The Cainite Heresy - aka Church of Caine

THE CAINITE HERESY

The Heresy Falls

For over a thousand years, a vampire subsect of Gnostic Christianity operated within Cainite society. This group, known to some as the Crimson Curia, to others as the Church of Caine, and to their enemies as the Cainite Heresy, posited that Caine was God’s divine angel of murder who had absorbed the soul of Christ, and that all vampires were his children and just as blessed. It was their divine mission to cull the weak, turn the living hell of the world into a heaven, dominate the Catholic Church, and usher in the Time of Caine, or third resurrection of Caine and Jesus, prophesized to arrive in the year 1239 CE. The Cainite Heresy subverted the faith of mortals and vampires alike, its adherents believing themselves to be God’s chosen predators. Most importantly for other vampires, their actions inside and outside the mortal Church drew the attention of the Catholic Inquisition as well as hunters from the ranks of the Muslims of Iberia. In a rare show of unity, imams sided with churchmen and put the torch to the Cainite Heresy before their Time of Caine could arrive. The parent clan of most of these “Gnostics” was the Lasombra, and along with vampires of the Banu Haqim and Clan Brujah they hunted down the remaining stragglers. The Church of Caine reached its end close to the time when mortal Gnosticism was declared a heresy punishable by death. Just as the Catholic Church had no more patience for rival faiths within its own sphere, the Lasombra ran out of tolerance for the Church of Caine’s increasingly aberrant views of Earth as hell, vampires as angels, and mortals as soulless cattle. Vampires who knew of the cult’s denouement celebrated its fall, and those who campaigned against it worked hard to scrub the cult’s name from the scant Cainite history books that recorded it.

The Heresy Rises

The idea of a Demiurge on high, responsible for all the evil in the world, alleviating of that responsibility the perpetrators of criminal acts, is a reassuring one to some. Vampires have a tendency to find excuses for their terrible acts, and when one can point elsewhere and say “He made me that way,” it — at least in the mind of the vampire — helps absolve them of their sins. Not that the modern Church of Caine are truly looking for absolution. The re-emergence of the Gnostics vin the modern nights is a subject of great mystery and conjecture. Few Kindred recall the original Cainite Heresy, most being Beckoned, succumbing to the sleep of ages, or destroyed in the last eight centuries. While some believe the rising Gnostic tide must be at the beck and call of methuselahs who wisely slept instead of facing the torches of the Inquisition 800 years ago, the modern Church of Caine shows few of the hallmarks of a methuselah-led cult. They don’t have a hierarchy based on age, they care little for lineage and clan, and their centralized power comes in the form of the renewed Crimson Curia — a council of priests — rather than a single, ancient figurehead. Of course, the other conclusion is that Caine brought the Church back into being, though there’s no evidence to show he was ever around to see the Church in its original form, let alone approve of its purpose or methods. The idea that this cult may exist in direct service to Caine is a thought that undoubtedly troubles many Kindred, however, and leads a surprising number to join its ranks just to err on the side of caution. If the Dark Father is real, awake, and leading a sizable cult, better to be on his side. What is known, is the Church of Caine has leaked out of the darkness again, with its words, beliefs, and practices becoming visible for the first time in centuries following the Beckoning’s commencement. The Church claims Caine himself calls his errant childer to fill his long-empty veins, and only the Church will be saved. Caine is the face, voice, and mind of the Demiurge in this hell on Earth, and he will not be denied. His angels will ascend with him once the rest of the world accepts their place as the meek and the fallen. Until then, his will be done.

Hell on Earth

The Church of Caine has long held the view that the world is divided into many planes of existence, with the Demiurge above all, and his angels governing the ranks of the unknowing. At each level of awareness, an individual grows closer to becoming an angel themselves, but these levels go down as well as up, and the farther down one descends, the closer they come to being damned forever. This view may seem incompatible in a modern world, but to vampires of the Church, and mortals who believe themselves more enlightened — through intellect, influence, money, or even charm — it’s a rational view. It’s a class society imposed by a supreme power, and it makes sense to an amoral mindset. The Church of Caine for instance believes that while the Demiurge is all-seeing and all-knowing, he sends a representative (sometimes more than one) to Earth to mete out his will. Specifically, the Church posits, this representative is Caine, though infamous vampires such as Sutekh and Mithras may have been his angels as well, and Lilith certainly fits the mold of an angel who couldn’t help but abuse her power and fall.
The Antediluvians were likewise angels, but fought Caine’s children and therefore fell from grace. They still deserve punishment for this. Likewise, humans with proficiency in angelic arts — whom the Tremere call mages — are of greater importance and value than the sleeping kine. The Church of Set hotly refutes this notion, as they believe the Demiurge responsible for creation of all clans not descended from Sutekh, and responsible for preventing Sutekh’s absolute influence over the world. Earth is not a median point in this cosmic theory. Earth is hell, and receiving the Embrace is a step toward escaping that hell. All worlds layer on top of each other, so it is possible to exist in heaven and hell at the same time, but divine right grants one resilience against hell’s slings and arrows. At least, that’s the Church of Caine’s theory behind Disciplines such as Fortitude, and their reasoning for why all their powers are symbolic of the type a god might use against a mere mortal.

