The Disciples of Silence
Strange even by the inclusive standards of The Circle of the Crone, the Disciples of Silence are an ongoing example of tradition in transition, evolving from a relatively conventional mystery cult to a controversial atheistic modern practice.
Millennia past, a certain point of view emerged within the covenant, achieving popularity in more than one domain. At the time, some Kindred believed that The Crone responsible for creating the material universe from the primordial void was actually an embodiment of the void itself. When the creation of the universe was complete, they said, The Crone allowed herself to dissolve back into nothingness so as to gift her myriad children with absolute freedom from her influence. There, in the nothingness of unbeing, she awaits the eventual return of her creation, and will one day emerge gain to refashion it. Thus goes the everlasting cycle of being and unbeing: creation, dissolution and recreation.
To worship The Crone, said these Kindred, was to worship the void and vice versa. To understand the nothingness is to know her directly. Naming themselves the Disciples of Silence, these devoted vampires informed all of their practice with the notion of “Silent Void” and the primal state of being without consciousness.
Practicing behind the façade of ordinary Acolytes, the Disciples explored the limits of their minds and the ability to act without thought, initiating themselves (and one another) in the deep secrets of being and unbeing as their studies progressed. Nature was sacred to these vampires, for the unconsciousness of flora and fauna. Humans and Kindred were sinful in their tendency to complicated thought and the urge to deny natural decay. The immortal static nature of vampires was, to them, the most unholy state of being, and could only be justified by active service to The Crone.
For the old Disciples of Silence, any attempt at permanence was a sin against The Crone. Even stones and the sea would dissolve into nothingness, they argued, so to build great works of architecture or to map the bounds of the sea were to ignore the truth of the Silent Void and fall to the vice of Pride. Construction, they said, was futile. Legacies were pointless noise. The purpose of the Kindred was to know meditative calm and silence, to aid in the slow and steady destruction of the universe that it might feed the return of The Crone and to abstain from the Embrace of new vampires.
For long centuries, it was difficult to tell where the Disciples of Silence dwelled. Stories were told of their exploits: the collapse of a great Temple here, the seemingly random destruction of a neonate there. Many low-level Acolytes of the Circle served the Disciples unknowingly ascending to a full understanding of the faction only when their Hierophant chose to initiate them into its ranks — most often after the faithful performance of a damning task.
Despite the reputation they gained and the apparent ubiquity of the Disciples, the truth is that the faction was relatively small and unpopular in those dark nights. A number of Acolytes brought into the fold were incapable of accepting The Message of their elders, and rebelled. Several cults belonging to the faction collapsed inwards, destroyed by insurrection. Many of the Acolytes who worshipped quietly and calmly were stigmatized by association with the more outrageous destructive acts of their alleged organization and pushed out of their home cities. Many did not survive.
By the late years of the 19th century, there were fewer than a dozen faithful Disciples left in the world of Kindred. A recent convert from The Carthian Movement by the name of Jerome Turner brought the philosophical writings of the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin with him, citing one particular quote to his fellow Acolytes: “Let us put our trust in the eternal spirit which destroys and annihilates only because it is the unsearchable and eternally creative source of all life — the passion for destruction is also a creative passion!” Turner’s impassioned attempt at overlaying nihilist philosophy on the truths of Kindred existence excited the attention of the Disciples of Silence, and Turner was quickly (some now say too quickly) initiated into their ranks.
Before long, Turner brought his vision of “Nihilist Silence” to the faction and beyond, openly preaching a peculiarly materialist version of their beliefs. He adopted and integrated the writings of mortal philosophers such as Nietzsche, Stirner and Heidegger, relating them to packs of recently Embraced “new Kindred” and attracting them to the Circle. Exiled from his home domain (at the behest of his own Hierophant), Turner found his way to a new home in Morocco, where his teachings continued. Once he’d gathered a significant number of followers, he proclaimed himself Hierophant of that domain, sparking a battle with the previously entrenched Acolytes. Turner’s viciousness and the suicidal tactics of his adherents took the older vampires by surprise, and the new Disciples of Silence won the battle.
