The Nameless
“Come the End of Days, we shall see who was wrong and who was right. In the meantime, do yourself a favor, childe, and forget you ever saw me here.”
Of all the factions of Belial’s Brood, the vampires of the Nameless hold what is perhaps the most controversial perspective on the nature and origin of Belial. The Nameless believe he was a mortal man, born to the syphilitic womb of a dying whore in a dirt-caked village of the pre-Biblical era Middle East. According to their own legends, Belial was the child of the Demiurge itself, sent to Earth to redeem the souls of all vampires, who were dwelling in the darkness and squalor of the age, eking out miserable existences off the misery of miserable mortals. Belial, a bronze-smith by trade, drew to him a flock of these earliest vampires — five in number, at first — and showed them the truth of their condition, the truth of their bestial souls. He relieved them of the burden of their given names, the anchor on their souls and the source of one’s ability to exercise power over them, and put them on the path of the Pursuit. If the legends hold true, he also revealed to them the mysteries of the first Investments, the eldritch gifts of his father.
Although Belial himself shuffled off his mortal coil after a lifetime of guiding the souls of the undead into truth, his legacy lived on; and even more, for the Nameless believe that Belial the man, acting true to his own mortal nature, took for himself a mate and propagated his number before his time ran out. The Nameless believe that this mortal bloodline continues to this day, and in this bloodline are contained the secrets of his father’s plan for the Forsworn . . . and everyone else.
As such, the Forsworn are, among other things, an apocalyptic cult. While few of them believe in the Judeo- Christian-Islamic Bible, or in its Book of Revelations per se, many are of the opinion that an “end of days” of some kind or other will come, and that when it does, Belial will return. Some think he will be born of his own bloodline, rebirthed to draw the age of man to a thunderous close, while others feel he will not be reborn until the Nameless discover his mortal descendants and take pains to shepherd his second vessel into the world themselves. Whatever the truth, the Nameless of tonight are hoarders of secrets and omens, purveyors of hidden knowledge and blasphemous insight. They search for clues in the ebbs and flows of Humanity, and seek to incite fiery revolts of thought in their own kind, much as their living messiah once did for them.
Although Belial himself shuffled off his mortal coil after a lifetime of guiding the souls of the undead into truth, his legacy lived on; and even more, for the Nameless believe that Belial the man, acting true to his own mortal nature, took for himself a mate and propagated his number before his time ran out. The Nameless believe that this mortal bloodline continues to this day, and in this bloodline are contained the secrets of his father’s plan for the Forsworn . . . and everyone else.
As such, the Forsworn are, among other things, an apocalyptic cult. While few of them believe in the Judeo- Christian-Islamic Bible, or in its Book of Revelations per se, many are of the opinion that an “end of days” of some kind or other will come, and that when it does, Belial will return. Some think he will be born of his own bloodline, rebirthed to draw the age of man to a thunderous close, while others feel he will not be reborn until the Nameless discover his mortal descendants and take pains to shepherd his second vessel into the world themselves. Whatever the truth, the Nameless of tonight are hoarders of secrets and omens, purveyors of hidden knowledge and blasphemous insight. They search for clues in the ebbs and flows of Humanity, and seek to incite fiery revolts of thought in their own kind, much as their living messiah once did for them.
Structure
Organization: While the tendency for all Forsworn is to shy away from overt or excessive organization, the Nameless have been around so long, and are so entrenched in various schemes and operations worldwide, that they’ve developed something of an “accidental” organization despite their best efforts. Such organization, however, is not true hierarchy or even real structure, so much as a network. Information is the typical Nameless member’s stock and trade, and as such, the more sources one can securely rely on, the better. Over time, this has resulted in a web of Forsworn (and their trusted ghouls) who know enough to communicate with one another, even across great distances. This is not to imply that all Nameless know one another, and individual members are just as responsible for forging their own Contacts as any other Forsworn, but to aver that the Contacts are in place should the individual take the time to develop them.
Culture
Rites of the Nameless
The ritual practices of the Nameless are perhaps the diametric opposite of the stereotypes most commonly envisioned when mention of the Brood arises. When one imagines living sacrifices overtop blood-drawn diagrams of pentagrams, or orgiastic sex feasts in the name of the Morningstar, one is thinking of the cults of the sarx, such as the Pandaemonium or the Scarlet Rite. As a pneuma cult, the rites of the Nameless take on a substantially different tone.
The Nameless do not disregard the more visceral aspects of their ethos, and are known for performing The Vaulderie in particular with just as much devotion and regularity as any other faction. (Indeed, the Nameless claim to have been the first to practice The Vaulderie, along with every other Archonte, so their pride is clear.) Rather, the Nameless focus on the deeper mysteries invoked by the ritual formulae, the secret and unseen movements of energies central to the rites themselves. Where some factions perform rituals as displays of devotion or worthiness, the Nameless perform rites largely as a Meditation, a way of communing with both their higher selves and the Demiurge that is their patron.
