Unifiers
Unifiers take their theme from their stated goals: to promote peace between the factions of The Lancea Sanctum and to unify the covenant’s secular and religious aspects. They seek not only to unify the covenant, but also the factions within each individual Kindred. Only by balancing one’s material and societal needs with the spiritual responsibilities described in the Testament can a vampire become a useful servant of God on earth. Kindred should make spiritual pursuits a top priority, to be sure, but those who make it the only priority risk becoming irrelevant in worldly matters, slipping into reclusion like monks locked up in some distant monastery.
Many Sanctified see Unifiers as the consummate moderates, wedged between Hardliner and Neo-Reformist factions. Those who appreciate the efforts of the Unifiers without necessarily supporting them regard them as the peaceful padding that keeps the extremes of covenant belief from developing into schisms. Other Sanctified see them as passive, ineffectual wannabe peacemakers whose rare efforts serve only to keep the covenant stalled in place when it could be making progress. Unifiers tend to see themselves are being above factional conflicts, rather than caught between them.
Contrary to the accusations of some overzealous Sanctified vampires, Unifiers don’t seek to strip the covenant of its extremist members for the sake of some bland, middle-of-the-road idealism. Neither do all Unifiers seek to gather the Sanctified of all factions into one flock under their wise and moderate guidance (though certainly some do). Unifiers appreciate, even celebrate, diversity within the covenant. They simply believe that if the parish, domain or city leans too far this way or that, stability will be lost and the church will spin out of control.
Some Unifiers therefore believe extremists should be kept out of key seats in the city and covenant hierarchy, so that the covenant can be guided by moderation. Others say Bishops should be surrounded by advisory councils, so that many different points of view are guaranteed the audience they deserve. Many Unifiers — perhaps most of them — instead strive to act on individual Kindred, tempering inter-factional attitudes at the source and fomenting appreciation for the wisdom that comes from diversity.
The trick, say the Unifiers, is realizing the difficulty of striking a perfect balance within any one Kindred. The vampire nation — and especially the covenant, if it is to lead — must be moderate, even though it will always have its extremes. It is a delicate goal that can never be truly accomplished — only maintained — and the best chance the covenant has to approach success is not to force individual Kindred to subscribe to one narrow image of faith, but to expand and gain support from a wide variety of devout vampires.
Although Hardliners have a greater reputation as arrogant and judgmental Priests, Unifiers believe they know best. Their arrogance is disguised, however, because a Unifier’s notion of “knowing best” is so different from that of the Hardliners and the Neo-Reformists. As the archetypal Unifier mantra says: “The greatest wisdom comes with the realization that you do not know anything.” Can an earthly mind, even with centuries of pious study and reflection, ever truly understand God? Most Unifiers say “no.” Those who think they’ve solved the riddles of the Testament are one step behind the Unifiers on the path towards enlightenment.
Thus, in the modern nights, Unifiers have a reputation as political Sanctified — not just for mediations between the factions, but for actual, feudal politics. Unifiers can be seen by Hardliners and Neo-Reformists alike as a kind of neutral party, and, so, can be trusted to serve the covenant as a whole when filling roles in the city hierarchy. A Unifier who advises the Prince is assumed to speak for the Sanctified, rather than just one faction of the Sanctified. At the same time, many Sanctified — who see a lack of devotion to any one faction as a lack of devotion overall — regard Unifiers as spiritually weak. Even as the Unifier is praised for taking on a vital role for the covenant, he is quietly regarded with pity as a lax Priest.
Unifiers often seek out power within the covenant and the city, but not because they think they can honestly, neutrally represent the covenant (though some Unifiers do think that). The primary motives of the Unifiers are still religious — they believe Kindred should better themselves through a spiritual understanding of the Testament — but a seat of power allows Unifiers to impose their mandate of solidarity. A Unifier Archbishop might grant Hardliners the right to break up an Acolyte ceremony to restore the image of Hardliner strength after a surge of Neo-Reformist popularity in the parish. The Unifier then becomes the gram in the scale’s political pan that keeps the religious extremists in check.
Unifier philosophies often hold that God and His will are outside the realm of understanding by earthly minds. Those who have been touched or spoken to by Him directly, such as Longinus, have a level of understanding far beyond any that can be attained through simple contemplation. Still, by pondering the words of Longinus and the insights of those faithful who have come before, an individual Kindred’s faith can be incrementally advanced along the infinite track towards God. What really matters, then, is the individual Sanctified’s understanding of the Curse and God’s will. Unifiers believe that no one, two or twenty ways of interpreting the tale of the Centurion can be right for all the Damned.