Church Hierarchy

The Church of Caine upholds a hierarchy resembling a blend of the Medieval Catholic Church, modern Gnostic churches, and even the Eastern Orthodox Church. To the cynical vampire, the church hierarchy structure is just a means to exert control and has little bearing on the spiritual significance of the vampire holding the rank of “deacon” or “bishop,” but curiously, the modern Church of Caine eschews the idea that only the eldest may hold the most important roles. This vampire religion rewards merit, which may come to fracture the organization when elders refuse to shift from their long-held roles.

Congregation / The Flock

The bulk of vampires who consider themselves faithful Gnostics, Cainites, or simply believers, are referred to as “the congregation” or “the flock.” Individual vampires at this level believe in Caine as the progenitor and uphold the belief that they are divinely mandated as predators. Despite the latter belief, the congregation are far from uncontrollable monsters. Their superiors in the Church teach Gnostics how to unleash their Beast, how to satisfy the urge to frenzy, and how best to retain one’s Humanity while accepting the nature of an undead blood-drinker. Members of the flock are permitted to hear the cult’s liturgy but cannot witness the sacraments.

Doorkeepers

The ancient role of doorkeeper was assigned to churches to prevent their persecution by other faiths, opposing societies and governments, and sabotage from unhappy citizens. This guard role exists to this night, with those vampires more disposed to violence (whether doling it out or preventing it) more likely assigned this title than one responsible for administering the faith. Doorkeepers are more than hired muscle, as they’re expected to still attend services and participate in the sacraments, but they are also the first vampires opponents of the Church will see, if threats or delivery of violence is required. Doorkeepers tend to hold Status: Church of Caine (•).

Acolytes

Acolytes of the Church of Caine are responsible for several duties, including arranging safe venues for Gnostics to meet, ensuring priests are equipped with the tools and apparel needed to perform their ministerial duties, and hunting down artifacts important to the Church. This varied role is commonly the first title a vampire earns upon formally joining the Church of Caine, with each acolyte having performed at least one firewalk (see p. 64). Acolytes often act as audiences to encourage or cajole others participating in the sacraments. Acolytes tend to hold Status: Church of Caine (•).

Vergers

The verger is a vampire who wanders from domain to domain teaching others of the liturgy, the Demiurge, and Caine, in the most non-controversial terms. These roving preachers vary in importance from nominal Gnostic mouthpieces to cult leaders building larger and larger followings. The most notorious vergers are known as arch vergers. They hold no influence over the Church of Caine’s formal hierarchy, but in this era when the Second Inquisition scrutinize cult-like behavior and strange reports of priests administering blood to their congregations, the merits of being a traveling holy person sometimes outweigh those of being a leader with a static flock. Vergers tend to hold Status: Church of Caine (•) and at least one dot of Streetwise.

Lectors

Lectors act as readers during church services. The role is largely honorific, as when not performing for the flock, they occupy the same standing as acolytes. The major difference is in the confidence given to a lector, as a priest or deacon speaks with them on matters of faith and expects the lector to read from the texts important to the Church of Caine with earnest belief and understanding. Lectors tend to hold Status: Church of Caine (••) and rarely have fewer than two dots in Occult, with a Specialty in Gnosticism.

Deacons

Deacons hold administrative power in the Church of Caine. While they might stand in for a priest to perform services, it’s more likely the deacons busy themselves with upholding the financial, bureaucratic, and personnel end of the Church. This sounds mundane, but the power deacons wield over the channeling of wealth in and out of the Church, and the prestige awarded to members of the flock and the acolytes beneath them, is impressive. Deacons are effectively the Harpies of the Church of Caine. In terms of reporting, deacons bypass priests and report to the bishops and Crimson Curia itself. Gnostics cannot become priests of Caine before they have held the title of deacon. Deacons generally hold Status: Church of Caine (••) and rarely have fewer than two dots in Politics or Finance.

Priests / Church Leaders

Responsible for overseeing the sacraments, administering Church doctrine, and keeping the faithful community whole and growing, there are few roles within the Church of Caine so visible and so immediately influential as that of the priest. Priests might read from ancient religious texts verbatim, schooling their flock on the word of Caine, or they might lead a congregation with their own interpretation of Caine’s will. Priests carry enough power in their words and actions to form schisms without knowing it, and for that reason their actions remain closely observed by deacons who report priest behavior to the bishops, while priests report on flock behavior to those same bishops. Every city with a contingent from the Church of Caine must have a priest, even if that requires bringing a priest in from a separate domain. Without a vampire who knows the rites and dogma, there is no Church. Priests hold Status: Church of Caine (•••) or higher, and each has at least three dots in Occult, with a Specialty in Gnosticism, or sometimes, Catholicism. Most have some proficiency in the Presence Discipline.

