The Roaring Serpent
“We are his body, and I am his blood. Drink of me and know his glory.”
Arguably the most powerful of Brood factions, the vampires of the Roaring Serpent are the consummate predators, reveling in all that makes them vampires. Some of these selfstyled “Archons” perceive their mandate as a dark interpretation of John 3:15 — “As Modes lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of Man be lifted up.” Disciples of the Serpent hold that Belial was the first of their kind, spontaneously cursed with the Embrace in the darkest pre-dawn of living man and charged by the Demiurge with becoming, in essence, the “anti-Man.” Regardless of the truth of their origins, the race of vampires is in a very real way the serpent that came into the garden, the “essence of all that opposes,” in the words of one Serpent scholar. The physical world is the realm of the Demiurge, and so long as a vampire is bound to it, he must be true to his Beast, his opposing soul — he must be the very best vampire he can be.
Much as the vampires of the Nameless await the night when their concept of Belial will return as a mortal, the vampires of the Roaring Serpent await the return of their progenitor, too. But unlike the Nameless, who are active only in the search for what they believe to be Belial’s mortal heirs, the Serpent actively seeks out the figure the faction believes to be Belial. A great many (the vast majority, truth be told) Archons hold to the notion that Belial still walks the Earth tonight, still alone, still undead. Some feel that if Belial can be located, he will reward the faction that finds him and return to lead the entire covenant into a new dark age. And even if he doesn’t, simply finding him — and confirming his identity as the father of all vampirekind — will prove the rightness of the Serpent’s claims, and thus put them above the other factions for good, as they believe they were meant to be.
Much as the vampires of the Nameless await the night when their concept of Belial will return as a mortal, the vampires of the Roaring Serpent await the return of their progenitor, too. But unlike the Nameless, who are active only in the search for what they believe to be Belial’s mortal heirs, the Serpent actively seeks out the figure the faction believes to be Belial. A great many (the vast majority, truth be told) Archons hold to the notion that Belial still walks the Earth tonight, still alone, still undead. Some feel that if Belial can be located, he will reward the faction that finds him and return to lead the entire covenant into a new dark age. And even if he doesn’t, simply finding him — and confirming his identity as the father of all vampirekind — will prove the rightness of the Serpent’s claims, and thus put them above the other factions for good, as they believe they were meant to be.
Structure
Organization: Vampires of the Roaring Serpent form something of an intriguing exception to the usual rule pertaining to structure among the Forsworn. Due to the faction’s focus on the empowerment of the vampiric creature, Archons tend to establish hierarchies of traditional dominance based upon achievement. In this regard, they are perhaps the truest “meritocracy” found in vampirekind, putting the mask of meritocracy worn by covenants such as The Invictus to shame with the unapologetic frankness of the Archons’ conviction. This makes Roaring Serpent coveys veritable crucibles of competitiveness, but unlike their fellow soma adherents among the Throne of Smokeless Fire, the Archons draw the line at acting directly against one another unless absolutely necessary. They take the lessons of their founder with utmost seriousness, and will go to great lengths to show that they are indeed the superior examples of their race to be found anywhere in the world, especially when compared to the “Kindred” of the Unlearned.
Culture
Rites of the Roaring Serpent
Of the factions in the Hexad, the Roaring Serpent has at once the most mainstream and the most peculiar approach to rites and rituals. Archons are known for performing all the Archontes, and The Vaulderie in particular, with not a shred of either disrespect or inefficiency, and visiting Forsworn are often transfixed by the harmonious words and motions of a Roaring Serpent Vaulderie. Not ones for the wasteful bloodletting of the Pandaemonium, or the psycho-sexual pomp of the Scarlet Rite, the Archons’ rites are primarily designed around utility first and reverence of the Belial figure second.
In this latter regard, the most involved and unique of Roaring Serpent rituals appear. All Archons venerate Belial, The Father of Vampires, and each covey has its own rites to honor him. But the one rite that every Serpent covey practices with somber reverence, and that coveys of no other faction perform, is a complex dynameis ritual — the highest of all Roaring Serpent dynamei — that its practitioners often call the “sacrament of blood.” The true purpose behind this rite is for an Archon to effectively commemorate the crystalline moment when consumed mortal blood transubstantiates into vampiric Vitae. By the taking of blood, an Archon is effectively filling himself with the essence of Belial himself, and such an honor is not to be taken lightly, no matter how often it occurs.
Second only to this unholy sacrament is the “reverse” of the very same ritual. In another sacred dynameis rite, the Archons likewise commemorate the moment of crystallization when their own dead blood enters the body of a mortal, and with its immortal Potency, halts the aging process of the living vessel, and in so doing, claims it for the Archon’s Beast. For this reason, Serpent members take all formation of Ghouls very seriously, and the induction of Ghouls into their coveys even more seriously. When a covey of Archons elects to exalt a ghoul into the ranks of the Doulosi, the night is special indeed, full of glory and dark memoriam.
