The Mercy Seat
“Ich bin der Geist, der stets verneint!” - “I am the spirit that denies!”
The Forsworn of the Mercy Seat make up some of the most dedicated and focused coveys of Belial’s Brood. This is because these appropriately styled “Faustians” believe strongly in the Forsworn notion that the material world is the realm of a deity of matter, in which the souls of men and beasts must play through the drama of life, with all of its impure and sloppy imperfection, until death releases them into the realm of spirit, be they worthy or not. The condition of the vampire, however, is to remain in this world, no matter what comes, bound to the pillar of sarx for eternity. Nonetheless, in this hopelessness the Faustians find purpose. As an act of devotion to the Demiurge and the purity of the supernal realm, the Faustians protect the balance of the pure and impure. The path of the Mercy Seat to mire the unworthy in the nets and snares of their own sin, providing irresistible obstacles of corruption and distraction to prevent all but the most worthy from moving beyond the world of the Demiurge.
These purest of souls, however, are the greatest prize of a true Faustian. Although a drunk can be lead to drink, or a whore to fornicate, in leading saints and the selfless astray the Faustian’s greatest reward may be found. As each good soul is turned to sin, the higher realms are deprived of their bounty. This is important to the Faustians, as they believe their return to the Adversary is conditional upon the emptiness of Heaven.
The Mercy Seat traces the beginning of its hellish mandate to the first time man fell victim to his desires and caused ruin in his world. Although some even claim the “Eve and the Apple Story” as one of Faustian origin, the reality of the Faustians’ past is far more complicated and subtle. Despite the poetics of such belief, the historical rise of the Mercy Seat as a dominant faction coincided with the rise of the city-states of northern Italy in the 11th century. As the new merchant class struggled to secure its footing amidst the theater of political fragmentation, coveys of Forsworn entrenched themselves in preparation for what was to come. Although the people The Mercy Seat of these merchant communities struggled against both the papacy and the courts to maintain their independence, vampires of the Brood worked against these forces. Once the city-states secured their footing with the unseen help of numerous Kindred coconspirators, Genoa, Milan, Pisa, Florence and Venice arose as powerful presences and became independent city-states. On this new playing field, the Faustians would work their widening dark agenda. Although these new states thrived economically and culturally, they became nests of decadence and corruption, redefining the viciousness of man in a new and powerful way. The nascent faction’s crowning achievement occurred when the Mercy Seat managed to drive a wedge between the region and the Pope by helping to foster a struggle between the Guelphs (the lapdogs of the pope) and the Gibellines (the supporters of the emperors). The Faustians work toward to the legacy of such epic corruptions to this very day.
These purest of souls, however, are the greatest prize of a true Faustian. Although a drunk can be lead to drink, or a whore to fornicate, in leading saints and the selfless astray the Faustian’s greatest reward may be found. As each good soul is turned to sin, the higher realms are deprived of their bounty. This is important to the Faustians, as they believe their return to the Adversary is conditional upon the emptiness of Heaven.
The Mercy Seat traces the beginning of its hellish mandate to the first time man fell victim to his desires and caused ruin in his world. Although some even claim the “Eve and the Apple Story” as one of Faustian origin, the reality of the Faustians’ past is far more complicated and subtle. Despite the poetics of such belief, the historical rise of the Mercy Seat as a dominant faction coincided with the rise of the city-states of northern Italy in the 11th century. As the new merchant class struggled to secure its footing amidst the theater of political fragmentation, coveys of Forsworn entrenched themselves in preparation for what was to come. Although the people The Mercy Seat of these merchant communities struggled against both the papacy and the courts to maintain their independence, vampires of the Brood worked against these forces. Once the city-states secured their footing with the unseen help of numerous Kindred coconspirators, Genoa, Milan, Pisa, Florence and Venice arose as powerful presences and became independent city-states. On this new playing field, the Faustians would work their widening dark agenda. Although these new states thrived economically and culturally, they became nests of decadence and corruption, redefining the viciousness of man in a new and powerful way. The nascent faction’s crowning achievement occurred when the Mercy Seat managed to drive a wedge between the region and the Pope by helping to foster a struggle between the Guelphs (the lapdogs of the pope) and the Gibellines (the supporters of the emperors). The Faustians work toward to the legacy of such epic corruptions to this very day.
Structure
Organization: For the most part, the methods by which the Faustians manage themselves vary dramatically from covey to covey. Effectively, local organization is set “as needed,” as the agents of the Mercy Seat must play many roles to bring their plans to fruition. Nonetheless, each member of a covey has a defined role and is completely responsible for everything that falls under its purview. Although mystics at their core, the Faustians can seem almost military in the practicality of these roles. Despite their internal cohesion, coveys of the Mercy Seat almost never work with each other, as each covey has its own projects, many of which are mutually exclusive to those of other groups. All the same, a style of “honor among thieves” holds true among members of the Mercy Seat, as members realize that all Faustian coveys seek to keep foul the corrupt material world.
