choice of rite, but is more inherent than that, more akin to one’s choice of overall covenant. Of course, many new Forsworn rarely even realize that they have a choice, for their experience of the Brood is limited to the beliefs of those who brought the new ones to it. All the same, a vampire whose essential nature calls out to the sarx is going to know something is missing when inducted into the Brood by a pneuma cult. It then falls upon him to alter his perspective, to make the appropriate choice regardless of what he’d been taught by others up to that point.
It’s important to note that one’s choice of aspect is a completely personal one, and requires neither tutor nor acceptance from others. Similar to a vampire’s adoption of a covenant, a Forsworn who feels what he feels and knows what he knows is already a member of the appropriately aspected cult, by definition and by default. A given Brood member may know little of the specific ways and means of a specific cult of his aspect until he gets to know the members, but once the issue of aspect is resolved, the rest is just details. While most coveys do tend to fall along faction lines, coveys composed of members of multiple factions are far from uncommon.

Minor Factions

While the factions of the Hexad constitute the most numerous and powerful of Forsworn philosophies, they are far from the only ones. In a covenant as diverse as Belial’s Brood, the number of potential sub-factions is limited only by the number of coveys worldwide. Since the factions of Hexad comprise the six most archetypal mindsets of the inhuman vampire, most of the factions outside their ranks are truly just offshoots of one of the six parent factions, but some are different enough to bear discussion as truly separate entities. The important thing to remember about sub-factions is that regardless of their specific behaviors or beliefs, they all share in the same basic tenets that bind all Forsworn together, core elements that include the Pursuit, the Tongue of the Beast, The Vaulderie, the manifestation of Investments and of course, the Trinity.
In this latter regard, the identity of these smaller factions can be most singularly and efficiently personified. When incorporating or even designing a sub-faction of the Brood, the most important question a Storyteller needs to ask is, “With which aspect of the Trinity is the covey most heavily associated?” Is it a pneuma cult, a sarx cult or a soma cult? Some concepts don’t fall so neatly into one of these three categories, but it’s important that the Storyteller ultimately settle on one as being most iconic because the covey’s favored aspect benefit will be derived from this decision. Of course, a Storyteller can always choose to deny his subfaction a favored aspect benefit at all, but in the interests of fairness, every Brood member — regardless of his faction’s size or power — should have the opportunity to receive a favored aspect benefit from his faction.
The minor factions presented here are intended to showcase the manner in which factional offshoots can arise, and what form such diversion typically takes.

History

Belial's Brood - A History

Demography and Population

Blood of the Forsworn

No one clan dominates Belial’s Brood, but the covenant’s arduous rites and inhuman philosophy does attract vampires from the hardier, some would say coarser, bloodlines. Clan loyalty is of little value amongst the vampires of the Brood, even though it is acknowledged that a special bond exists between sire and childe. A Brood member’s clan is often regarded as little more than an accident of fate, although certain factions do attribute clan to a design brought about by the Adversary’s guiding hand. Whether a vampire is Nosferatu or Mekhet, the same Beast yearns for indulgence in all those touched by the hunger. Certain strengths or weaknesses may be inherited from a sire’s blood, but a Forsworn’s covey is expected to take the place of any familial bonds he may have had before joining the Brood. Vampires who continue to cling to old loyalties are likely to be ridiculed by their brethren and more easily targeted by their rivals. Nonetheless, certain clans have used the advantages inherent in their blood to carve out a niche within the covenant and within their coveys.

Daeva

Daeva vampires are surprisingly common amongst the younger ranks of the Brood, but the notorious appetites of the clan make their longterm survival in the covenant an unlikely prospect. The elders of the Brood count few Daeva amongst their number. Unlike many others who join Belial’s Brood, Daeva have a reputation for being able to cast off their morality with few qualms or tribulations. The resultant destructive spiral is often spectacular enough to make even the most jaded Forsworn smirk with schadenfreude. The handful of elder Daeva who do exist within the covenant are spoken of in reverential tones by younger Forsworn who bother to keep track of such things. These Daeva, known for their cold determination and mind-shattering frenzies, stand as inspirational terrors for those dedicated to the Adversary’s path. Unsurprisingly, considering the clan’s proclivities, soma-aspected factions claim the largest number of Daeva within their ranks. In fact, elder Daeva within Belial’s Brood are rumored to be the founding force behind factions such as the Throne of Smokeless fire.
It is often thought that Succubi become Forsworn in hopes of indulging their most solipsistic fantasies. While most Daeva quickly learn the limits of their individual importance within the Brood, some continue to seek extravagant ways to differentiate themselves from the pack. For example, the Daeva of Belial’s Brood are perhaps the most likely of the Forsworn to adopt a bloodline outside of the mystical Therion caste. Adopting a rarefied bloodline serves to further accentuate the unique passions and monstrous appetites Forsworn Daeva especially prize. This can cause tension amongst a covey suspicious of a headstrong Daeva’s quest for an Avus outside of the covenant, though this concern is usually waved away by more naïve Succubi who believe their powers of persuasion, gentle or otherwise, make such an endeavor harmless. Especially stubborn Daeva can subvert an entire covey’s agenda with their self-indulgent whims and, in extreme cases, jeopardize the Pursuit. Coveys bring Daeva into their ranks with initial trepidation, but quickly find loyalty and courage to be amongst their strongest passions. This loyalty is usually attributed to the clan’s special reverence for The Vaulderie, though their egos chafe at the widely accepted claim that a Gangrel first developed the rite.
Daeva Forsworn are often reluctant travelers, and the nomad culture that has long been a part of the Brood does not play to Daeva’s unnatural strengths. Territorial and overly concerned with matters of prestige, Succubi are usually in the vanguard of factions and coveys that seek to carve out a permanent base of operations within a city or region. Because of their predilection for mortal company and pawns, Daeva are perhaps the most likely of Forsworn to come into open conflict with vampires of other covenants. Succubi are some of the few Forsworn who openly compete with non-Brood vampires for influence and power in mortal society. Sometimes these personal vendettas drag entire coveys into a turf war only thinly disguised as a clash of philosophies.
Succubi fulfill numerous functions within a covey, but most often settle into a niche as the covey’s pleasing face, interpreting the mortal world for their brethren while masking their inhumanity. Although fiercely committed to their covey-mates, Daeva vampires often struggle to attain leadership positions amongst their brethren. Daeva covey leaders sometimes emerge in times of conflict, striking a balance of power within the covey by taking command of the violence at hand while deferring to likely rivals on any spiritual matters that may present themselves. Succubi covey leaders are known to become especially concerned with securing their covey’s feeding grounds and enforcing a modicum of discipline within the covey itself. This light authoritarianism often rubs Brood vampires the wrong way and helps to explain the rarity of Daeva covey leaders. Quick to cast off their mortal identity and seemingly not as deeply committed to the Pursuit as other Forsworn, Daeva quickly make their coveys the center of their worlds.