The new iteration of the Disciples of Silence taught the calm and purpose of the cult’s original adherents, but added a futility and strangely godless mysticism to the mix. To these Disciples, the universe was not founded by a creative Crone, but came to exist of its own accord, without meaning or purpose. There is no cycle of creation and destruction, they argue — only the steady decay of all sense and matter, and the hopeless mortal urge to stave it off by building illusory structures. The act of creation, absent in the workings of the older Disciples, was returned to significance — but only to demonstrate the act’s futility. Every member of the faction was instructed to put every effort into the creation of “great works,” only to arrange the destruction of their own accomplishments as a manner of fueling ritual magicks. Meditation was eliminated from their practice as no less futile than prayer to a goddess that does not exist.
Turner encouraged his followers to travel as emulation of his tribulation on the road to Morocco, and then to preach his ways to the Acolytes of the Circle or anyone else who was willing to listen. Just before scattering, they rose up and murdered him, demonstrating the fulfillment of his lessons and their “graduation” to individual understanding.
In the nights of the 20th century, the new Disciples have spread from domain to domain, turning a surprising number of converts (as assisted by the prevailing sentiment of many Kindred in the wake of the great world wars) and spreading their godless brand of Crúac. In response, the older Disciples have attempted to denounce the new sub-faction in a bid to disown its followers. Because of the Disciples’ secretive past, they have met with little success. Many vampires believe that the Disciples were always a murderous atheist cult, and are only now growing bold enough to admit it openly.
Recently, there has been more than one attempted resurgence of the old ways of the Silent Void, but the new Disciples have carefully and mercilessly extinguished them. Where these attempts are coming from and whether they can be totally silenced is yet to be discovered.
Millennia past, a certain point of view emerged within the covenant, achieving popularity in more than one domain. At the time, some Kindred believed that The Crone responsible for creating the material universe from the primordial void was actually an embodiment of the void itself. When the creation of the universe was complete, they said, The Crone allowed herself to dissolve back into nothingness so as to gift her myriad children with absolute freedom from her influence. There, in the nothingness of unbeing, she awaits the eventual return of her creation, and will one day emerge gain to refashion it. Thus goes the everlasting cycle of being and unbeing: creation, dissolution and recreation.
To worship The Crone, said these Kindred, was to worship the void and vice versa. To understand the nothingness is to know her directly. Naming themselves the Disciples of Silence, these devoted vampires informed all of their practice with the notion of “Silent Void” and the primal state of being without consciousness.
Practicing behind the façade of ordinary Acolytes, the Disciples explored the limits of their minds and the ability to act without thought, initiating themselves (and one another) in the deep secrets of being and unbeing as their studies progressed. Nature was sacred to these vampires, for the unconsciousness of flora and fauna. Humans and Kindred were sinful in their tendency to complicated thought and the urge to deny natural decay. The immortal static nature of vampires was, to them, the most unholy state of being, and could only be justified by active service to The Crone.
For the old Disciples of Silence, any attempt at permanence was a sin against The Crone. Even stones and the sea would dissolve into nothingness, they argued, so to build great works of architecture or to map the bounds of the sea were to ignore the truth of the Silent Void and fall to the vice of Pride. Construction, they said, was futile. Legacies were pointless noise. The purpose of the Kindred was to know meditative calm and silence, to aid in the slow and steady destruction of the universe that it might feed the return of The Crone and to abstain from the Embrace of new vampires.
For long centuries, it was difficult to tell where the Disciples of Silence dwelled. Stories were told of their exploits: the collapse of a great Temple here, the seemingly random destruction of a neonate there. Many low-level Acolytes of the Circle served the Disciples unknowingly ascending to a full understanding of the faction only when their Hierophant chose to initiate them into its ranks — most often after the faithful performance of a damning task.
