Quadragesima
Quadragesima (literally Latin for “40 days” or “40th day”) is an imposed period of reflection, prayer, and fasting for the Sanctified. According to some translations of the Testament, after Longinus was cursed, he existed in a numb, hungry state for 40 nights. During these 40 nights, he wandered mad with starvation, eyes and mind lying to him with hallucinations and visions. This was the covenant father’s darkest time, but in a way, also the most revealing. For in his visions, he saw the true nature of his Requiem, and found what it meant to be a sanguine fiend of the night. Many of these visions found in the Testament, written in a cryptic poetical style, are said to inform much of what would become Longinus’ philosophies and The Lancea Sanctum’s practices.
To emulate the fasting of Longinus, the covenant offers the ritus of Quadragesima (sometimes called only “The Holy Denial” or “The Prophet’s Fast”). It begins on the first night of the New Year (January 1) and continues for forty days, until February 9. Abstaining from drinking blood is a critical part of this ritual, but isn’t the sum total of it, either. Starving oneself from Vitae for a full five and a half weeks is a sure road to frenzy, not to mention a practical guarantee that some overenthusiastic neonate is going to shatter the Masquerade. The fasting onlytakes place during the final week of the Denial, from February 3 to February 9. Wise Kindred feed to satiety beforehand so as not to go truly hungry, and hide themselves contemplatively away in their havens for the time, so as not to require any unnecessary uses of their Vitae. Clever enemies know that this is an excellent time to engage faithful Sanctified, if only to deplete their blood supplies and lead them to weakness.
The days prior to February 3 are marked by prayer and reflection, leading up to the abstaining from blood. Prayers are largely personal, with several instances of Ecclesia observed by individuals or coteries. Midnight Mass during this period does take on even more pomp and circumstance, however, usually running double the time with readings from the more obscure parts of The Testament of Longinus. Not all Sanctified join in the ritus of Quadragesima. Once upon a time, they did. They were required to, actually, bound by dogma (and held fast by threats of further damnation and heresy) to take part in the Denial. As traditionalist and demanding as The Lancea Sanctum is, it can’t demand such a sacrifice of its members in the current night, mostly because it just can’t keep track of who is partaking and who isn’t. Moreover, it’s dangerous inviting such weakness into the covenant, even if only for seven nights. The Sanctified party line demands that every covenant member take part in the ritual. The reality, on the other hand, is that most give some lip service to prayer, but not to the actual fasting.
To emulate the fasting of Longinus, the covenant offers the ritus of Quadragesima (sometimes called only “The Holy Denial” or “The Prophet’s Fast”). It begins on the first night of the New Year (January 1) and continues for forty days, until February 9. Abstaining from drinking blood is a critical part of this ritual, but isn’t the sum total of it, either. Starving oneself from Vitae for a full five and a half weeks is a sure road to frenzy, not to mention a practical guarantee that some overenthusiastic neonate is going to shatter the Masquerade. The fasting onlytakes place during the final week of the Denial, from February 3 to February 9. Wise Kindred feed to satiety beforehand so as not to go truly hungry, and hide themselves contemplatively away in their havens for the time, so as not to require any unnecessary uses of their Vitae. Clever enemies know that this is an excellent time to engage faithful Sanctified, if only to deplete their blood supplies and lead them to weakness.
The days prior to February 3 are marked by prayer and reflection, leading up to the abstaining from blood. Prayers are largely personal, with several instances of Ecclesia observed by individuals or coteries. Midnight Mass during this period does take on even more pomp and circumstance, however, usually running double the time with readings from the more obscure parts of The Testament of Longinus. Not all Sanctified join in the ritus of Quadragesima. Once upon a time, they did. They were required to, actually, bound by dogma (and held fast by threats of further damnation and heresy) to take part in the Denial. As traditionalist and demanding as The Lancea Sanctum is, it can’t demand such a sacrifice of its members in the current night, mostly because it just can’t keep track of who is partaking and who isn’t. Moreover, it’s dangerous inviting such weakness into the covenant, even if only for seven nights. The Sanctified party line demands that every covenant member take part in the ritual. The reality, on the other hand, is that most give some lip service to prayer, but not to the actual fasting.
Related Organizations
System: Quadragesima
Those Sanctified who faithfully meet the obligations of Quadragesima find that it reinvigorates them, giving them a wellspring of faith upon which to draw when they need it most. After fulfilling the requirements of the ritus, the Sanctified character’s player may declare that the 9 Again rule applies to any single roll he makes. Again, this 9 Again bonus applies to a single roll — if applied to an extended action, it affects only the next roll made for that action, not every roll made for that action. If this bonus isn’t taken before the beginning of the next Quadragesima (January 1), it is lost; players may not “bank” 9 Again bonuses earned in this manner. The 9 Again rule is described on p. 134 of the World of Darkness rulebook.Note that the rules for hunger and starvation (see p. 179 of Vampire: The Requiem) apply when necessary during Quadragesima.