Gangrel

If one clan could be said to hold a position of power throughout the entirety of Belial’s Brood, that clan is the Gangrel. Much as the Ventrue ethos is often associated with the higher echelons and philosophical underpinnings of the staid Invictus, Gangrel intuition and savagery are greatly respected by those in the Brood. Since the Brood of Belial puts such great stock in the ability to commune with the Beast, it should come as no great surprise that the passionate Gangrel hold many of the higher places of respect within the covenant. In both numbers and influence, the Gangrel are the premiere clan of the covenant, but the very nature of the clan’s Requiem prevents the clan from consolidating power over the covenant as a whole. The Aloof Savages often find themselves in places of prestige within the covenant despite their attempts to avoid such entanglements. Even Gangrel who attempt the Pursuit in solitude, away from covey and covenant, are sought out by intrepid Forsworn desperate for a hermit’s insight. Even a vampire who manages to hold the attention of a Gangrel Mentor is accorded a grudging respect, although these apprenticeships are often dangerous, as the Gangrel of Belial’s Brood are not known for giving second chances.
All of the major factions within the Brood of Belial have a healthy contingent of Gangrel in their midst, and the Gangrel themselves seem to favor no particular aspect as a clan. Only in the smaller factions do Gangrel form the minority and even in those they rise above the rank and file as leaders, through violence or guile, and always by wisdom. The Gangrel are a well-known and respected clan within the Brood, serving as the model of vampirism for many in the covenant. The brooding contemplation and animalistic lack of empathy evident within the nature of the Gangrel clan are qualities much emulated within the Brood.
Bestial and introspective, the Savages lead by example and are openly contemptuous of cynics who try to gain power through political maneuvering. Gangrel often take on the mantle of a priest or a ritemaster within their coveys, and this in turn usually provides the foundation for their leadership. Add to this the nomadic unlife adopted by some members of the covenant, and the Gangrel’s Status with the Brood becomes self-evident. Individually the most disciplined of vampire spiritualists, the Brood’s Gangrel are often skilled at honing a covey’s dedication to the Pursuit. Whether this is because of the clan’s supposed connection with the Adversary or simply a result of the Gangrel’s insights into the Beast, young Forsworn going through the travail of the Pursuit are fortunate if they have a Gangrel amongst their brethren.
Gangrel often take positions of leadership within a covey, but because of the large number of Gangrel within the covenant, this usually requires one Savage to top another. Normally, both vampires survive this process, but on rare occasions, a rival is killed trying to assert his will over the covey. More often, the rival assumes a secondary position amongst the brethren, his ambition tempered by the power of The Vaulderie. Gangrel unable to find a role of importance in their coveys can become dangerous liabilities as their Beasts dwell on the Gangrel’s inadequacy, even confounding the clan’s legendary composure. Small slights and pointless jabs take on the proportions of conspiracy, until even the bonds of The Crux can no longer keep the Beast in check. Experienced covey leaders with subordinate Gangrel often make a point of relying on their subordinates’ strength and cunning for difficult tasks, banking on the Gangrel’s task-oriented here-and-now mindset to delay any sudden grabs for power.
Brood Savages are often credited with promoting the covenant’s quasi-nomadic side. While Gangrel are no more prone to wandering the wilderness than any other vampire, their hardy nature and innate Disciplines make them especially well-equipped to deal with the travails of nomadic unlife. Gangrel, especially those who have taken on a leadership position in a covey, are rarely hesitant to strike out into uncharted territory. Outside of cities, the Pursuit takes on an even more introspective tone than usual, even less reliant on action against mortals and more concerned with understanding the Beast within. While it may seem strange for Gangrel to seek a path less reliant on physical means, this only re-enforces the commonly held belief in their spiritual power and ability to guide others along the Adversary’s path. The journey becomes a time of reflection for the covey, a respite from the Pursuit that may ultimately destroy the covey members despite their deeply held convictions.

Mekhet

The Mekhet are numerous within Belial’s Brood, second only to the Gangrel in numbers. Unlike the Gangrel, Shadows must earn every iota of respect from their brethren, for none is given to them due to the blood fed to them by their sires. While Mekhet are not thought to have an innate understanding of the Beast, they are regarded as scholars of the covenant’s history and traditions. In this capacity, Mekhet often find themselves adjudicating disputes between coveys that have tired of violence or fear the backlash of open conflict. Shadows who shirk this imposed responsibility are not uncommon, but most within Belial’s Brood expect members of the clan to be well versed in covenant culture. According to an often-heard rumor, older Mekhet, using a combination of Auspex and subterfuge to find the best candidates, take younger protégés under their wing to instruct them in the ways of the Brood. If this modern myth were true, it would be a striking degree of clan solidarity that is absent from all the Brood’s other bloodlines, save perhaps the Ventrue.
In a covey, a Mekhet who has not distinguished herself beyond the prejudices of her peers is expected to take on a secondary role, such as an advisor or a scout. Mekhetwho seek to lead a covey usually come up against stiff opposition from more physically imposing brethren. A few Mekhet within the covenant have made a name for themselves as confessors of sorts, guiding covey-mates past the less obvious pitfalls of the Pursuit. Although these confessors are rare, coveys also depend on these Mekhet to sort out new members who are more dedicated to accumulating power than to the Adversary’s path. When Mekhet covey leaders do emerge, they tend to steer their brethren toward a more philosophical understanding of the Brood’s precepts, although with limited success considering the covenant’s emphasis on intuition and spirituality. When a Shadow is at the helm of a covey, matters of regional or covenant importance are more likely to take precedence over more immediate local considerations. While this makes Mekhet less inclined to lead their coveys into open warfare against other members of the Brood on the grounds of territory or respect, Mekhet leaders do occasionally find themselves embroiled in local faction disputes that ultimately turn violent despite their higher-minded verbiage.
The Pursuit is central to the Requiem of every For sworn, but the Mekhet tend to reserve a special place for the Requiem in their nightly existence. Shadows tend to approach the Pursuit as a project to be developed with patience, not a headlong rush into the abyss. The Pursuit is an endeavor they excel at, often surviving far longer and more “intact” then their more enthusiastic brethren. Although Forsworn cannot approach the Pursuit in a clinical manner, the Mekhet seem to benefit from a healthy respect for the chaos and darkness within their souls and understand that Humanity is sometimes best stripped away in contextual pieces. This has led to a number of conflicts in the past with less introspective branches of Belial’s Brood attempting to root out ‘heretics’ who supposedly downplayed the Beast’s role in the Pursuit. This may explain why pneuma-aspected factions attract most of the covenant’s Mekhet to their cause.
Mekhet vampires are well represented amongst the elder ranks of Belial’s Brood, nearly rivaling Gangrel in numbers and power at this echelon of the covenant. This has lead to some speculation by perceptive covey leaders that the Mekhet must have as great a sway over the Brood’s traditions and methodology as the Gangrel have over the covenant’s philosophy and rituals. Younger Forsworn usually find elder Mekhet less approachable than others of age within the Brood. The Mekhet’s exacting focus on the Pursuit as a transformative experience often leaves them with little time for social diversions or the trivial distractions of local politics. While ancillae of the clan are famous mentors, elder Shadows take on few pupils and make a habit of sequestering themselves away in places of Resonance when they can. While Mekhet hermits are thought to be disproportionately common amongst the Brood, this is not necessarily a side effect of their age. In fact, more than one tale is told amongst the Forsworn of solitary Mekhets guarding ancient caches or ruined cities filled with lost secrets. Whether this is because of their propensity for finding sites of Resonance or some clan preference for solitude is part of the myth that has yet to be agreed upon.