Despite the reputation they gained and the apparent ubiquity of the Disciples, the truth is that the faction was relatively small and unpopular in those dark nights. A number of Acolytes brought into the fold were incapable of accepting The Message of their elders, and rebelled. Several cults belonging to the faction collapsed inwards, destroyed by insurrection. Many of the Acolytes who worshipped quietly and calmly were stigmatized by association with the more outrageous destructive acts of their alleged organization and pushed out of their home cities. Many did not survive.
By the late years of the 19th century, there were fewer than a dozen faithful Disciples left in the world of Kindred. A recent convert from The Carthian Movement by the name of Jerome Turner brought the philosophical writings of the anarchist Mikhail Bakunin with him, citing one particular quote to his fellow Acolytes: “Let us put our trust in the eternal spirit which destroys and annihilates only because it is the unsearchable and eternally creative source of all life — the passion for destruction is also a creative passion!” Turner’s impassioned attempt at overlaying nihilist philosophy on the truths of Kindred existence excited the attention of the Disciples of Silence, and Turner was quickly (some now say too quickly) initiated into their ranks.
Before long, Turner brought his vision of “Nihilist Silence” to the faction and beyond, openly preaching a peculiarly materialist version of their beliefs. He adopted and integrated the writings of mortal philosophers such as Nietzsche, Stirner and Heidegger, relating them to packs of recently Embraced “new Kindred” and attracting them to the Circle. Exiled from his home domain (at the behest of his own Hierophant), Turner found his way to a new home in Morocco, where his teachings continued. Once he’d gathered a significant number of followers, he proclaimed himself Hierophant of that domain, sparking a battle with the previously entrenched Acolytes. Turner’s viciousness and the suicidal tactics of his adherents took the older vampires by surprise, and the new Disciples of Silence won the battle.
The new iteration of the Disciples of Silence taught the calm and purpose of the cult’s original adherents, but added a futility and strangely godless mysticism to the mix. To these Disciples, the universe was not founded by a creative Crone, but came to exist of its own accord, without meaning or purpose. There is no cycle of creation and destruction, they argue — only the steady decay of all sense and matter, and the hopeless mortal urge to stave it off by building illusory structures. The act of creation, absent in the workings of the older Disciples, was returned to significance — but only to demonstrate the act’s futility. Every member of the faction was instructed to put every effort into the creation of “great works,” only to arrange the destruction of their own accomplishments as a manner of fueling ritual magicks. Meditation was eliminated from their practice as no less futile than prayer to a goddess that does not exist.
Turner encouraged his followers to travel as emulation of his tribulation on the road to Morocco, and then to preach his ways to the Acolytes of the Circle or anyone else who was willing to listen. Just before scattering, they rose up and murdered him, demonstrating the fulfillment of his lessons and their “graduation” to individual understanding.
In the nights of the 20th century, the new Disciples have spread from domain to domain, turning a surprising number of converts (as assisted by the prevailing sentiment of many Kindred in the wake of the great world wars) and spreading their godless brand of Crúac. In response, the older Disciples have attempted to denounce the new sub-faction in a bid to disown its followers. Because of the Disciples’ secretive past, they have met with little success. Many vampires believe that the Disciples were always a murderous atheist cult, and are only now growing bold enough to admit it openly.
Recently, there has been more than one attempted resurgence of the old ways of the Silent Void, but the new Disciples have carefully and mercilessly extinguished them. Where these attempts are coming from and whether they can be totally silenced is yet to be discovered.
Structure
Covenant: The origins of the Disciples of Silence are based in The Circle of the Crone. Elder members of the faction still speak in religious terms, telling myths of the universal void and the peace of The Crone built into the Kindred of the Earth. The Disciples are essentially an exclusive unit within the covenant, revealing their secrets to worshippers as they ascend through ranks of initiation and understanding, but otherwise indistinguishable from other Acolytes.