Within this paradigm, two rituals stand out as exemplary of the faction’s mode. The first of these is a sacred dynameis format that the Nameless use to “stir” the pneuma among participants in the ritual space. During the rite, none but the ritemaster speaks (and even he speaks only in the Tongue of the Beast) and all movement of the physical form is inhibited to as great a degree as possible — which is substantial, given that the undead have no need of drawing breath except to speak. When the ritemaster is finished reciting the names of power, the covey members take turns burning or otherwise removing their own eyes. This done, the remainder of the rite is spent in an attempt to see while bereft of flesh.
The other rite that is perhaps best exemplifies the Nameless is the Archonte that all Forsworn use to induct a mortal into the Doulosi cult. The Nameless take great pride in having essentially created and supported the Doulosi as an institution, and all bravado notwithstanding, the Nameless’ performance of the rite truly is a wonder to behold. And with the reverent way they treat their Ghouls, it remains little wonder that few Ghouls would actively desire to be with any other faction.
Appearance: Few vampires go so far out of their way to appear nondescript as do the vampires of the Nameless. These Forsworn detest drawing unwanted attention, and one’s appearance is the first and most obvious factor in determining how much attention one garners. For this reason, there are fewer Daeva present in the Nameless than in any other faction (though not because the Daeva are not “accepted” into its ranks; all are accepted if they believe), just as the Mekhet and Nosferatu are prized for the very same reason. Sometimes, in the case of a covey that is bereft of either of these two clans, the covey will make a priority of exalting one of its number into the Therion bloodline if for no other reason than to make use of him as a tutor in the Obfuscate Discipline. However it happens, the Nameless take every pain to pass unnoticed through the night.
The ritual practices of the Nameless are perhaps the diametric opposite of the stereotypes most commonly envisioned when mention of the Brood arises. When one imagines living sacrifices overtop blood-drawn diagrams of pentagrams, or orgiastic sex feasts in the name of the Morningstar, one is thinking of the cults of the sarx, such as the Pandaemonium or the Scarlet Rite. As a pneuma cult, the rites of the Nameless take on a substantially different tone.
The Nameless do not disregard the more visceral aspects of their ethos, and are known for performing The Vaulderie in particular with just as much devotion and regularity as any other faction. (Indeed, the Nameless claim to have been the first to practice The Vaulderie, along with every other Archonte, so their pride is clear.) Rather, the Nameless focus on the deeper mysteries invoked by the ritual formulae, the secret and unseen movements of energies central to the rites themselves. Where some factions perform rituals as displays of devotion or worthiness, the Nameless perform rites largely as a Meditation, a way of communing with both their higher selves and the Demiurge that is their patron.
Within this paradigm, two rituals stand out as exemplary of the faction’s mode. The first of these is a sacred dynameis format that the Nameless use to “stir” the pneuma among participants in the ritual space. During the rite, none but the ritemaster speaks (and even he speaks only in the Tongue of the Beast) and all movement of the physical form is inhibited to as great a degree as possible — which is substantial, given that the undead have no need of drawing breath except to speak. When the ritemaster is finished reciting the names of power, the covey members take turns burning or otherwise removing their own eyes. This done, the remainder of the rite is spent in an attempt to see while bereft of flesh.
The other rite that is perhaps best exemplifies the Nameless is the Archonte that all Forsworn use to induct a mortal into the Doulosi cult. The Nameless take great pride in having essentially created and supported the Doulosi as an institution, and all bravado notwithstanding, the Nameless’ performance of the rite truly is a wonder to behold. And with the reverent way they treat their Ghouls, it remains little wonder that few Ghouls would actively desire to be with any other faction.
Appearance: Few vampires go so far out of their way to appear nondescript as do the vampires of the Nameless. These Forsworn detest drawing unwanted attention, and one’s appearance is the first and most obvious factor in determining how much attention one garners. For this reason, there are fewer Daeva present in the Nameless than in any other faction (though not because the Daeva are not “accepted” into its ranks; all are accepted if they believe), just as the Mekhet and Nosferatu are prized for the very same reason. Sometimes, in the case of a covey that is bereft of either of these two clans, the covey will make a priority of exalting one of its number into the Therion bloodline if for no other reason than to make use of him as a tutor in the Obfuscate Discipline. However it happens, the Nameless take every pain to pass unnoticed through the night.
Assets
Nameless Domains
Widely regarded as the oldest Brood faction, the Nameless have spread far and wide since the legendary and controversial passing of their mortal messiah. The faction’s inception was in the Old World, and the holdings of its adherents remain the strongest there, but coveys of the Nameless can be found anywhere.