As they are a cult of the pneuma, Faustians afford members of the Therion caste even more respect than they receive in other factions. Because of the deeply philosophical path of the Faustians, the inspired words and cryptic suggestions of the Advocates are the subject of much contemplation, and often chart the courses of the coveys to which they are attached.
As they are a cult of the pneuma, Faustians afford members of the Therion caste even more respect than they receive in other factions. Because of the deeply philosophical path of the Faustians, the inspired words and cryptic suggestions of the Advocates are the subject of much contemplation, and often chart the courses of the coveys to which they are attached.
Culture
Rites of the Mercy Seat
Although the Faustians are highly practical in their plans and schemes, the Mercy Seat’s ceremonies are often deeply symbolic and solemn. Rich with the depth of their twisted philosophy, rites among the Faustians often include ritual dramas that play out the themes present in the cosmology of their beliefs.
One curious rite of the Mercy Seat is also the primary source of the faction’s nickname. Sometimes used as an initiation, the ritual is unusual because a non-vampire — specifically, a ghoul — takes the role of a major operant during the working. The ritual makes use of the Goetic circle and summoning triangle, which are both etched upon the floor in the blood of a sacrificial beast. Wearing a belt of lion fur (inside which is etched the names of the Adversary in glyphs drawn from the Tongue of the Beast), the ghoul stands within the circle while the vampire stands in the triangle. Then, amidst thick clouds of dense incense smoke, the ghoul evokes the vampire’s Beast. At that point, the vampire’s Beast is believed to be briefly liberated of its fleshy shell, and is then able to give dark insights to the gathered celebrants at the ghoul-magician’s command.
Although deeply spiritual, the most sacred ritual of the Faustian covey is the ceremonial acknowledgment of a soul turned away from the supernal realm. In most cases, this means that a mortal under the sway of the Faustians has committed some abominable sin from which he cannot morally or spiritually recover. Although such victories depend more on the sinner than the sin, the rite that ensues is one of grim affirmation. Once the completion of a corruption has been achieved, the covey gathers and in the blood of the presiding Priest (whether it be one of the Therion or another covey member prone to revelation and insight), the name of the fallen is scripted upon a piece of vellum and cast into an open flame. While the rite is simple, it is the subject of quiet celebration for the agents of the Mercy Seat, and is generally followed by a celebratory Vaulderie.
Appearance: To make a fixed statement about the appearance of Faustian Forsworn would be an exercise in futility, as their attire and any witnessed face can change like a shift in the wind. The Prince’s ghoul, the Seneschal’s lover, the Priscus’s confidant — any or all of which could be a Mercy Seat operative, if the faction ever cared to meddle in the affairs of the Unlearned. As a covey moves from soul to soul, individual members could assume dozens of identities: whatever is required to bring their quarry to ground.
Although the Faustians are highly practical in their plans and schemes, the Mercy Seat’s ceremonies are often deeply symbolic and solemn. Rich with the depth of their twisted philosophy, rites among the Faustians often include ritual dramas that play out the themes present in the cosmology of their beliefs.
One curious rite of the Mercy Seat is also the primary source of the faction’s nickname. Sometimes used as an initiation, the ritual is unusual because a non-vampire — specifically, a ghoul — takes the role of a major operant during the working. The ritual makes use of the Goetic circle and summoning triangle, which are both etched upon the floor in the blood of a sacrificial beast. Wearing a belt of lion fur (inside which is etched the names of the Adversary in glyphs drawn from the Tongue of the Beast), the ghoul stands within the circle while the vampire stands in the triangle. Then, amidst thick clouds of dense incense smoke, the ghoul evokes the vampire’s Beast. At that point, the vampire’s Beast is believed to be briefly liberated of its fleshy shell, and is then able to give dark insights to the gathered celebrants at the ghoul-magician’s command.
Although deeply spiritual, the most sacred ritual of the Faustian covey is the ceremonial acknowledgment of a soul turned away from the supernal realm. In most cases, this means that a mortal under the sway of the Faustians has committed some abominable sin from which he cannot morally or spiritually recover. Although such victories depend more on the sinner than the sin, the rite that ensues is one of grim affirmation. Once the completion of a corruption has been achieved, the covey gathers and in the blood of the presiding Priest (whether it be one of the Therion or another covey member prone to revelation and insight), the name of the fallen is scripted upon a piece of vellum and cast into an open flame. While the rite is simple, it is the subject of quiet celebration for the agents of the Mercy Seat, and is generally followed by a celebratory Vaulderie.
Appearance: To make a fixed statement about the appearance of Faustian Forsworn would be an exercise in futility, as their attire and any witnessed face can change like a shift in the wind. The Prince’s ghoul, the Seneschal’s lover, the Priscus’s confidant — any or all of which could be a Mercy Seat operative, if the faction ever cared to meddle in the affairs of the Unlearned. As a covey moves from soul to soul, individual members could assume dozens of identities: whatever is required to bring their quarry to ground.