Nosferatu

Within Belial’s Brood, Nosferatu find their greatest weakness turned into a strength. Physically repulsive or socially disquieting demeanors are celebrated qualities amongst many Forsworn, especially those who have pledged themselves to one of the sarxaspected factions. The ability to engender fear is often sighted as a sign of respect in the covenant, the visceral and instinctive respect of one Beast given to another, and Nosferatu are nothing if not feared. Beyond their mastery over the power of Nightmare, Forsworn Nosferatu have cultivated a well-deserved reputation as cruel monsters within a covenant of cruel monsters. Haunts seem to relish making their brethren uncomfortable with their callous humor and their ironic flair for torture, both psychological and physical.
Horrible and unrepentant, Nosferatu are treasured members of any covey, applying their dramatic powers to bring an added touch of menace to their brethren’s arsenal. Younger Nosferatu are often found playting the part of a thug within a covey, toying with mortal and undead alike while paying lip service to the more actualized aspects of the Pursuit. The bonds of The Vaulderie and a devoted covey leader are usually enough to temper a neonate Haunt’s “enthusiasm,” but more than one has been made example of for taking the Adversary too lightly. Too stubborn to divulge their secrets, Nosferatu are also favored as assassins by Forsworn too weak to settle their differences in the open. As Nosferatu age, they quickly tire of the games of their youth and seek out positions of respect within their coveys. While this can lead to clashes with brethren uncomfortable with a “brute” in a seat of power, Haunts often find a temporary niche as a covey’s emissary. While Daeva are gifted in interpreting the mortal world for a covey, the Nosferatu often find themselves with the dangerous task of interacting with the supernatural world outside of the covenant. In a sick twist of the Pursuit’s effect on a Forsworn’s Humanity, the innate malfeasance of the Nosferatu helps mask the Brood’s depraved nature from the curious. Messages delivered by these foreboding creatures are usually succinct and sometimes shockingly violent, especially if a non-Forsworn vampire has attracted the covey’s attention.
Of all the clans, only the Gangrel can boast more covey leaders amongst their number. While some brethren may be initially hesitant to allow a Nosferatu to take power, a Haunt who has survived the Pursuit long enough to command a covey is an exceptional monster, indeed. Nosferatu covey leaders are known for their dedication to their brethren, if not to the Pursuit. Political and spiritual rewards are of a lesser value to these Nosferatu than the well-being of their covey-mates. Violence is often seen as the hallmark of the Brood, and Nosferatu excel at it. Coveys led by Nosferatu are fiercely territorial and react to signs of disrespect with extreme acts of barbarity. Even other coveys are not immune to these reprisals, although these intra-covenant clashes are not usually lethal, thanks in part to the restraining bonds of The Vaulderie.
While Nosferatu may seem to have a distinct advantage in the Pursuit because of the inhuman nature of their clan weakness, Nosferatu often have more trouble casting off their mortal concerns than most would expect. Unlike their Gangrel brothers, Nosferatu take their inhumanity for granted upon their Embrace, mistaking the curse on their flesh for the awakening of their bestial soul. Many Nosferatu thus postpone the Pursuit, only indulging in repetitive acts to which they had long ago grown accustomed or inured. Thus, their human nature survives far longer then is usually acceptable within the Brood, hidden by the Nosferatu’s disturbing mien and sick preoccupations. While this is not common knowledge amongst the Forsworn, Nosferatu struggle to discard the few mortal affectations that survived their initiation into Belial’s Brood. These nagging shreds of Humanity can drive some Nosferatu into seclusion, afraid of their own brethren discovering their secret. Despite this hesitance to commit body and soul to the Pursuit, Nosferatu hermits are rare in the covenant overall, and Haunts seem to flourish most truly when ensconced in the company of a dedicated covey.
Often drawn to sarx-aspected factions, Nosferatu are known for their lust for Investments that sharpen their ability to horrify. In fact, many elder Antinomians are of Nosferatu blood and seem to believe the clan has a natural talent for warping flesh as well as minds. These hidden masters cackle with a dark joy as their faction’s unspeakable acts torture the psyche of mortal society to the point of breakdown. A few more reserved Haunts are rumored to be well placed in the Nameless as well, carrying out secret rituals that are rumored to date back to the time of Belial himself.

Ventrue

The rarest clan within Belial’s Brood is the Ventrue, their numbers being such a minority, in fact, that some Forsworn have no firsthand knowledge of the Lords whatsoever. Ventrue Forsworn have a lot to prove to their brethren. Since the clan is so intimately associated with the tyrannical Invictus, Ventrue of the Brood often champion the causes of selfishness and freedom to further distance themselves from the First Estate. Paragons of wild abandon, Forsworn Ventrue are notoriously insubordinate and difficult to control. This has made the clan strangely popular amongst younger Brood members who find the idea of being without limitations incredibly attractive. Some of these neonates have even taken to passing around audiotapes and CDs of the hottest Ventrue philosophers, pontificating on the Beast and free will, sometimes in a spoken word performance format. But amongst the rank and file of Belial’s Brood, the vindictive pogroms against their brethren from Invictus territories have left little love for the Lords within the covenant. This has led the clan members to look out for their own, and on more than one occasion attempt to organize, although these projects have inevitably ended in bickering and formation of rivalries amongst the Ventrue themselves.
Subtle and overt prejudices make it difficult for individual Ventrue to secure a place of leadership within their coveys, let alone in the covenant’s upper echelons. The most dangerous obstacles a Ventrue faces when joining a covey are the preconceived notions of his brethren. Ventrue often adopt reactionary personas and extreme positions to counteract any hostility that may be directed toward them by untrusting Forsworn. Coupled to this is the Lords’ supposed predilection for Diablerie, a contentious taboo within Belial’s Brood, but a taboo nonetheless. Whether Ventrue do have a taste for the heart’s blood of other vampires is debatable, but many in the covenant wonder what else would drive members of such a privileged bloodline to join the Forsworn. Ventrue find that their brethren’s trust, once won, is hard to keep, even with the ritual of Vaulderie on their side. The Pursuit damages Ventrue in ways that disturb even the Forsworn, warping the Ventrue’s minds in unpredictable ways and with a speed unseen amongst other clans, despite the presence of both the Tongue and the Therion caste. Brethren keep a close eye on their Ventrue covey-mates for signs of degeneration. While rarely leaders, Lords often find a place within the covey as a procurer or problem fixer. When brute force fails to intimidate curious mortals or Materials goods beyond the covey’s financial means are needed, Ventrue become indispensable.
Ventrue covey leaders are a rare breed in Belial’s Brood, having to overcome not only deadly rivals but also the treachery of those who fear the nature of the Ventrue’s blood. A Ventrue’s power over memory and free will is also viewed with great Suspicion amongst Forsworn. Any Lord who achieves even a modicum of respect or power within the covenant is often dogged by accusations of coercive use of the Dominate Discipline. A Ventrue who does manage to wrest control of a covey away from another Forsworn leads his brethren in a more democratic manner than is typical in the covenant. Often brought to power by toppling an excessively domineering covey leader, Ventrue find their brethren even less receptive to orders and commandments than most Forsworn.
Pneuma-aspected factions, particularly the Mercy Seat, have the largest concentrations of Ventrue among the ranks, though even these are comparatively small. And while the Roaring Serpent is known to have some well-regarded Ventrue as members, they are far from the faction’s levers of power. Unfortunately, the same prejudices that retard a Ventrue’s ability to gain prestige in her covey usually work against her inside a faction. Even age does little to rectify this disparity in respect, as even elder Ventrue are almost unheard of within the Brood, outside of conspiracy theory and rumor. Certain familial lineages of Ventrue have supposedly been active within Belial’s Brood since its inception, working to keep their kinship secret for reasons of their own.