However, the recent innovations within the faction have blurred the lines of membership somewhat. The Silent Void referred to in the practices of the Disciples is becoming much less an actual mystic place and much more an allegorical state of mind. As the teachings of the Disciples change, so do the rules about access to instruction. Most of the rigidly maintained tiers of knowledge are collapsing, and relatively inexperienced Acolytes are being allowed access to information that was once closely guarded. More to the point, Kindred who choose not to identify themselves as members of The Circle of the Crone are beginning to accept the teachings of the Disciples, and apply them to their own Requiems. It is entirely possible to join the faction and retain membership in an outsider covenant.
Only The Lancea Sanctum expressly forbids its members to partake in the mystic and philosophical explorations of the Disciples of Silence. The Priests of the Sanctum dislike the atheistic suggestions of the modern Disciples, and they are equally unwilling to accept the mythology of the elders.
Organization: The original rites and structure of the Disciples of Silence are all but lost to time. Stories are told of ritual circles as traditional and strict as any within the covenant, performing complicated obeisance before the empty Mother That Was and Will Be. Finding vampires who can verify these tales is almost impossible, though — they have been supplanted by the new iteration of their cult.
Modern Circles of the Disciples of Silence seem almost anarchic in their organization. A Hierophant is always named, but she usually seems to be little more than a diplomatic figurehead or rote director of ritual. The teachings of the faction are imparted by any or all members upon new recruits, and each individual member tends to perform solitary magicks and rituals as often as gathering with the group. There is no punishment for failing to attend regular rites, and there is no added regard for performing them on one’s own. Outsiders are often confused by this arrangement, wondering if they’re dealing with The Circle of the Crone at all, and doubly so when they discover that these Disciples don’t believe in The Crone herself as other than a reassuring myth, no more or less real than any God to a skeptic. Gatherings of the Circle are usually informal, and seem more like discussion groups than ritual workings.
What many fail to realize is that these free-form discussions often are the rites of the Disciples, and that the enforcement of their views (and the directed shattering of mystic beliefs) helps to fuel the magicks of the Acolytes. Furthermore, the reinforcement of the nihilist philosophies of the Silent Void helps to ensure that the attending Kindred don’t get caught up in the projects of outsiders both within and without the covenant.
There is only one holiday observed by the Disciples of Silence with regularity, and that is the Night of Ending. Each month on the first night of the new moon, the cult gathers together and each member brings a significant work of art or construction that he has built. Ideally, the presentation is one that requires great effort and demonstrates advanced craftsmanship. These gifts to the Acolytes are meant to represent the greatest achievements of humankind, and are brought forward with all the pride and hope of a veiled masterpiece, ready to be revealed. The vampire who brings the piece formally presents it to the others, placing it before them. There are no expressions of appreciation or admiration forthcoming. Instead, the vampire’s fellow Acolytes destroy the piece, demonstrating its worthlessness to themselves and its creator. None are supposed to react emotionally. To do so is not forbidden, but by avoiding such a display an Acolyte can prove his acknowledgement and acceptance of the fate of all things.
There is only one other significant ritual performed by all members of the Disciples, and it is observed alone, without schedule. It is the right of blissful silence, and it can only be performed by those Kindred who develop the power of Telepathy. When such a vampire engages in feeding, he occasionally makes psychic contact with his intended victim first. He then strikes, allowing himself to witness his own attack through his victim’s thoughts and — most importantly — experience the hazy, blank trance of the Kiss. By intimately knowing the unconsciousness of his target and overlapping it with his own blissful experience, the vampire is allowed to both witness the power of the Void and silence his own explosive emotions. Only this, of all the workings of the Disciples, is likely to be a surviving rite of the old cult.