Assets
Mercy Seat Domains
Whereas most factions choose their domains based on some sort of resource or economic condition, the Faustians do not. The Mercy Seat chooses its areas of activity based on the individuals the Faustians are seeking to corrupt. While there are certainly places in the world where lovers of vice congregate, a Faustian covey is as likely to be found in Des Moines as in Paris. Wherever the Forsworn of the Mercy Seat are, they seek out little lattices of relationships, regret and unfilled desire so that they can begin engineering the spiritual undoing of whomever they are preying upon at the time. This being said, there is a handful of domains in which the Faustians are always lurking, watching and scheming.
In North America, one of the largest Mercy Seat coveys in the world has set up shop in and around the downtown district of old Las Vegas. Since the early 1900s, the Faustians have been there, sharing their history with the first Red Light district on Block 16. Preying on gamblers, prostitutes and other desperate souls, this covey has enjoyed many victories of suicide and despair.
The largest and oldest of Faustian strongholds, however, remains located at the site of the faction’s Renaissance, in the beautiful city of Genoa, Italy. Although the Mercy Seat has branched out into every possible facet of corruption, the proudest of the faction still have their eyes fixed on what they feel is the greatest trophy that any fiend could desire — the Vatican, itself. Although direct confrontation with the papacy is something wise Faustians know better than to pursue, chipping away at the edges of the Catholic Church has been a Meditation of the Mercy Seat since its inception.
Haven: Much as their dress, the residences and resting places of the Faustian cult are acquired and shed like the skin of a serpent. However, as the ambitions of the Mercy Seat can run rather high, some coveys require more than a safe house or a tastefully decorated condo. In some cases, a Faustian will have need of technological surveillance and other monitoring Equipment. For this reason, agents of the Mercy Seat may have state-of-the-art alarm systems, security camera networks, well-trained Ghouls armed to the teeth and similar expensively precautionary measures.
Whereas most factions choose their domains based on some sort of resource or economic condition, the Faustians do not. The Mercy Seat chooses its areas of activity based on the individuals the Faustians are seeking to corrupt. While there are certainly places in the world where lovers of vice congregate, a Faustian covey is as likely to be found in Des Moines as in Paris. Wherever the Forsworn of the Mercy Seat are, they seek out little lattices of relationships, regret and unfilled desire so that they can begin engineering the spiritual undoing of whomever they are preying upon at the time. This being said, there is a handful of domains in which the Faustians are always lurking, watching and scheming.
In North America, one of the largest Mercy Seat coveys in the world has set up shop in and around the downtown district of old Las Vegas. Since the early 1900s, the Faustians have been there, sharing their history with the first Red Light district on Block 16. Preying on gamblers, prostitutes and other desperate souls, this covey has enjoyed many victories of suicide and despair.
The largest and oldest of Faustian strongholds, however, remains located at the site of the faction’s Renaissance, in the beautiful city of Genoa, Italy. Although the Mercy Seat has branched out into every possible facet of corruption, the proudest of the faction still have their eyes fixed on what they feel is the greatest trophy that any fiend could desire — the Vatican, itself. Although direct confrontation with the papacy is something wise Faustians know better than to pursue, chipping away at the edges of the Catholic Church has been a Meditation of the Mercy Seat since its inception.
Haven: Much as their dress, the residences and resting places of the Faustian cult are acquired and shed like the skin of a serpent. However, as the ambitions of the Mercy Seat can run rather high, some coveys require more than a safe house or a tastefully decorated condo. In some cases, a Faustian will have need of technological surveillance and other monitoring Equipment. For this reason, agents of the Mercy Seat may have state-of-the-art alarm systems, security camera networks, well-trained Ghouls armed to the teeth and similar expensively precautionary measures.
History
Background: The Faustians select their new members with intense discrimination. Although the rites of other factions can often be tended to by the deranged and incompetent, the Faustian gambit is an advanced game and cannot be trifled with by amateurs and idiots. For this reason, members of the Mercy Seat are generally highly educated or have demonstrated skill at intrigue and social engineering. Therefore, those of political and psychiatric backgrounds are often selected. Among the Kindred, Ventrue and Mekhet have gifts and predilections that are well suited to the Faustian agenda. Because of their ability to move unseen and pull up the darkest fears of their prey, the Nosferatu make excellent agents of the Mercy Seat. And though rare within the faction, that occasional Gangrel who throws in with the Faustians is invariably a multi-leveled predator of utterly terrifying capacities.
Type
Secret, Religious sect
Alternative Names
Faustians
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Concepts: Assassin, con artist, counselor, informant, priest, psychiatrist, senator’s aid, tactician, terrorist.