Foreign Relations

The Others

While relations between the Brood and vampires of other covenants are rare in the extreme, one might be surprised to know that they are not always hostile. Vampires of the Brood can be impulsive, and in some cases extremely violent, but they are also masters of the base cunning that comes naturally to all vampires. Given the right circumstances or convergence of the vagaries of fate, Belial’s Brood has even on some occasions allied itself with vampires who subscribe to an ideology antithetical to the covenant’s own. Such cross-covenant cooperation is a very rare event, with only local ramifications; alliances almost never expand beyond a city’s borders. As with many things within Belial’s Brood, a Forsworn’s faction often has more sway in shaping the Forsworn’s view of other vampires than any covenantwide orthodoxy. Since active recruitment is frowned upon by all of the present-day factions within Belial’s Brood, Forsworn who go out of their way to interact with vampires of other covenants are often viewed with Suspicion. Although, considering the average Forsworn’s ignorance of other covenants, few factions or coveys monitor their brethren for such improper behavior.

Violence as Dialog

As many outside the covenant have surely noted, violence has a special place within Belial’s Brood. While members of factions such as the Pandaemonium have ritualized methods of brutality, other factions, such as the Mercy Seat, view violence as simply one of many tactics to further the Pursuit or, in extreme cases, to remove an obstacle. The Throne of Smokeless Fire has developed an appreciation of violence as the most honest means of communication, looking to the state of nature as the template for interpersonal interactions. To wit, as master predators, vampires are naturally inclined to violence. Despite these different interpretations concerning the use and validity of violence, most of the Brood’s aggressive energy is directed toward the Pursuit. The covenant as a whole has no structure to direct attacks against other groups, and the various factions are barely better organized. While it is true that some factions are very enthusiastic and hands-on when engaging in the Pursuit, violence may not be their first recourse when encountering Kindred. Pneuma-aspected factions especially go out of their way to avoid violence when dealing with non-Forsworn, preferring to instigate internal strife with insidious plots without getting directly involved in the ensuing conflagration. The ferocity and unflinching nature of Brood violence sends a powerful message to those on the receiving end of the missive, but the Forsworn are rarely unified in the intent and substance of their “communications” with the outside world.

Mages

True mages are almost unknown to the Brood of Belial. Most Forsworn would be hard-pressed to distinguish a mage from a carnival huckster. While certain factions within the Brood have attributed strange abilities to Belial as a mortal, none have claimed he was one of the Awakened. Relations between mages and the Forsworn are most likely dictated by the ideological leanings of the mage who is encountered and the circumstances of their introduction. Since few Brood members have foreknowledge of these beings, they would most likely be treated as mortals. This would explain why the few anecdotes concerning mages in the covenant are usually tales of cold vengeance acted out by an unseen wizard, exacting his due from an incautious covey. A mage’s ego is notoriously inflated and fragile, and when a covey tarnishes willworker’s pride, there is often hell to pay.
While few coveys take these precautionary tales seriously, mages are a true danger to sedentary coveys. The Pursuit can be difficult on a domain’s mortal population, and mages are nothing if not meddlesome when it comes to their mortal pawns. Factions that find mages within their domains usually go out of their way to avoid them. Dispatching a mage is not impossible or even difficult, but as mages tend to hold grudges almost as long as the undead, if the target survives . . . More importantly, these magicians have nothing to offer the Forsworn. Mages’ blood is not known to hide any special secrets, and despite mages’ great powers, their hearts are all too human. While factions such as the Mercy Seat are thought to be adept at the prickly diplomacy required to manage a mage’s pride, no one within the Brood claims to have made any ongoing Allies amongst them.

Werewolves

As Belial’s Brood is a covenant known for its nomadic vampires, the monsters that inhabit the woods and the highways are of particular concern. While the Brood has no more knowledge of the internal politics or culture of werewolves than other vampires, Brood members have come to understand the territorial nature of the wolf-men. Certainly, familial differences exist among the werewolves, but coveys sneaking through the territory of flesh-eating shapeshifters rarely stop to chat. Some of the more powerful coveys claim to have informal truces or rights of way, but no one is aware of any true negotiations with these creatures. Despite the view common to most Forsworn that werewolves are more animal than man, only the most foolhardy seek them out for sport. Respect for the natural rulers of the wild places is a common feeling amongst the Forsworn, and vampires of the Brood are deferential when crossing werewolves’ territory.
The passion and brutality Forsworn coveys have seen exhibited by the werewolves resonates. These strange creatures surely have no understanding of the Pursuit, and little within the Brood’s mythology mentions them. Truly, many Forsworn envy the ease with which werewolves seem to discard their human nature, intuitively slipping on the beast’s skin. Paradoxically, factions with more sedentary membership, such as the Throne of Smokeless Fire, hold the werewolves in what is ultimately the highest regard. This may have something to do with the fact that such factions have less reason to clash with the creatures. But despite their great prowess, the werewolves are but living things, and to hear the elders tell it, many remain hamstrung by a system of honor completely alien to the Brood. If even creatures such as these find need to delude themselves, is there truly any hope of ever stripping away the memory of being a man?

Education

The Pursuit

The single most central idea to the vampires of Belial’s Brood — more key even than Belial — is the long and spiritually demanding process they call the Pursuit. For the Forsworn, the act of awakening to the truth of their existence is only the beginning, the alarum that rouses their bestial souls to action. And that action is the steady and dedicated dissolution of all that once made them human, and with it, the equally steady and dedicated acceptance of all that makes them what they are now: vampires.
The Pursuit is a unique and deeply personal affair for each vampire of the Brood. Forsworn mentors are quick to ingrain in their young converts the idea that there is no formula, no blueprint or guide to the twists and turns of the Pursuit. Each must find his own path, and learn from it what he can as progresses along it. Whatever form the Pursuit takes, it always involves the gradual stripping away of a vampire’s Humanity. Being Forsworn means leading one’s unlife as a true vampire, not a dead human who is play-acting at still being human. Being Forsworn means learning to distinguish which aspects of one’s spirit are truly essential to survival and prosperity in this new form, and which are merely echoes of a long-gone past, remnants of the effect of umpteen years of “brainwashing” as a mortal. The Forsworn seek to curb the Man’s influence on the Beast, which is and should be the truly dominant aspect of the psyche for any vampire, and the first and most important way of doing that is to shed one’s self of the burdens of Humanity.
Each time a Brood member drops in Humanity, he analyzes the experience on a deeply spiritual, primal level, and gleans from it what he can before moving on with his Pursuit. The entire experience of being Forsworn is quintessentially instinctual rather than intellectual, and trying to articulate or explain even the most basic revelations of one’s Pursuit becomes a frustrating and bothersome prospect. If one wants to pen tomes of wordy verbiage, many reason, one joins The Ordo Dracul (or better yet, avoids vampirism altogether). If one wants to truly be a vampire, to experience that which defies explanation, one joins the Brood.