In North America, the Nameless are most present and influential in the oldest areas. In the United States, coveys of the Nameless hold sway in parts of New England and all along the Eastern seaboard, with perhaps the most widely known and established Nameless covey operating out of Massachusetts. Interestingly, the faction is even stronger in Canada than in the United States, and powerful Nameless coveys can be found from Ottawa to Vancouver.
Europe is where the faction truly shines. London is home to one of the oldest extant coveys of the Nameless in the world, with the covey’s members often acting as the hub of communication networks among Nameless (and even other Forsworn) all over the globe. After London, the faction is strongest in cities of historical value, wealth and learning, particularly the cities of Calais, Edinburgh and Vienna. Small coveys of Nameless nomads are known to make something of a circuit among the cities in Europe where the faction has established roots, working to further the overall power and usefulness of their information network.
Outside of Europe, the faction is strongest in eastern Asia, where the Nameless has been working steadily to increase its knowledge and holdings since the nights of the Silk Road. The Nameless more or less avoids Africa, with the notable exception of Egypt, where an intrepid covey has maintained operations for more than a century now. And even more recently, several nomadic coveys of the Nameless have made the long trek to the Australian continent, where they work to establish themselves among the disparate flocks of natives (both mortal and otherwise).
Haven: As befits their hidden (and some would say, paranoid) nature, the Nameless tend to make their havens in the most remote and/or secure locations they can find. When remoteness isn’t a viable option, such as with those Nameless who dwell in urban centers, the second best option is Camouflage, as the ability to blend into one’s surroundings is often the best defense in a city setting. Coveys composed entirely of the Nameless tend to pool their Resources in the interests of securing one truly exceptional Haven, where all its members can congregate in safety but where none of its members are truly beholden. In these cases, each member also maintains a private Haven separate and distinct from the communal one. In such instances, the Therion of the covey often is the only one who knows the location of every member’s private Haven, assuming the covey has conducted the rite to exalt one of its members into that august bloodline.
Widely regarded as the oldest Brood faction, the Nameless have spread far and wide since the legendary and controversial passing of their mortal messiah. The faction’s inception was in the Old World, and the holdings of its adherents remain the strongest there, but coveys of the Nameless can be found anywhere.
In North America, the Nameless are most present and influential in the oldest areas. In the United States, coveys of the Nameless hold sway in parts of New England and all along the Eastern seaboard, with perhaps the most widely known and established Nameless covey operating out of Massachusetts. Interestingly, the faction is even stronger in Canada than in the United States, and powerful Nameless coveys can be found from Ottawa to Vancouver.
Europe is where the faction truly shines. London is home to one of the oldest extant coveys of the Nameless in the world, with the covey’s members often acting as the hub of communication networks among Nameless (and even other Forsworn) all over the globe. After London, the faction is strongest in cities of historical value, wealth and learning, particularly the cities of Calais, Edinburgh and Vienna. Small coveys of Nameless nomads are known to make something of a circuit among the cities in Europe where the faction has established roots, working to further the overall power and usefulness of their information network.
Outside of Europe, the faction is strongest in eastern Asia, where the Nameless has been working steadily to increase its knowledge and holdings since the nights of the Silk Road. The Nameless more or less avoids Africa, with the notable exception of Egypt, where an intrepid covey has maintained operations for more than a century now. And even more recently, several nomadic coveys of the Nameless have made the long trek to the Australian continent, where they work to establish themselves among the disparate flocks of natives (both mortal and otherwise).
Haven: As befits their hidden (and some would say, paranoid) nature, the Nameless tend to make their havens in the most remote and/or secure locations they can find. When remoteness isn’t a viable option, such as with those Nameless who dwell in urban centers, the second best option is Camouflage, as the ability to blend into one’s surroundings is often the best defense in a city setting. Coveys composed entirely of the Nameless tend to pool their Resources in the interests of securing one truly exceptional Haven, where all its members can congregate in safety but where none of its members are truly beholden. In these cases, each member also maintains a private Haven separate and distinct from the communal one. In such instances, the Therion of the covey often is the only one who knows the location of every member’s private Haven, assuming the covey has conducted the rite to exalt one of its members into that august bloodline.
History
Background: Almost without exception, the Nameless draws vampires with extremely active minds and spirits to its banner. For these Forsworn, the extended contemplation of the world and of the vampire’s place in it most often sends them to the Brood in the first place, so carrying that contemplative nature into their activities among the Brood is a natural extension. While the Nameless do not seek out new inductees any more than any other faction, the Nameless’ power and influence are legendary among the Forsworn, and as such, this faction does seem to court with some regularity the attentions of those who do their homework on the Brood.
Type
Secret, Religious sect
Alternative Names
None (though some refer to them as “the Hidden”)
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Concepts: Archeologist, cryptographer, doomsayer, dream speaker, genealogist, occultist, private investigator, prophet, research assistant.