Among the Disciples of Silence, there is a tradition for organized warfare as an expression of meaninglessness. The Acolytes of the modern cult can be depended on to join in any conflict against the side with the most ardent belief, supporting pragmatism and anti-spiritualism at every opportunity. The truth is, the Acolytes are no more pragmatic than anyone else — they just prefer the destruction of ideals as a further demonstration of meaninglessness. In warfare, the Acolytes of the Disciples create guerilla units, striking at their chosen enemy without apparent rhyme or reason, simply as a disruptive strategy. Those who do battle with the Disciples of Silence are often disturbed by the combination of their apparent lack of ideology and their near-suicidal (or completely suicidal) lack of regard for tactics. A force that depends on no underlying purpose may lack unifying power but is also nearly impossible to predict.
However, the recent innovations within the faction have blurred the lines of membership somewhat. The Silent Void referred to in the practices of the Disciples is becoming much less an actual mystic place and much more an allegorical state of mind. As the teachings of the Disciples change, so do the rules about access to instruction. Most of the rigidly maintained tiers of knowledge are collapsing, and relatively inexperienced Acolytes are being allowed access to information that was once closely guarded. More to the point, Kindred who choose not to identify themselves as members of The Circle of the Crone are beginning to accept the teachings of the Disciples, and apply them to their own Requiems. It is entirely possible to join the faction and retain membership in an outsider covenant.
Only The Lancea Sanctum expressly forbids its members to partake in the mystic and philosophical explorations of the Disciples of Silence. The Priests of the Sanctum dislike the atheistic suggestions of the modern Disciples, and they are equally unwilling to accept the mythology of the elders.
Organization: The original rites and structure of the Disciples of Silence are all but lost to time. Stories are told of ritual circles as traditional and strict as any within the covenant, performing complicated obeisance before the empty Mother That Was and Will Be. Finding vampires who can verify these tales is almost impossible, though — they have been supplanted by the new iteration of their cult.
Modern Circles of the Disciples of Silence seem almost anarchic in their organization. A Hierophant is always named, but she usually seems to be little more than a diplomatic figurehead or rote director of ritual. The teachings of the faction are imparted by any or all members upon new recruits, and each individual member tends to perform solitary magicks and rituals as often as gathering with the group. There is no punishment for failing to attend regular rites, and there is no added regard for performing them on one’s own. Outsiders are often confused by this arrangement, wondering if they’re dealing with The Circle of the Crone at all, and doubly so when they discover that these Disciples don’t believe in The Crone herself as other than a reassuring myth, no more or less real than any God to a skeptic. Gatherings of the Circle are usually informal, and seem more like discussion groups than ritual workings.
What many fail to realize is that these free-form discussions often are the rites of the Disciples, and that the enforcement of their views (and the directed shattering of mystic beliefs) helps to fuel the magicks of the Acolytes. Furthermore, the reinforcement of the nihilist philosophies of the Silent Void helps to ensure that the attending Kindred don’t get caught up in the projects of outsiders both within and without the covenant.
There is only one holiday observed by the Disciples of Silence with regularity, and that is the Night of Ending. Each month on the first night of the new moon, the cult gathers together and each member brings a significant work of art or construction that he has built. Ideally, the presentation is one that requires great effort and demonstrates advanced craftsmanship. These gifts to the Acolytes are meant to represent the greatest achievements of humankind, and are brought forward with all the pride and hope of a veiled masterpiece, ready to be revealed. The vampire who brings the piece formally presents it to the others, placing it before them. There are no expressions of appreciation or admiration forthcoming. Instead, the vampire’s fellow Acolytes destroy the piece, demonstrating its worthlessness to themselves and its creator. None are supposed to react emotionally. To do so is not forbidden, but by avoiding such a display an Acolyte can prove his acknowledgement and acceptance of the fate of all things.
There is only one other significant ritual performed by all members of the Disciples, and it is observed alone, without schedule. It is the right of blissful silence, and it can only be performed by those Kindred who develop the power of Telepathy. When such a vampire engages in feeding, he occasionally makes psychic contact with his intended victim first. He then strikes, allowing himself to witness his own attack through his victim’s thoughts and — most importantly — experience the hazy, blank trance of the Kiss. By intimately knowing the unconsciousness of his target and overlapping it with his own blissful experience, the vampire is allowed to both witness the power of the Void and silence his own explosive emotions. Only this, of all the workings of the Disciples, is likely to be a surviving rite of the old cult.
