Hierophant
(••••+)
In domains where The Circle of the Crone has a significant enough presence to warrant it (that is, in cities with three or more members), the wisest take on the equivalent role of high Priest. Such a spiritual leader is called a Hierophant, and is charged with a number of duties to his fellows. The Hierophant is responsible for calling meetings to order and for leading various rites and rituals (such as the Crone’s Liturgy). The Hierophant also oversees the induction of new members to the Circle, and no Acolyte may be granted full Status without his leave. “Hierophant” is also a term of respect, and even elders who no longer lead rituals may continue to bear the title as a “badge of office” or a sign of enlightenment.
Among the Hierophant’s responsibilities is the actual formation of dogma observed by the covenant in a given domain. For example, some Hierophants call extensively upon the Celtic pantheon in interpreting the Kindred condition, while others invoke “demons” who are actually nature spirits in certain Eastern European followings. Still others might have an outlook that draws heavily on Judeo-Christian myth, substituting Lilith for the Crone, while other groups see themselves as incarnations of the Native American wendigo or manitou. Still others blend a variety of religions into their own unique view of the Kindred. This body of dogma almost always grows organically over time, incorporating new Acolytes’ beliefs, changing when the The Circle of the Crone covenant’s tastes dictate, or taking into account new information or discoveries. More so than any other covenant, the policies of The Circle of the Crone morph and adapt, and the responsibility of keeping it all cogent rests in the hands of the Hierophant.
The role of Hierophant is used nearly across the board when it comes to The Circle of the Crone. Democracy is of little interest to most Acolytes, for the gods and goddesses do not grant all Kindred an equal vote by dint of them being vampires. For this covenant, power lies in the hands of the capable, the faithful and the blessed. The Hierophant, acting as both spiritual and political leader within most domains where Acolytes are present, is considered to be all three of those things. She must be capable, for without ability another would take her place (much as a beta wolf can depose a weak alpha). She must appear to be faithful, for the powers and sorceries of the Circle demand reverence. And, in some fashion, she must be blessed.
Some interpret a “blessing” as nothing more than natural ability, whereas others see a “blessing” as a literal, even superstitious “approval” by the gods or spirits. Such divine consent may come in the form of ravens alighting upon her shoulders, or maybe on the night of the Acolyte’s Embrace, the city featured an abnormally high occurrence of miscarriages and suicides. Every cult will interpret omens and portents differently from the next.
The Hierophant, above all, is a spiritual leader. She invokes ritual. She determines which holy days are appropriate, and which are to be disavowed (or even labeled “blasphemous”). She helps set the precedent for what counts as proper worship in the domain. Her job is not, however, to make all the city’s Acolytes happy Certainly, some Hierophants attempt to do that, but doing so is at odds with genuine belief. If the Hierophant believes unequivocally that one must worship Cailleach the Crone with ceremonies of starvation, but a smaller cult within the city offers worship to Xipe Totec (an Aztec god of rebirth), then she is shortchanging her own goddess in letting these others throw their reverence toward this alternate entity.
Of course, therein lurks imbalance. The Hierophant is also a political leader. She helps set the course of what the Acolytes will try to accomplish within the mad waltz of the Danse Macabre. She determines whether they will seek power by covert or overt means, or whether they will eschew temporal power in favor of divine puissance. She helps to decide which other covenants will make strong Allies and which must remain adversaries. Can members of The Invictus also offer worship to the Crone?The Hierophant decides such things.
How is the balance struck between spiritual and political spheres? In the above example of Cailleach versus Xipe Totec, the Hierophant must make a choice. If she errs on the religious side, then it is possible to estrange those adherents of Xipe Totec. The Circle of the Crone is already a loose federation of cults, and such a tenuous partnership can breed weakness. By shunning other Acolytes or forcing them into that which they do not believe, the Hierophant risks thinning an already ephemeral powerbase.
The other side of the coin is choosing the purely political route: let the zealots of Xipe Totec have their belief. As long as they’re willing to provide mutual benefit to the Hierophant and her own Cailleach cultists, then all is safe. So what if the magic of the followers of Xipe Totec is weakened by reliance upon a lesser god? The Hierophant can remain confident in her own belief, can she not? What if the Crone is angered by letting Xipe Totec into the city?
Some Hierophants struggle to find compromise. In the above case, perhaps the other Acolytes can continue to worship their Aztec “god” provided they still show up to the Cailleach rituals sanctioned by the Hierophant. Unfortunately, when it comes to bloodstained faith mixed with volatile vampire politics, rarely does such compromise come easily. For this reason, the Hierophant’s job is not an envious one. It comes with a great deal of power. Yes, she can determine who worships what, who may learn Crúac and who belongs in the covenant in the first place. But maintaining that balance between religion and politics is like walking a razor-wire tightrope.