The Trinity

One of the most fundamental aspects of Brood ideology, and one that shapes the course of any Forsworn vampire’s Pursuit, is something the Brood calls the Trinity. In the Forsworn Trinity of being, all that is essential in Creation is composed of three primordial forces, the interplay of which binds everything to everything else and dictates how the patterns of time and matter unfold. These three primal forces are the pneuma, the sarx and the soma, and they are often depicted as the three sides of a perfect triangle, each in harmony with the others.
The pneuma is the essential spirit, the supernal spark that separates the self from the twin prisons of the flesh and the material world. For the Forsworn, the pneuma is the driving force that pushes them onward through their Pursuit, as well as the seat of their passions and the inchoate desires of the psyche. For many, the pneuma is the essence of that which makes them the chosen of the Adversary, proof that they are meant for this existence. The soma is the body, the essential nature of the sentient form, also referred to as the “god body.” Through soma, a being exerts its will over its environment and spurs change in that which is otherwise static. Without the soma, the pneuma is inert and therefore powerless on Earth. The final aspect of the Trinity is the sarx, or the flesh. Symbolically, it represents the animal nature of a fleshly being, corresponding to the basic needs of the flesh. To the Forsworn, this often correlates to those elements that are most basic to their essential nature as vampires, the needs of the Beast: to hunt, to feed, to rest, to claim and to keep safe the flesh from the banes of fire and sunlight.

The Call

The first step one must take to joining the Brood, before one can even take up the barest consideration for the path demanded by the Pursuit, is to hear what the Forsworn refer to as the Call. Most vampires come to the Brood after spending some period of time among others of their kind, typically as members of other covenants. More often than not, these souls feel constantly disconnected from their fellow Kindred, as though they never quite belong, but for some it happens relatively suddenly. Some make a legitimate effort at fitting in, and at taking the lessons of their sires and other authority figures to heart, but eventually there comes a time in such a vampire’s unlife when he begins to have doubts.
When such doubts are allowed to fester, and ever darker thoughts find themselves creeping in on the sides of a vampire’s soul, the end result is often the Call. This occurs when a vampire has decided that he is, in essence, “living” a lie, and that all the education and brainwashing in the world won’t convince him otherwise. Neither the threat of The Traditions nor the empty promises of Golconda can keep him from feeling this way, and the only question becomes whether or not the vampire will find another path or simply end his tortured existence. And to be fair, more than a few would-be Brood members end their Pursuit at this time, for in the minds of many, Final Death is preferable to an unlife of either continued doubt or sin. But at this moment, often at the very nadir of a troubled vampire’s alienation and despair, he hears the Call.
Similar to the Pursuit, the Call is subtly different for every vampire who hears it. Some describe it as a series of “daymares,” during which the truth of vampiric existence — the hope of a viable alternative to the hell it had been until then — is revealed. For others, the Call is nothing more complicated or spectacular than a quiet whisper in the back of the mind, a soft nudge in the direction of another way, another unlife. However the Call manifests, there is a particular time in every would-be Brood member’s unlife when he hears the Call. The determining factor is whether or not such a vampire heeds the Call after hearing it. Note the operative term of “prospective Brood member,” as not every vampire who finds himself an outsider among his kind feels the urge or necessity to abandon his Humanity. Many such vampires exist just fine without ever doing so; they’re called the Unbound.
If a vampire who hears the Call chooses to heed the Call, he has made the choice to abandon the lies of the society of his race — to forsake the tragedy of existence as he knows it, and to embrace the possibility that his Beast is not, in fact, his enemy. At this juncture, he is not yet of the Brood. He is, however, primed to discover the truth of Belial’s Brood, and to possibly join their ranks. Before this can happen, though, his Beast must be awakened to the same possibility, and to do that the vampire must open his heart to the Adversary.

Resonants

Once a vampire has heeded the Call, he must find a way to connect with the Adversary in a more intimate way if he’s to truly step onto the path of the Forsworn. No matter how long a vampire has been undead, or what inhuman acts he may have committed in that time, his Beast is still unprepared for the nature of and the effort that will be required of him by the Pursuit. Ultimately, there are only two ways of making the intimate connection required. The first is for a vampire who has heeded the Call to make contact with one of the Brood. Once a Brood member, any Forsworn can bring another vampire into the Brood by exchanging Vitae, usually by means of a sacred rite they call The Vaulderie. The second way of fully joining the covenant is through something called a Resonant.
In the World of Darkness, certain things — objects, sites and texts in particular — can grow fat with the energy and essence of the Adversary. Much as the wall between the land of the living and the dead can thin at certain places and times, making it easier for the dead to cross over, so, too, can certain things more deeply thrum with the power of the supernal Other — that which the Forsworn call the Adversary, and what we might call “evil.” These unholy objects, places and writings can act as a combination catalyst/semi-conductor for the Beast, preparing a vampire’s soul for the most important decision of its existence.
Some Brood members believe that anything trapped in the physical world can potentially be a Resonant, and they’re almost right, but for one very important exception: no living creature can actually be a Resonant in and of itself. Only inanimate objects, places and texts can properly serve as Resonants, and then only those with the necessary qualities the Adversary requires for its favor. The difficulty, however, comes in the fact that nobody seems to know just what those qualities are, specifically, despite substantial Research into the subject on the part of the Forsworn (particularly those of the Nameless faction, who have been digging into the history of Resonants for centuries).
Presented below are three sample Resonants, one of each variety, to show the sort of things that tend to become Resonants in the first place. All Resonants are about connecting with the vampire who comes to them, but they might have different “qualifications” for the job from one to another. Any vampire who has heard and responded to the Call can sense a Resonant when he is in its presence, and will also get a vague impression of just how strong a given Resonant is. Some Forsworn believe that the specific energies attached to a Resonant have some impact on what aspect of the Trinity a vampire will be most drawn to once of the Brood, but there’s no evidence to substantiate the theory.