Appearance: Many Archons strive to emulate the glory and eminence of their dark founder, to embody and exemplify the vampire in its quintessential form. Some achieve this by projecting a visage of power, using their appearance as a social tool with which to coerce Allies or beat rivals into submission. Others still, taking a more cerebral approach to their faction’s ethos, do their level best to blend in wherever they go, as they feel that the quintessential vampiric predator is best evinced by its ability to move among its prey with grace and ease.
Of the factions in the Hexad, the Roaring Serpent has at once the most mainstream and the most peculiar approach to rites and rituals. Archons are known for performing all the Archontes, and The Vaulderie in particular, with not a shred of either disrespect or inefficiency, and visiting Forsworn are often transfixed by the harmonious words and motions of a Roaring Serpent Vaulderie. Not ones for the wasteful bloodletting of the Pandaemonium, or the psycho-sexual pomp of the Scarlet Rite, the Archons’ rites are primarily designed around utility first and reverence of the Belial figure second.
In this latter regard, the most involved and unique of Roaring Serpent rituals appear. All Archons venerate Belial, The Father of Vampires, and each covey has its own rites to honor him. But the one rite that every Serpent covey practices with somber reverence, and that coveys of no other faction perform, is a complex dynameis ritual — the highest of all Roaring Serpent dynamei — that its practitioners often call the “sacrament of blood.” The true purpose behind this rite is for an Archon to effectively commemorate the crystalline moment when consumed mortal blood transubstantiates into vampiric Vitae. By the taking of blood, an Archon is effectively filling himself with the essence of Belial himself, and such an honor is not to be taken lightly, no matter how often it occurs.
Second only to this unholy sacrament is the “reverse” of the very same ritual. In another sacred dynameis rite, the Archons likewise commemorate the moment of crystallization when their own dead blood enters the body of a mortal, and with its immortal Potency, halts the aging process of the living vessel, and in so doing, claims it for the Archon’s Beast. For this reason, Serpent members take all formation of Ghouls very seriously, and the induction of Ghouls into their coveys even more seriously. When a covey of Archons elects to exalt a ghoul into the ranks of the Doulosi, the night is special indeed, full of glory and dark memoriam.
Appearance: Many Archons strive to emulate the glory and eminence of their dark founder, to embody and exemplify the vampire in its quintessential form. Some achieve this by projecting a visage of power, using their appearance as a social tool with which to coerce Allies or beat rivals into submission. Others still, taking a more cerebral approach to their faction’s ethos, do their level best to blend in wherever they go, as they feel that the quintessential vampiric predator is best evinced by its ability to move among its prey with grace and ease.
Assets
Roaring Serpent Domains
As befits the faction’s age, Status and belief system, the Roaring Serpent claims numerous powerful coveys, reaching into every shadowy corner of the globe. Wherever vampires thrive, the Serpent is there, making an unholy paradise of every darkened place it aims to call its own.
The faction is undeniably at its strongest in the New World, where members of the Roaring Serpent have grasped the reins of opportunity with both inhuman hands and bent the reins to the faction’s will at every turn. With brethren in the Pandaemonium, the Serpent shares the distinction of being the most prevalent Brood faction in all the United States. Coveys of ambitious Archons grow fat on the blood and Resources of mortals in almost every urban center, from Albuquerque to Zanesville. America’s literal and economic bloat provides a rich backdrop before which Serpent coveys can prosper, and a number of the most powerful Archons in the world hold sway here, guiding their subordinates to ever greater nadirs of inhumanity and vice. Within the faction, perhaps the most infamous of these is the Serpent covey that makes its home in south central Los Angeles. Thirteen members strong, its individual members are some of the most powerful vampires in all of California.
Mexico, too, is a veritable playground for the Brood, and for the Roaring Serpent in particular. It is said that Mexico City is a veritable arena for Brood competition, where multiple Brood coveys compete for dominance against the city’s backdrop of intense heat, poverty and crime. While the faction has a much smaller presence in Central America than many might believe, the Roaring Serpent remains strong in select parts of South America. Colombia has a substantial presence, and among the Brood, the Brazilian coastline is infamous for its sheer numbers of Forsworn. The teeming city of São Paulo plays host to a handful of Brood coveys, the most powerful of which is composed entirely of Archons.