Among the Disciples of Silence, there is a tradition for organized warfare as an expression of meaninglessness. The Acolytes of the modern cult can be depended on to join in any conflict against the side with the most ardent belief, supporting pragmatism and anti-spiritualism at every opportunity. The truth is, the Acolytes are no more pragmatic than anyone else — they just prefer the destruction of ideals as a further demonstration of meaninglessness. In warfare, the Acolytes of the Disciples create guerilla units, striking at their chosen enemy without apparent rhyme or reason, simply as a disruptive strategy. Those who do battle with the Disciples of Silence are often disturbed by the combination of their apparent lack of ideology and their near-suicidal (or completely suicidal) lack of regard for tactics. A force that depends on no underlying purpose may lack unifying power but is also nearly impossible to predict.
Culture
Appearance: The Disciples of Silence are understated in appearance. They tend to be well-groomed, nondescript and relatively relaxed in their dress. Because they refuse to ascribe meaning to material goods beyond basic function, they never wear trendy or luxury outfits unless actively trying to provoke a reaction.
There is a fashion among the Disciples to go beyond the relatively bland norm and actively conform, choosing a single look that is adopted by all local members. In so doing, they claim, they utterly eliminate the unnecessary trappings of material identity and so avoid distinguishing themselves. Wardrobe choices are individual statements, after all, and the Disciples would prefer to quiet them.
More traditional members of the faction often choose to wear a simple robe or cloak (or, in some domains, a neutral gray suit) and say nothing more on the subject. For them, true worship of the Silent Void is more important than worrying over what one’s clothes do or don’t mean.
Those Disciples who carry weapons always choose function over form. To them, a rusty pipe is no less useful than a carbon-graphite baton, and either will do. Blades are simple and often store-bought, firearms are generic and little or no personal value is attached to either.
There is a fashion among the Disciples to go beyond the relatively bland norm and actively conform, choosing a single look that is adopted by all local members. In so doing, they claim, they utterly eliminate the unnecessary trappings of material identity and so avoid distinguishing themselves. Wardrobe choices are individual statements, after all, and the Disciples would prefer to quiet them.
More traditional members of the faction often choose to wear a simple robe or cloak (or, in some domains, a neutral gray suit) and say nothing more on the subject. For them, true worship of the Silent Void is more important than worrying over what one’s clothes do or don’t mean.
Those Disciples who carry weapons always choose function over form. To them, a rusty pipe is no less useful than a carbon-graphite baton, and either will do. Blades are simple and often store-bought, firearms are generic and little or no personal value is attached to either.
Assets
Haven: The traditional outlook of the faction demands that a devoted follower dwell in a featureless, undecorated space: a blank room, a hole in the ground or an unused sewer tunnel would all serve. To personalize the Haven is to clutter it. To add to one’s possessions is to remove one’s self further from the Void. Furthermore, the lack of stimulus helps engender a meditative state of “blessed silence” in a Haven. Many an Acolyte spends hours a night, seated in her featureless abode, staring into empty space and hoping to make contact with the great Silent Void behind and beyond the living world.
Those with more modern sensibilities have a tendency to gravitate toward havens that are in a clear state of decay, working as a constant reminder that even the great works of humans must eventually fall back into chaos. These Disciples make their homes in abandoned factories, dilapidated schools and hospitals and collapsed tenements. Some make a point of finding and staying in the remains of a natural disaster, reminding themselves (and their visitors) of the ever-present potential for disintegration into meaninglessness.
Even in the modernist case, the vampire is unlikely to keep any personal objects around unless they serve an immediate, necessary function. Sentimental or aesthetic decoration is conspicuously absent.