Bishops

The Church of Caine’s bishops — of which a select few form the Crimson Curia — are responsible for keeping the entire order together, furthering the Dark Father’s agenda (such as they interpret it), creating new sacraments, interpreting ancient texts and myths, and acting as spiritual centers when domains run the risk of falling due to priestly absence or failures (though they often delegate this role to powerful deacons). Bishops possess the ability to order sweeping changes across the faith, though before any major decisions are made they must form a conclave of at least nine vampires from the Church of Caine, five or more of whom must be at the bishop or deacon rank. Bishops tend to hold Status: Church of Caine (••••) and possess at least four dots in Occult and three in Politics. Most hold proficiency in Auspex, so they can glean deep insights into the priests and deacons beneath them.

The Metropolitan

There is no metropolitan in the Church of Caine, though if there were one, it would be Caine or a vampire who could believably channel his will and direction. The Church of Caine is growing swiftly enough to warrant the appointment of a proxy metropolitan in the next few years, just due to the benefit of having a strong autocrat in charge of such an organization, though the Crimson Curia may overrule any such appointment. Most bishops agree a metropolitan is a necessity for some night in the future, but few are prepared to nominate an untested vampire. They wish to avoid electing a metropolitan, only to see them suffer the Beckoning or suddenly become a target for the Second Inquisition, and so the bishops for now have agreed the Crimson Curia is sufficient, until a suitable candidate reveals themselves. The theoretical metropolitan of the Church of Caine holds Status: Church of Caine (•••••).

Culture

1. To Sin against God's 10 Commandments is a holy task for the Church of Caine.
2. It is a crime to not share the Gifts of Caine with Humanity.

Beliefs/Convictions:

1. Never unwillingly let the Beast to take over.
2. Let nobody prevent you from growing closer to Caine.
3. Do not consort with the lowest beings of hell.
4. Never succumb to fear.
5. Feed only from hell’s denizens.
6. Never brook an insult to Caine’s divinity.

Ceremonies:

Sacrament of Valediction

• Initiation Ceremony, where the Initiate must demonstrate their lack of fear.
• The Initiate must admit one of their greatest fears, and is then exposed to it by the members of the cult.
• The goal is to resist a Terror Frenzy test at Difficulty 3.

Sacrament of Exculpation

• Advancement Ceremony must demonstrate how their understanding of the Book of Nod can help them accept and handle their Clan/Bloodline Flaws.
• Member must demonstrating a clan bane or confessing to a way in which a clan bane has severely impeded them in front of the whole Cult.
• Make a Resolve + Composure roll difficulty 2+Bane Severity to successfully confess or demonstrate their bane, and convince the Cult of the relevance of their quotes.

Sacrament of Firewalking

• Advancement Ceremony.
• Member is exposed to a flame which increases in size as the member progresses in rank. The goal is to pass through the flames without hesitation or frenzy.
• Make a Composure + Survival test at a difficulty equal to the initial amount of damage received from the flames. For each success the member can reduce the damage they suffer to a minimum of 1. A Critical Success also awards the member with an additional dot of Status in the Church.
• Make a Terror Frenzy test at a difficulty equal to the amount of damage the member received from the flames.

Type

Religious, Cult

Alternative Names

The Church of Caine

Leader

Bishop Augustus Giovanni

Government System

Theocracy

Divines

• Bishop Augustus Giovanni

Location

St. Adam's Cathedral

Notable Members

• Bishop Augustus Giovanni

Related Species

• Hecata
• Nosferatu
• Tremere
• Ventrue

Related Ethnicities

• Ancillae
• Elder
• Methuselah
• Neonate

Related Plots

• Embrace The Abyss

Rituals:

Dampen the Fear – Level 1

• Ritual Roll as per normal.
• Success grants +2 dice to all rolls relating to resisting Rotschreck. Lasts until the end of the scene.
• Critical Success grants the character the ability to not need to make any Terror Frenzy Rolls. Lasts until the end of Scene.

Fire in the Blood – Level 3

• Ritual Roll vs the target’s Resolve + Occult or Resolve + Fortitude if the victim is a creature with Fortitude.
• Success deals superficial health damage equal to the margin of success, forces a Kindred victim to make a Rouse Check, and forces the victim to take -2 dice to all physical pools for the remainder of the scene. Critical Win increases this to -3.

Creatio Ignis – Level 5

• Ritual Roll along with a Hunger Frenzy test if at Hunger 4+ at Diff 3, or make 3 Rouse Checks if using their own Vitae.
• Requires the user to immerse their arms in the Vitae, and can ignite them at any point for the rest of the night. The effects end if the Kindred wills it, or the scene ends.
• Success provokes a Terror Frenzy test at Diff 2 in all nearby Vampires, except the User and allows the user to make a Dexterity + Brawl test to inflict 2 Aggravated Damage. Entering a grapple sets the other person’s clothing on fire and continues damaging the victim until they succeed a Composure + Survival Roll Diff 3.