The term Hierophant comes from the Greek. Hieros means “holy” and phantes means “one who shows.” The role is also known as La Hiera (“the holy”), High Priest, Hotar or Magus.
Among the Hierophant’s responsibilities is the actual formation of dogma observed by the covenant in a given domain. For example, some Hierophants call extensively upon the Celtic pantheon in interpreting the Kindred condition, while others invoke “demons” who are actually nature spirits in certain Eastern European followings. Still others might have an outlook that draws heavily on Judeo-Christian myth, substituting Lilith for the Crone, while other groups see themselves as incarnations of the Native American wendigo or manitou. Still others blend a variety of religions into their own unique view of the Kindred. This body of dogma almost always grows organically over time, incorporating new Acolytes’ beliefs, changing when the The Circle of the Crone covenant’s tastes dictate, or taking into account new information or discoveries. More so than any other covenant, the policies of The Circle of the Crone morph and adapt, and the responsibility of keeping it all cogent rests in the hands of the Hierophant.
The role of Hierophant is used nearly across the board when it comes to The Circle of the Crone. Democracy is of little interest to most Acolytes, for the gods and goddesses do not grant all Kindred an equal vote by dint of them being vampires. For this covenant, power lies in the hands of the capable, the faithful and the blessed. The Hierophant, acting as both spiritual and political leader within most domains where Acolytes are present, is considered to be all three of those things. She must be capable, for without ability another would take her place (much as a beta wolf can depose a weak alpha). She must appear to be faithful, for the powers and sorceries of the Circle demand reverence. And, in some fashion, she must be blessed.
Some interpret a “blessing” as nothing more than natural ability, whereas others see a “blessing” as a literal, even superstitious “approval” by the gods or spirits. Such divine consent may come in the form of ravens alighting upon her shoulders, or maybe on the night of the Acolyte’s Embrace, the city featured an abnormally high occurrence of miscarriages and suicides. Every cult will interpret omens and portents differently from the next.
The Hierophant, above all, is a spiritual leader. She invokes ritual. She determines which holy days are appropriate, and which are to be disavowed (or even labeled “blasphemous”). She helps set the precedent for what counts as proper worship in the domain. Her job is not, however, to make all the city’s Acolytes happy Certainly, some Hierophants attempt to do that, but doing so is at odds with genuine belief. If the Hierophant believes unequivocally that one must worship Cailleach the Crone with ceremonies of starvation, but a smaller cult within the city offers worship to Xipe Totec (an Aztec god of rebirth), then she is shortchanging her own goddess in letting these others throw their reverence toward this alternate entity.
Of course, therein lurks imbalance. The Hierophant is also a political leader. She helps set the course of what the Acolytes will try to accomplish within the mad waltz of the Danse Macabre. She determines whether they will seek power by covert or overt means, or whether they will eschew temporal power in favor of divine puissance. She helps to decide which other covenants will make strong Allies and which must remain adversaries. Can members of The Invictus also offer worship to the Crone?The Hierophant decides such things.
How is the balance struck between spiritual and political spheres? In the above example of Cailleach versus Xipe Totec, the Hierophant must make a choice. If she errs on the religious side, then it is possible to estrange those adherents of Xipe Totec. The Circle of the Crone is already a loose federation of cults, and such a tenuous partnership can breed weakness. By shunning other Acolytes or forcing them into that which they do not believe, the Hierophant risks thinning an already ephemeral powerbase.
The other side of the coin is choosing the purely political route: let the zealots of Xipe Totec have their belief. As long as they’re willing to provide mutual benefit to the Hierophant and her own Cailleach cultists, then all is safe. So what if the magic of the followers of Xipe Totec is weakened by reliance upon a lesser god? The Hierophant can remain confident in her own belief, can she not? What if the Crone is angered by letting Xipe Totec into the city?
Some Hierophants struggle to find compromise. In the above case, perhaps the other Acolytes can continue to worship their Aztec “god” provided they still show up to the Cailleach rituals sanctioned by the Hierophant. Unfortunately, when it comes to bloodstained faith mixed with volatile vampire politics, rarely does such compromise come easily. For this reason, the Hierophant’s job is not an envious one. It comes with a great deal of power. Yes, she can determine who worships what, who may learn Crúac and who belongs in the covenant in the first place. But maintaining that balance between religion and politics is like walking a razor-wire tightrope.
The term Hierophant comes from the Greek. Hieros means “holy” and phantes means “one who shows.” The role is also known as La Hiera (“the holy”), High Priest, Hotar or Magus.
Type
Religious, Political
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