Those with more modern sensibilities have a tendency to gravitate toward havens that are in a clear state of decay, working as a constant reminder that even the great works of humans must eventually fall back into chaos. These Disciples make their homes in abandoned factories, dilapidated schools and hospitals and collapsed tenements. Some make a point of finding and staying in the remains of a natural disaster, reminding themselves (and their visitors) of the ever-present potential for disintegration into meaninglessness.
Even in the modernist case, the vampire is unlikely to keep any personal objects around unless they serve an immediate, necessary function. Sentimental or aesthetic decoration is conspicuously absent.
History
Background: Nearly every mortal who is Embraced by a modern Nihilist vampire is an intellectual in a state of hopelessness or despair. Disgruntled dreamers and frustrated philosophers are attractive targets for the faction, since they can be relied upon to take up the banner of the Disciples. Few have achieved any kind of popular success in their life’s work, and those who have demonstrate a clear understanding of the hollowness of their achievements. Religious individuals or those who otherwise devote themselves to ideologies of universal purpose are only Embraced vindictively, if at all. “Pointless nobodies, taken from their lives of drudgery and pushed into an eternally futile exercise,” one modern Disciple famously remarked in response to queries about his choice of childer, “like undying hamsters in a great and useless wheel.”
The nights of the elder Disciples are rapidly coming to a close, and very few mortals are Embraced according to the Disciples’ standards any more. Those who are must demonstrate a capacity for egoless function, the art of precise action without the interference of intellect. Masters of meditative technique, particularly talented athletes, and certain madmen would all qualify.
The nights of the elder Disciples are rapidly coming to a close, and very few mortals are Embraced according to the Disciples’ standards any more. Those who are must demonstrate a capacity for egoless function, the art of precise action without the interference of intellect. Masters of meditative technique, particularly talented athletes, and certain madmen would all qualify.
Worship
Crúac: The Disciples of Silence practice an extremely stripped-down version of Crúac, maintaining the core of the rituals while eliminating nearly all of the mystic trappings from them. Almost all magicks are performed in near or total darkness, and most are silent as well. The eerie, solemn procession of Acolytes as they contribute their blood to the group rites is always a disturbing sight to those outsiders who manage to get a glimpse, assuming they can see them at all.
To aid in clearing the mind during ritual and achieving the meditative emptiness so valued by the faction, all of the Crúac rites are made up of a series of mechanical, repetitive motions that are easily learned and frequently practiced. The idea is to get the body to perform the tasks required of it without the need for unnecessary thought.
There seems to be a paradox in the workings of the cult: magick is ideally performed, in their teachings, without desire. That is to say, the ideal Crúac ritual is initiated and completed without conscious intent. But magick, according to nearly every interpretation, involves the focusing of will. How then, do the Disciples explain their works? The answer is simple (ludicrously so to most detractors): they don’t. They just do them. To ask for an explanation is to attempt to attach an illusion of meaning to practice that does not need or ask for one.
Many of the tribulations of the Disciples of Silence involve sensory deprivation, and some go so far as temporary blinding or deafening of the supplicant.
To aid in clearing the mind during ritual and achieving the meditative emptiness so valued by the faction, all of the Crúac rites are made up of a series of mechanical, repetitive motions that are easily learned and frequently practiced. The idea is to get the body to perform the tasks required of it without the need for unnecessary thought.
There seems to be a paradox in the workings of the cult: magick is ideally performed, in their teachings, without desire. That is to say, the ideal Crúac ritual is initiated and completed without conscious intent. But magick, according to nearly every interpretation, involves the focusing of will. How then, do the Disciples explain their works? The answer is simple (ludicrously so to most detractors): they don’t. They just do them. To ask for an explanation is to attempt to attach an illusion of meaning to practice that does not need or ask for one.
Many of the tribulations of the Disciples of Silence involve sensory deprivation, and some go so far as temporary blinding or deafening of the supplicant.