Cathexis

Once a vampire has both heeded the Call and sought out either a Resonant or an actual Brood member, the vampire must go through a process the Forsworn refer to as Cathexis. (Cathexis will not occur in a vampire who did not actually heed the Call.) This experience, which can differ widely from one vampire to the next, is the process by which a vampire’s soul crystallizes the connection between itself and the Resonant or the Vitae with which it has been communing. Often times the communion process with a Resonant is brief, with the vampire merely handling the object or standing in the proper place for a few minutes, but it can also take a while, depending on the character and Resonant. A particular Resonant text, for example, might connect with vampires very slowly, not reaching full communion with the soul until it’s taken in almost every word.
However long it takes, there comes a point in every communion when the vampire’s soul is challenged to choose. To oversimplify, he’s read every word on the brochure and must now decide whether his soul is buying or not. If he likes what he’s heard from the Resonant or Brood member, if it sits nicely with the things he’s had in his mind and he’s willing to commit to the Pursuit, then he chooses to join the Brood, to forswear all that made him what he once was. If he chooses this way, his Cathexis ends with a moment of epiphany as his soul unburdens itself. This is the moment at which the character loses all Covenant Status dots and gains Covenant Status (Belial’s Brood) •. If he chooses to back out at the last minute, his Cathexis ends with him not joining the Brood. He likely drops the object or flees the site, and by then the Call is already receding from his mind and soul, fading first to a disturbing daydream and then to dim memory, at best. Eventually, the vampire who turns from evil at the last moment forgets just how close he truly came, though memories of a time when his soul was in “disarray” can remain (at least until The Fog of Eternity gets its claws on them).
A vampire who turns from the path during Cathexis almost never even considers repeating the experience. He’s been there and done that, even if he doesn’t remember much about it, and has made his peace with the whole thing. Turning from the Pursuit during Cathexis doesn’t necessitate a sudden desire to return to God’s grace, or to do good works (though it can and has in some cases). Such a vampire may still drop to a low Humanity rating later on in his unlife, might still go on to perform acts so monstrous even the Brood would take notice. The point is that he almost certainly won’t be doing it As One of the Brood.

The Inmost Tug

A vampire who has just gone through Cathexis and emerged As One of the Brood is a changed being. His perspective is different, clearer, and his senses feel commensurately sharper, more honed (though they’re not actually any more keen than those of any other vampire). In addition, the force that he previously experienced as the Call has evolved in him, just as it did while communing with the Resonant. Now, the force calls out to him from within, urging him to go seek out, to pursue. And although he might not yet realize it, what his Beast is urging him to seek out is others of his new kind, his new family — the Forsworn themselves.
The Brood knows this impulse as the Inmost Tug, for it feels akin to some force or tether pulling one’s Beast along from afar, almost as if the impulse were trailing a scent. This impulse is not a finely-tuned sense, and the character cannot actually track any other vampires with it, let alone specific vampires. Rather, it’s a general sense, a surety on the part of his soul, that a Brood member lies “that way.” If the vampire chooses to follow the Tug, it is indeed almost guaranteed to put him in the path of a true Brood member, though the Storyteller determines the how, who and when.
The first time a vampire following the Tug touches Predator’s Taints with a Brood member, he knows he’s in the presence of someone important, very likely the quarry of his recent pursuit. The pursuing vampire’s Beast stirs and almost seems to reach out to the new vampire from within. Unfortunately, the vampires of the Brood are not exempt from the Predator’s Taint system, and as such, the first thing that will likely happen is a test for frenzy between the two new “brothers.” On the plus side, both Forsworn receive one bonus die to help smooth out this initial contact. If the touching of Taints is resolved without the death of either vampire, they then proceed to feel each other out, as the quarry begins to determine whether or not the new arrival will be a welcome or problematic addition to his particular covey.
If the existing covey member decides to introduce the new arrival to his covey-mates (assuming they weren’t present at first contact), then both the arrival and the other covey-mates will gain a +2 bonus to resist when they, too, touch Taints.
Hermits
A newly minted Forsworn is not technically compelled to follow the Inmost Tug. And it’s true that the Tug fades in time if it’s not followed and encouraged, so it’s possible for a vampire of the Brood to remain on his own, covey-less, after his Cathexis. These hermits lose out on a number of the key advantages to being in Belial’s Brood, but are still free to conduct their own Pursuit and to manifest Investments once they’re capable of doing so. Just as covey members, hermits lose all Covenant Status, Investments and Devotions for which Investments are a prerequisite if hermits either join another covenant or actively choose to raise their Humanity ratings.

Apostasy

What happens when a vampire decides to forego the Pursuit and return to unlife among the rest of the Kindred? Demagogues among the Forsworn tend to call this behavior “apostasy,” but the truth is that few among the Brood truly care. Most Brood members feel it’s an honor to find one’s way to the Brood, and the vampire who would be so foolish as to return to ignorance after being shown the path should be left to his own pathetic devices. Exceptions occur, of course, especially when the apostate leaves behind substantial messes and/or dead covey-mates, but by and large, the Brood is content to let such members go.
Part of the reason for this contentment is that the Brood knows it has little to fear from such cowards. When a vampire leaves the Brood, all her memories and experiences of her time among the Forsworn begin to fade, much like the effect The Fog of Eternity has on the minds of all Kindred. The process of becoming Forsworn involves intense acts of will and manipulations of the blood, not to mention the opening up of one’s mind and soul to the energies and the will of a being as unknowable and puissant as the Adversary. As such, abandoning this stark path after it’s been embarked upon results — and could only result — in the vampire’s mind smoothing itself back into shape, as the Man struggles to regain his former dominance over the vampire’s psyche. It is said that if the memory of being Forsworn did not fade thus, all Brood apostates would go irrevocably mad.
In game terms, this fading process begins once a vampire leaves the covenant. This happens in one of two discrete ways: First, the vampire can simply join another covenant, which is in itself a mystical act as well as a socio-political one. When a Forsworn fully commits to adopting the precepts of a philosophy so antithetical to the Brood’s, the vampire’s soul responds by discarding the former, as the alien draw of the Adversary’s power ebbs from the soul like a slow-moving fog. When a vampire gains Covenant Status in any other covenant, he is thus ejected from the Brood, losing all Brood Status in the process. The second way in which a vampire leaves the Brood and begins to forget all he knew while among its number is by actively choosing to raise his Humanity rating. The gradual and systematic dissolution of Humanity lies at the core of Forsworn belief, and any vampire who would choose to direct his force of will at building back his Humanity has clearly forsaken all for which the Brood stands.
When a vampire leaves the Brood in either of these two ways — joining another covenant or actively raising his Humanity — he immediately loses all Investments he learned while among the Brood and all Devotions for which Investments are a prerequisite (though this carries with it a potentially beneficial effect on his subsequent efforts to buy back his Humanity; see Chapter Four for more on this). In addition, he loses “access” to the Tongue of the Beast (if he possessed it), as the derangement, too, recedes from his mind and soul. Lastly, all his bonds with other Forsworn by means of The Crux snap, and he loses any benefits that might have come from those bonds. Thus, would-be apostates need to be careful about how and when they abandon the Brood, for their covey-mates will undoubtedly know about it when it happens.