Outside the western hemisphere, the Roaring Serpent is the most prevalent in areas frought with mortal strife. Coveys of Archons move through the broken and destitute villages of sub-Saharan Africa, trailing the wake of the tribal warlords like hyenas following the scent of the kill, and doing likewise in some areas of southeast Asia. The Serpent tends to leave the Middle East largely to its confederates in the Throne of Smokeless Fire, but the brutal oppression of the Palestinian occupation in particular has proven too attractive to resist, and so the Serpent has slowly been increasing its activities there in recent years, feeding off the ceaseless misery of both the Palestinian people and their Israeli occupiers.
Haven: The mandate of the Roaring Serpent is one that cannot help but earn for its members bitter rivals at the very least, and hated enemies at worst (and perhaps more commonly). In seeking out a Haven, the Archon seeks not extravagance but razor-keen precision and efficiency in suiting his needs. A prospective Haven is selected for the sum of its advantages and detractions, and Archons are wise to study everything from the Haven’s size and location to its defensibility. For these and other reasons, Archons are notorious for moving around and for selecting new personal havens without so much as consulting their covey-mates.
As befits the faction’s age, Status and belief system, the Roaring Serpent claims numerous powerful coveys, reaching into every shadowy corner of the globe. Wherever vampires thrive, the Serpent is there, making an unholy paradise of every darkened place it aims to call its own.
The faction is undeniably at its strongest in the New World, where members of the Roaring Serpent have grasped the reins of opportunity with both inhuman hands and bent the reins to the faction’s will at every turn. With brethren in the Pandaemonium, the Serpent shares the distinction of being the most prevalent Brood faction in all the United States. Coveys of ambitious Archons grow fat on the blood and Resources of mortals in almost every urban center, from Albuquerque to Zanesville. America’s literal and economic bloat provides a rich backdrop before which Serpent coveys can prosper, and a number of the most powerful Archons in the world hold sway here, guiding their subordinates to ever greater nadirs of inhumanity and vice. Within the faction, perhaps the most infamous of these is the Serpent covey that makes its home in south central Los Angeles. Thirteen members strong, its individual members are some of the most powerful vampires in all of California.
Mexico, too, is a veritable playground for the Brood, and for the Roaring Serpent in particular. It is said that Mexico City is a veritable arena for Brood competition, where multiple Brood coveys compete for dominance against the city’s backdrop of intense heat, poverty and crime. While the faction has a much smaller presence in Central America than many might believe, the Roaring Serpent remains strong in select parts of South America. Colombia has a substantial presence, and among the Brood, the Brazilian coastline is infamous for its sheer numbers of Forsworn. The teeming city of São Paulo plays host to a handful of Brood coveys, the most powerful of which is composed entirely of Archons.
Outside the western hemisphere, the Roaring Serpent is the most prevalent in areas frought with mortal strife. Coveys of Archons move through the broken and destitute villages of sub-Saharan Africa, trailing the wake of the tribal warlords like hyenas following the scent of the kill, and doing likewise in some areas of southeast Asia. The Serpent tends to leave the Middle East largely to its confederates in the Throne of Smokeless Fire, but the brutal oppression of the Palestinian occupation in particular has proven too attractive to resist, and so the Serpent has slowly been increasing its activities there in recent years, feeding off the ceaseless misery of both the Palestinian people and their Israeli occupiers.
Haven: The mandate of the Roaring Serpent is one that cannot help but earn for its members bitter rivals at the very least, and hated enemies at worst (and perhaps more commonly). In seeking out a Haven, the Archon seeks not extravagance but razor-keen precision and efficiency in suiting his needs. A prospective Haven is selected for the sum of its advantages and detractions, and Archons are wise to study everything from the Haven’s size and location to its defensibility. For these and other reasons, Archons are notorious for moving around and for selecting new personal havens without so much as consulting their covey-mates.
History
Background: Contrary to the average Antinomian, members of the Roaring Serpent are, almost without exception, born to lead, or at least born to carve out their own niches within existing systems. Beyond this, the issue of one’s mortal history is almost moot, as the Roaring Serpent very embodies the Brood’s overall reluctance to Embrace directly into its ranks. Indeed, the preponderance of Archons deem the act of bringing a mortal into the faction without first allowing her to experience undeath among the Unlearned a sin against the Brood, most often punishable by the ritual sacrifice of the new inductee, at a bare minimum. On the exceedingly rare occasions when an exception is made to this rule, the exception is made on behalf of a hermit or pair of Archons seeking to make for themselves a true covey. In this case (and in almost no other) the sin is forgiven, and the faction is obliged to accept the new recruit as it would any other brother or sister, but even then, the sin often remains a stain on the new covey’s reputation, a lingering sign of its inability to draw “legitimate” converts to its cause.
Type
Secret, Religious sect
Alternative Names
Archons
Ruling Organization
Parent Organization
Concepts: Benighted lord, born killer, dark prodigy, kennel master, law enforcement officer, natural leader, survivalist, urban predator, vampire historian.