Nickname
Nihilists
Many of the modern Disciples of Silence refer to themselves this way without hesitation. Existentialist nihilist philosophy maps very well onto the beliefs and practices of the faction, and has been fully adopted in nearly every chapter. Traditionalist elder members of the group claim that the association is erroneous and often fight to demonstrate that worship of the Silent Void is not the same as nihilism, but they seem to be losing the battle.
Character Creation: For characters Embraced into the dwindling traditional custom of the Disciples of Silence, Physical Attributes are primary (with a special focus on Stamina in most cases). Mental Skills such as Crafts, Medicine and Occult rank highly, as do Mental Merits.
The modern Nihilists are more focused on Mental Attributes, and certain Mental Skills (most notably Academics and “hard” Sciences such as Physics or Theoretical Mathematics) are valued. Mental Merits, once again, are common.
Faction Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate and Dominate are all considered important to the Disciples of Silence. Each suggests a different path to understanding or demonstrating the power of the Void, and so all are encouraged. The practice of a particularly bleak variant on Crúac is traditionally taught to Acolytes of The Circle of the Crone in the faction, and has survived to modern use.
Dominate is a particularly insidious tool in the hands of the Disciples of Silence, and deserves some discussion on its own. While the modernist members of the faction discourage individual expression and the imposition of false values upon others, they do promote a purely destructive application of this Discipline: the interruption of cognitive function that can be brought about with Mesmerism (Dominate ••), the wholesale erasure of memories with The Forgetful Mind (Dominate •••) and the absolute breakdown of personality with Conditioning (Dominate ••••). Ritualized use of the Discipline, while uncommon, does surface in some domains with devastating result. Needless to say, Acolytes who make a habit of destroying the minds of others are not likely to be tolerated long by outsider Kindred.
Concepts: blind Mekhet witch, cruel shatterer of illusions, despairing victim of multiple tragedy, disillusioned ex-Sanctified priest, enlightened, egoless elder, existentialist predator, introspective abyss-gazer, isolation-tank vampire freak, warrior without cause
Nihilists
Many of the modern Disciples of Silence refer to themselves this way without hesitation. Existentialist nihilist philosophy maps very well onto the beliefs and practices of the faction, and has been fully adopted in nearly every chapter. Traditionalist elder members of the group claim that the association is erroneous and often fight to demonstrate that worship of the Silent Void is not the same as nihilism, but they seem to be losing the battle.
Type
Religious, Sect
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
The modern Nihilists are more focused on Mental Attributes, and certain Mental Skills (most notably Academics and “hard” Sciences such as Physics or Theoretical Mathematics) are valued. Mental Merits, once again, are common.
Faction Disciplines: Auspex, Obfuscate and Dominate are all considered important to the Disciples of Silence. Each suggests a different path to understanding or demonstrating the power of the Void, and so all are encouraged. The practice of a particularly bleak variant on Crúac is traditionally taught to Acolytes of The Circle of the Crone in the faction, and has survived to modern use.
Dominate is a particularly insidious tool in the hands of the Disciples of Silence, and deserves some discussion on its own. While the modernist members of the faction discourage individual expression and the imposition of false values upon others, they do promote a purely destructive application of this Discipline: the interruption of cognitive function that can be brought about with Mesmerism (Dominate ••), the wholesale erasure of memories with The Forgetful Mind (Dominate •••) and the absolute breakdown of personality with Conditioning (Dominate ••••). Ritualized use of the Discipline, while uncommon, does surface in some domains with devastating result. Needless to say, Acolytes who make a habit of destroying the minds of others are not likely to be tolerated long by outsider Kindred.
Concepts: blind Mekhet witch, cruel shatterer of illusions, despairing victim of multiple tragedy, disillusioned ex-Sanctified priest, enlightened, egoless elder, existentialist predator, introspective abyss-gazer, isolation-tank vampire freak, warrior without cause