The best any Kindred can do is sample as many interpretations of the Testament as possible and hope that where they intersect some pillar of wisdom can be erected. Of course, The Lancea Sanctum needs Kindred to keep the individual interpretations alive, so that others can come and feed from them. Thus, the covenant needs its Hardliners and its Neo-Reformists and its Mendicants.
Unifiers often own multiple copies of the Testament, containing separate translations or interpretations. Some Unifiers seek out the works of even the most distant or remote Creeds, as well. Certainly there are Unifiers among the Dammitics and the Iblics, just as there are Hardliners and Neo-Reformists in those sects, as well.
Unifiers, even in their moderation, are sometimes accused of heresy for possessing, trading or even praising the works of Sanctified theologians deemed traitorous or insane by the local Anointed. In domains where another faction maintains tyrannical control over the scripture, the pluralism of the Unifiers can be the worst sort of heresy, for it glorifies all other heresies.
Many Sanctified see Unifiers as the consummate moderates, wedged between Hardliner and Neo-Reformist factions. Those who appreciate the efforts of the Unifiers without necessarily supporting them regard them as the peaceful padding that keeps the extremes of covenant belief from developing into schisms. Other Sanctified see them as passive, ineffectual wannabe peacemakers whose rare efforts serve only to keep the covenant stalled in place when it could be making progress. Unifiers tend to see themselves are being above factional conflicts, rather than caught between them.
Contrary to the accusations of some overzealous Sanctified vampires, Unifiers don’t seek to strip the covenant of its extremist members for the sake of some bland, middle-of-the-road idealism. Neither do all Unifiers seek to gather the Sanctified of all factions into one flock under their wise and moderate guidance (though certainly some do). Unifiers appreciate, even celebrate, diversity within the covenant. They simply believe that if the parish, domain or city leans too far this way or that, stability will be lost and the church will spin out of control.
Some Unifiers therefore believe extremists should be kept out of key seats in the city and covenant hierarchy, so that the covenant can be guided by moderation. Others say Bishops should be surrounded by advisory councils, so that many different points of view are guaranteed the audience they deserve. Many Unifiers — perhaps most of them — instead strive to act on individual Kindred, tempering inter-factional attitudes at the source and fomenting appreciation for the wisdom that comes from diversity.
The trick, say the Unifiers, is realizing the difficulty of striking a perfect balance within any one Kindred. The vampire nation — and especially the covenant, if it is to lead — must be moderate, even though it will always have its extremes. It is a delicate goal that can never be truly accomplished — only maintained — and the best chance the covenant has to approach success is not to force individual Kindred to subscribe to one narrow image of faith, but to expand and gain support from a wide variety of devout vampires.
Although Hardliners have a greater reputation as arrogant and judgmental Priests, Unifiers believe they know best. Their arrogance is disguised, however, because a Unifier’s notion of “knowing best” is so different from that of the Hardliners and the Neo-Reformists. As the archetypal Unifier mantra says: “The greatest wisdom comes with the realization that you do not know anything.” Can an earthly mind, even with centuries of pious study and reflection, ever truly understand God? Most Unifiers say “no.” Those who think they’ve solved the riddles of the Testament are one step behind the Unifiers on the path towards enlightenment.
Unifiers in Office
Some Sanctified posit that the covenant’s first Unifier movements arose in the height of the mortal feudal age, when The Lancea Sanctum had to carefully balance the needs and demands of many different Invictus lords in order to maintain feeding rights, solvent domains and the political power necessary to protect and expand its own flock. As the Kindred expanded further across the globe and vampires from many different religious backgrounds settled together in the new cities of the New World, the popularity of Unifier philosophies exploded. Factions within the covenant needed to be soothed and placated while politics outside the covenant were being redefined by the rise of egalitarian thought among mortals and the Kindred Embraced from their ranks.Thus, in the modern nights, Unifiers have a reputation as political Sanctified — not just for mediations between the factions, but for actual, feudal politics. Unifiers can be seen by Hardliners and Neo-Reformists alike as a kind of neutral party, and, so, can be trusted to serve the covenant as a whole when filling roles in the city hierarchy. A Unifier who advises the Prince is assumed to speak for the Sanctified, rather than just one faction of the Sanctified. At the same time, many Sanctified — who see a lack of devotion to any one faction as a lack of devotion overall — regard Unifiers as spiritually weak. Even as the Unifier is praised for taking on a vital role for the covenant, he is quietly regarded with pity as a lax Priest.