Worship

Rites of the Forsworn

From the notebooks of Yvgeny Kovitch, Sworn of the Mysteries:
It is a simple truth that I have spent much time immersed in those tomes and studies of ritual lore of all kinds imaginable, privy to the secrets of Dragon, Crone and Sanctified, I have yet to find a demographic of our kind that is so bound by the performance of rites. Although we Dragons might ascend through the paths and the Coils of our blood, and The Crone’s children may tend to the sacred cycles of their belief, and the Sanctified mind their guilt and separation from fleeting divinity, the brood of Belial requires a variety of ceremonies for nearly every aspect of their function. The known covenants may require their rituals for political cohesion and some necessary functions, but only the Brood would nigh implode upon itself in an orgy of self-cannibalism if such rites were not tended to with vigilance and utter conviction.
One curious fact that I have arrived at during my Research is the total absence of significant solitary rites among the Brood. Although there are certainly ritualized acts of self-mortification performed by the estranged Brood member, the mysticism and purpose of the covey rites is wholly absent from such twisted seizures of the Beast That Knows No Company. In most cases, these solitary practices result in increasingly flamboyant displays of bloodshed and mutilation on the part of the isolated vampire, eventually resulting in detection by either other members of the collected Brood or by the less sympathetic of our kind who would surely put such a wanton predator to the stake. So, it is a characteristic of the proper rites of the Brood that they are performed by a covey of one form or another.
After the deconstruction and rearranging of the data procured from the mad texts I refer to as the Devereaux Codex (named for individual by whom it was allegedly scripted) and the Matamoros Papers (salvaged from the ruins of a Brood compound on the Mexican border), I have discerned two types of rites. The first are those ceremonies that are most essential to the Brood’s way of existence. Every relevant body of the Brood performs these rites, called Archontes, in one form or another. Among these is The Vaulderie, the very lynchpin of Brood culture and cohesion. In addition, lesser rites called dynamei create individualized extensions of the Archontes principles, giving expression to the philosophiesof more discrete factions and cults, but no less essential. The induction ceremony into a given covey would be an example of this kind of work.
I will cover, in greater detail, the bulk of these variegated obscenities in the exposition below, but there is a matter of curious note that I must mention before I expand. With the assistance of some close to me (those capable of the gravest discretion), I have determined that these rituals bear dissimilar or sterile fruit for the idle dabbler or daring dilettante. Whether it be my lack of knowledge of the elusive “Tongue of the Beast” or another unwritten component to the instructions, it can be somewhat reliably assumed that one must be a true and tested member of the Brood itself for these rites to have their full and desired effect.

Systems and Sidebars

Below you will find descriptions of the major and minor rituals of Belial’s Brood. Although they are completely optional, the powerful Archontes also affect the participants in terms of game mechanics. These effects are meant to enhance the atmosphere of encounters with the wild and deranged vampires of Belial’s Brood, and will only be used at the Storyteller’s prerogative.
Although omitting these special effects may help maintain a grittier, more serial killer ambience to the ritual barbarism of the Forsworn in your chronicle, making use of the enhanced effects may prove to be irresistible bait for those seeking the quick route to power. In addition, you can restrict the effects to only those rites performed by specially ordained members of the Brood such as the alien inheritors of the Therion bloodline.
With the exception of initiations and other rites that specifically address outsiders, these in-game effects have absolutely no effect whatsoever on those who are not committed members of Belial’s Brood. This means the character must have experienced Cathexis, either through Resonants or by participating in at least one Vaulderie rite.

“Your fire can’t hurt me!
I’m going to Hell!
See you soon!
See you soon!
See you soon!”

Lexicon
Lexicon, Belial's Brood

Type

Political, Confederation

Alternative Names

The Forsworn

Subsidiary Organizations

Related Traditions

Controlled Territories

Resonant Site: 1408 Dearborn Place

Related Items

Resonant Object: Mr. Jingles

Related Ethnicities

Related Derangements
Tongue of the Beast
Examples of Resonats
Resonant Object: Mr. Jingles
Resonant Site: 1408 Dearborn Place
Resonant Text: The Deveraux Codex

Creating Archontes

Belial’s Brood’s core rites have been described in the previous text, though the full breadth of the Forsworn ritual canon has yet to be fully revealed. Though there are certainly scholars and Therion with extensive knowledge about the ritual practices of their faction and the Brood in general, there is always more forbidden fruit to be picked and savored. What is the extent of these ceremonies? To answer that, one must ask other questions. What is the extent of pain, cruelty, corruption, weakness and predation? What is the limit of depravity, degeneracy, perversion and violence? What are the things that drive a sane and focused mind to total savagery? Much like a vile, sociopathic art form, the ritual archive of the Forsworn is only limited by one’s ability to represent these dark forces.
First and foremost, the Archontes are believed to be those rites that were first performed by Belial himself. In the cases of factions that do not subscribe to the existence of a personified Belial, Archontes are believed to be the rituals that have existed since the inception of the Brood itself, making them some of the oldest rites of vampirekind. Although the trappings of such rites may develop and become more complicated over time, the principles of the Archonte are at their foundation quite simple as they are designed to address the basest and most primal aspects of the psyche. If the sidebar rules for these rituals are being used in your game, the Archontes are distinguished from the dynamei insofar as the Archontes generate a tangible and distinct effect that is reflected in the mechanical benefits they provide. These benefits should, however, be limited to minor effects as the primary function of all of the rituals is to enrich your storyline and deepen the atmosphere of Belial’s Brood. Because the world of the Forsworn is filled with impermanence and decay, these benefits should rarely (if ever) be permanent. Finally, the most obvious difference between the Archontes and the dynameis is the Archontes’ drama and ritual scope. The Archontes are highly significant events and are rarely performed spontaneously or without forethought, and usually make use of elaborate props or meticulously prepared ritual sites.

Creating Dynamei

It is quite likely that there are more dynamei than there are members of the Brood itself as the dynamei form the rites that spontaneously arise from the birth cries of the awakened Adversary. From personal rites of dedication and initiation to the baroque methods of torture implemented by forgotten coveys to the rituals used to dovetail the core concepts of the ancient Archontes into The Traditions and workings of a specific covey or faction, the dynamei are just as much artistic expression as they are religious ceremonies.
The minor rituals of the Forsworn are relegated to the domain of dynamei for a number of reasons. If a ritual is particular to a specific covey or based on a narrow interpretation of the Brood’s traditions, the ritual may be considered a dynameis. If the ritual requires little preparation or takes the form of supplemental extension of the Archonte, the ritual would likely be a minor rite. Unlike the Archontes, these rituals do not generally convey any mechanical game effect. Exceptions to these guidelines are always possible but remain the sole purview of the Storyteller.

Hostile

The Ordo Dracul

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Belial's Brood

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Despite the fearsome reputation of these Satanic outlaws, many Dragons find the riddle of Belial’s Brood fascinating. Is their philosophy so basic, so obvious that it acts as a sort of vampiro-sociological constant? In the absence of other covenants and other ideas, would all vampires assume themselves to be servants of the Devil? Or is their desire to commit mayhem and indulge theBeast simply so basic that if a group of enough weakwilled vampires come together, this is the path they inevitably take? The Lancea Sanctum, of course, is perfectly prepared to accept infernal forces at work — and so, after a fashion, is The Ordo Dracul.
The Ordo Dracul catalogs the supernatural strangeness in the World of Darkness as they search for the means to lift them out of their undead state. Along the way, they have discovered witches, ghosts, werewolves, the walking dead, horrors that mankind has forgotten and some no creature has ever known before. That demons exist isn’t something The Ordo Dracul disputes (though their information about, and even definition of, “demons” is admittedly inconsistent). It is possible, they admit, that while Belial’s Brood isn’t organized, there might still be a coordinating force behind their efforts.
Every so often, a Dragon makes a special study of Belial’s Brood, trying to pin down their origins and solve the riddle of their continued existence. One theory postulates that a particular demon (and demonologists among The Ordo Dracul have discovered scores of possible names and identities for this being) can escape Hell briefly through the frenzy of a vampire, and uses its brief time on Earth to find followers and Whip them into a whirlwind of blood and death, hoping to find true freedom through the carnage. Another theory speculates that a specific and rare type of Wyrm’s Nest — a gate to Hell, not to put too fine a point on it — occasionally opens and drives the nearby Kindred to acts of murder and madness. Despite some interesting and even well-supported ideas, however, The Ordo Dracul admits that it does not know the truth about the Brood, and isn’t likely to figure it out anytime soon. When a new “outbreak” of demonic activity occurs, though, an investigative coterie is soon to follow.

Although both The Ordo Dracul and Belial’s Brood believe in the continually transformative experience of undeath, the paths dictated by their respective covenants is quite different. While the Dragons seem to think that the Beast is an obstacle to this ongoing transformation, the Brood sees the Beast as the key to it. Forsworn see The Ordo Dracul as shy explorers similar to The Circle of the Crone, always making excuses for only sticking their toes into the pool. The Dragons hide behind scientific jargon and cerebral excuses to hide their failures. While they chip away at the edges of what they consider a curse, in essence defacing themselves, the Forsworn embrace the entirety of their vampiric nature. But in most cases, these covenants have little real knowledge of one another’s core philosophies.
Strangely enough, The Ordo Dracul has taken an increasing fascination with the Brood over the years. The number of Dragons who have approached the Brood seeking insight into the covenant’s beliefs is truly startling. Many Forsworn believe that the Dragons, ever power hungry, think they can simply learn the Brood’s powers and return to their passionless unlives untouched by the Pursuit. Considering the Brood’s strict edicts concerning the recruitment of new members, this is, on its face, a losing proposition. Belial’s Brood rejects any attempt to justify dual allegiances and treats those who attempt to play a double game quite harshly. If the Dragons truly wish to learn the secrets of Belial’s Brood, there is but one route that can be traveled — the Adversary’s path.
Of course, the Brood also realizes that there is no stopping the most dedicated amongst The Ordo Dracul from observing their rituals and abilities. But the Forsworn feel secure that the experiential nature of the Pursuit will keep their secrets safe from prying eyes. While other covenants often seek to directly challenge the Brood, The Ordo Dracul is a more insidious danger. Of theBrood’s factions, the Mercy Seat has a special fancy for The Ordo Dracul’s seemingly irrational fear of the Beast. Faustians delight in antagonizing the Dragon who dares snoop around their territory by laying puzzling traps of conscience. These Dragons and Wyrms hunger not for the Brood’s blood, but for its power. The Forsworn know that a Dragon’s tongue is forked and that any aid taken from The Ordo Dracul will come with an expectation of payment.

Forsworn–Dragon Partnerships

When the Forsworn must ally themselves with members of The Ordo Dracul, it is usually over the use of the one thing they truly have in common — the places of Resonance. The Ordo Dracul seems to believe that true dragons dwell within the earth, forming places of supernatural power. Whether these sites of power are the same as those known as Resonants by the Forsworn is not completely known. Sites that resonate with the spiritual energy of the Adversary are sacred to the Brood, and most factions are loathe to share or reveal such places to those outside the covenant. But in domains in which a place of Resonance has been discovered by Dragons, sometimes the Forsworn have no choice but to share the site if attempts to wrest it away have failed. Since the Dragons pride themselves on being able to unravel the secrets of their so-called Wyrm’s Nests, the Dragons often attempt to dangle their expertise in front of the Forsworn as an inducement to cooperation. While lone Forsworn hermits may attempt to juggle such arrangements in hopes of enlightening their “Allies” with the Adversary’s power, complete coveys are less likely to risk the Adversary’s wrath or jeopardize their Pursuit.

Hostile

The Invictus

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Belial's Brood

VII

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As vampires, Brood members have been targeted by VII’s assassins in the past. Because of the preponderance of nomads within Belial’s Brood, VII’s attacks have had limited success, and many Forsworn do not even realize that VII has an agenda against all vampires. Considering the antagonism that is almost universally directed against Belial’s Brood by the other covenants, VII is often seen as simply more committed to carrying out its threats. Although nomadic coveys have yet to find a domain controlled by VII to retaliate against, Forsworn who have clashed with VII take special pride in recounting the battles against these shadowy murderers. As far as their actions against other covenants are concerned, the Forsworn tend to steer clear. The nomadic lifestyle of many Forsworn is the covenant’s greatest defense against VII. While obviously dedicated and efficient killers, VII’s numbers seem small and their covenant scattered. A covey that keeps moving has nothing to fear from them.
As for VII’s goals and mindset, those are as much an enigma to the Forsworn as any other vampire. More than one communal Haven has been destroyed by this group’s operatives, and although VII seems to be even more nomadic than the Brood itself, few coveys have reported encountering VII on the road. Further re-enforcing their mystique, members of the Roaring Serpent claim to have destroyed an entire VII hit squad in Baltimore in the 1960s. According to the Archons, VII arrived from out of town specifically to carry out a strike, and intended to depart the same evening. For the Brood, VII is a cult of assassins without ideology and seemingly without a return address. VII is an enemy of the Forsworn, but only the most paranoid would consider VII an existential threat.

Forsworn–VII Partnerships

As should come as no surprise, the Forsworn have never entered into any formal agreements with VII, although it is rumored that especially desperate coveys have taken advantage of VII raids to dispatch rivals who were usually untouchable, in some cases even turning on brethren within their own faction. These alliances of opportunity could hardly be called true partnerships, but VII nonetheless advances the goals of the Brood by sheer coincidence. In an often recounted road tale from the late 1800s, a pack of VII decimated the entire vampire population of a Mexican border town just after a covey of nomads had been chased out by the local tyrant. The story goes that the Forsworn led VII to all the havens the Brood knew, and that afterwards they even gave up the road and set up their own little fief. Sure enough, these apocryphal Forsworn knew their nights were numbered, but instead of heading back to the road, they waited in their little kingdom for VII to return and try to finish them off.

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Belial's Brood

’Twere better that nothing were begun. Thus everything that you call “sin,” destruction — in a word, as Evil represent — that is my own real element. — Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust

The Devil You Know

One of the Brood

Belial

Structure

Being Forsworn

The Hexad

Minor Factions

History

Demography and Population

Blood of the Forsworn

Foreign Relations

The Others

Violence as Dialog

Mages

Werewolves

Education

The Pursuit

The Trinity

The Call

Resonants

Cathexis

The Inmost Tug

Apostasy

Worship

Rites of the Forsworn

Systems and Sidebars

Creating Archontes

Creating Dynamei

Hostile

Forsworn–Dragon Partnerships

Hostile

Forsworn–Invictus Partnerships

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Forsworn–Carthian Partnerships

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Forsworn–Acolyte Partnerships

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Forsworn–Sanctified Partnerships

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Forsworn–Unbound Partnerships

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Forsworn–VII Partnerships

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