Unifiers often seek out power within the covenant and the city, but not because they think they can honestly, neutrally represent the covenant (though some Unifiers do think that). The primary motives of the Unifiers are still religious — they believe Kindred should better themselves through a spiritual understanding of the Testament — but a seat of power allows Unifiers to impose their mandate of solidarity. A Unifier Archbishop might grant Hardliners the right to break up an Acolyte ceremony to restore the image of Hardliner strength after a surge of Neo-Reformist popularity in the parish. The Unifier then becomes the gram in the scale’s political pan that keeps the religious extremists in check.
Unifiers and the Testament
Whereas Hardliners and Neo-Reformists strive to understand, explain and somehow definitively master the knowledge contained in The Testament of Longinus, Unifiers believe it is best to cultivate many different understandings throughout the covenant (though not always the individual parish) so that the Sanctified are well-rounded and well-reasoned. Hardliners see this as a position of doubt and evidence of weak faith. Neo-Reformists see it as a non-committal cop-out by a religious weasels who think they can have all their bases covered with God.Unifier philosophies often hold that God and His will are outside the realm of understanding by earthly minds. Those who have been touched or spoken to by Him directly, such as Longinus, have a level of understanding far beyond any that can be attained through simple contemplation. Still, by pondering the words of Longinus and the insights of those faithful who have come before, an individual Kindred’s faith can be incrementally advanced along the infinite track towards God. What really matters, then, is the individual Sanctified’s understanding of the Curse and God’s will. Unifiers believe that no one, two or twenty ways of interpreting the tale of the Centurion can be right for all the Damned.
The best any Kindred can do is sample as many interpretations of the Testament as possible and hope that where they intersect some pillar of wisdom can be erected. Of course, The Lancea Sanctum needs Kindred to keep the individual interpretations alive, so that others can come and feed from them. Thus, the covenant needs its Hardliners and its Neo-Reformists and its Mendicants.
Unifiers often own multiple copies of the Testament, containing separate translations or interpretations. Some Unifiers seek out the works of even the most distant or remote Creeds, as well. Certainly there are Unifiers among the Dammitics and the Iblics, just as there are Hardliners and Neo-Reformists in those sects, as well.
Unifiers, even in their moderation, are sometimes accused of heresy for possessing, trading or even praising the works of Sanctified theologians deemed traitorous or insane by the local Anointed. In domains where another faction maintains tyrannical control over the scripture, the pluralism of the Unifiers can be the worst sort of heresy, for it glorifies all other heresies.
Structure
Organization: Unifiers tend to be loosely organized on a citywide basis. Local Unifiers may gather every few weeks to discuss interpretations of the Testament and the state of the parish, for example, but have no larger social structure. In cases like these, the Unifiers are little more than (mostly) cooperative peacemakers, organized only enough to keep out of each other’s way.
Domains that are home to more than a handful of Unifiers may acknowledge a leader of the group — like a Priscus, though possibly with little meaningful Status. Such a leader (or leaders) might be elected by the local chapter of Unifiers, but more often such positions are recognized organically, as the leading voice or strategist of the faction is deferred to by less vocal or less dedicated followers. In some cases, a quorum of Kindred make decisions for the faction outright. In other cases, self-motivated cells of pro-active Unifiers bring plans (for speeches at court, for petitions to the Bishop, for special all-Kindred-welcome masses, etc.) to a chapter meeting for the approval or dismissal of the whole faction.
Unifiers are often regarded as ideal for diplomatic roles in the larger organization of the covenant. Diplomats serve as ambassadors to other covenants and parishes — possibly even sent with a Legate to meet with the Kindred of another city — when The Lancea Sanctum wants it to be clear that its message, religious or secular, is intended to transcend factional politics and proselytizing. In some cases, these are formal, official duties, complete with local titles and Status. A diplomat might be known as BrotherRudolfo, Voice of the Sanctified, if he is the mouthpiece for the covenant at court or Consul Rudolfo if he is an emissary to other Sanctified, for example. Some titles apply only to a single mission, but others indicate full-time responsibilities. In other cases, Unifiers in these positions use, or are given, no formal titles at all, relying on their personal reputations and an grassroots image of egalitarian faith to get things done.
Domains that are home to more than a handful of Unifiers may acknowledge a leader of the group — like a Priscus, though possibly with little meaningful Status. Such a leader (or leaders) might be elected by the local chapter of Unifiers, but more often such positions are recognized organically, as the leading voice or strategist of the faction is deferred to by less vocal or less dedicated followers. In some cases, a quorum of Kindred make decisions for the faction outright. In other cases, self-motivated cells of pro-active Unifiers bring plans (for speeches at court, for petitions to the Bishop, for special all-Kindred-welcome masses, etc.) to a chapter meeting for the approval or dismissal of the whole faction.
Unifiers are often regarded as ideal for diplomatic roles in the larger organization of the covenant. Diplomats serve as ambassadors to other covenants and parishes — possibly even sent with a Legate to meet with the Kindred of another city — when The Lancea Sanctum wants it to be clear that its message, religious or secular, is intended to transcend factional politics and proselytizing. In some cases, these are formal, official duties, complete with local titles and Status. A diplomat might be known as BrotherRudolfo, Voice of the Sanctified, if he is the mouthpiece for the covenant at court or Consul Rudolfo if he is an emissary to other Sanctified, for example. Some titles apply only to a single mission, but others indicate full-time responsibilities. In other cases, Unifiers in these positions use, or are given, no formal titles at all, relying on their personal reputations and an grassroots image of egalitarian faith to get things done.
Culture
Appearance: Unifiers strive for a respectable look, one that won’t offend anyone. This sometimes means dressing in modern, fashionable clothes and avoiding outrageous hairstyles, tattoos, piercings and other ostentatious flairs. Other times, it means adopting whatever extreme style is popular among the parish’s Damned. Many are social chameleons, able to put on a stern demeanor and a severe business suit for the Ventrue Prince, then pull on shredded jeans and army jackets for a meeting with the parish’s ragged Unaligned.
Assets
Haven: Unifiers may maintain an “office” if they can afford it, somewhere where they can receive visitors (and enjoy the home-court advantage), just as some maintain a “business” cell phone number. (Only the most foolish Unifier sleeps in a Haven that’s well known to other Kindred, of course.) Many Unifiers offer hospitality to other vampires in their official Haven, as a demonstration of amnesty. If local Kindred, Sanctified or not, know to come to the Unifier’s “business Haven” when the Requiem becomes too much to bear alone, then it’s fulfilled its purpose: Weak and vulnerable vampires are literally coming right to the Unifier’s door. They can then be tempered with doses of new ideas and inspired to be hospitable to Kindred of other factions, as the Unifier was hospitable to them.
History
Background: In mortal life, most Unifiers were a part of the middle-most folk of the middle class, or had some other experience dealing with people of greater and lesser station. Some worked in community service, either professionally or on local citizens’ boards, while others held simply held down retail jobs or other work that put them in touch with all walks of life. Teachers, academics, middle managers and councilors all make for good Unifiers, too.
Others act as Unifiers only after finally being fed up with social disparity, injustice or strife. Many Sanctified Unifiers that were comfortable inhabiting deeply factional territory in life find that, when dealing with violent and unconscionable monsters, unity is preferable to disparity. Kindred who come to The Lancea Sanctum from other covenants make likely Unifiers, for this reason, especially if they still have friends outside the covenant.
Others act as Unifiers only after finally being fed up with social disparity, injustice or strife. Many Sanctified Unifiers that were comfortable inhabiting deeply factional territory in life find that, when dealing with violent and unconscionable monsters, unity is preferable to disparity. Kindred who come to The Lancea Sanctum from other covenants make likely Unifiers, for this reason, especially if they still have friends outside the covenant.
Quote: What we desire is the security and prosperity of all Kindred. The Lancea Sanctum is not your enemy. In fact, if you heed my words, it could be your ally.
Concepts: Attendant to visiting Sanctified, Carthian emissary, court theologian, courtly advisor, Covenant diplomat, expert on Sanctified law, mediator, spy.
Unifiers: Far too fanatical, but bravely devoted.
Hardliners: Worldly and ambitious.
Hardliners: Worldly and ambitious.
Neo-Reformists: Nobly working toward an impossible goal.
Unifiers: Misguided, but worthy.
Unifiers: Misguided, but worthy.
Mendicants: No accouting for the individual.
Unifiers: Best they don't wander too far.
Unifiers: Best they don't wander too far.