LHIANNAN

Most of Europe has fallen to Christendom, but fragments this tale, but a few Cappadocians and Brujah point out the
of the land’s older cultures yet survive — particularly among parallels between the Lhiannan’s myths and certain stories in
the continent’s supernatural denizens. Certainly the blood- the Book of Nod.
line of vampires known as the Lhiannan looks back fondly on In the end, it matters little. The Lhiannan are a dying line,
Europe’s ancient nights. Seemingly a subtribe of the Gangrel, hounded by both mortal and Cainite hunters. Their vampiric
the Lhiannan are a dwindling strain of vampires who haunt nature shines like a bonfire before mystic scrutiny, and thus
rural areas, forest groves and isolated villages. Once they wove Lhiannan are often easy scapegoats and targets for witch-
a web of influence (and terror) over Europe’s hunters. Their power base, which involves blood cults, ley
barbarian population, but Rome and the lines and pagan rites, is blasphemous to the Church and
Church have largely stripped the line of inconvenient for the Roman-descended Cainites who
its deathright. have largely displaced them.
Lhiannan are largely matriar- In elder days, Lhiannan established themselves
chal, even to the point of spurning among pagan Celts, Norse, Slavs and other European
the myth of Caine. Lhiannan in- barbarians. These “Children of the Crone” acted as
stead claim descent from a shadowy Osirises, infiltrating villages, turning key inhabitants
female figure said to have walked the into ghouls or vampires, and playing on the populace’s
world in ancient nights. This fig- superstition. Powerful individuals founded blood cults,
ure, known as the Crone, created and grisly legends sprang up around the nocturnal
the Lhiannan from drop- doings of the Lhiannan. Indeed, many pagan heroes
lets of her blood. tirelessly hunted these witches who preyed on their
Most Cainite own people.
eschatologists The real blow to the Lhiannan, though, was the
spurn coming of Rome and its Cainite parasites. Though they
were individually powerful, internecine competition for
ley lines left them fractious and few, and their domains fell
into the talons of the more organized Roman vampires.
Worse yet was the ascendancy of Christendom,
with its churches and priests and consecrated
ground. The Lhiannan’s mystic aura, which
Christian priests found repulsive, made
them among the first targets of priestly
pogroms. The proud Lhiannan were
forced into hiding and their cults driven
underground.
Now the Lhiannan stand alone.
Their gruesome practices, reliance
on human slaves, and predilec-
tion for siphoning ley-line
energy have alienated them to
many Gangrel, while the
Tzimisce see them as competi-
tors in the Slavic states. Even
the Lupines and fae, it seems,
despise and fear them; one
Gangrel tells a tale of being
spared by a werewolf pack in

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exchange for her help in eradicating a Lhiannan sabat. Nightly survives past the 14th century. Rumors persist that the Sabbat, or
the Lhiannan are rooted out by clergymen and rival Cainites. perhaps the mysterious Eastern vampires, make use of a Discipline
Though they battle fiercely, their numbers dwindle by the similar to Ogham, but involving the use of tattoos or ideographs.
year, and it will not be long before they fall. Quote: At the hour of midnight thy vitae will flow down the
Sobriquet: Druids spiral rock, and the Crone will feed, and be pleased.
Appearance: Lhiannan survival depends on blending in
with their conquerors. They generally appear as rustics of one WAYS OF THE LHIANNAN
sort or another. Due to their Ogham Discipline, however, they
often anoint themselves with bloody glyphs or runes. When at
STRENGTH AND I NFLUENCE
a safe haven, Lhiannan often dress in the garb of old, and adorn Each Lhiannan sabat acts alone. Though acknowledging
themselves with skulls, talismans and other paraphernalia. other Lhiannan as fellow descendants of the Crone, Lhiannan
are a grasping and jealous line. Lhiannan tend to remain in
Haven: Lhiannan try to occupy an isolated rural village
those mystic sites they have wrested from Lupines, Gangrel
where the old ways are still practiced; they then set up a cult
and fae.
with themselves as the priests. Failing this, Lhiannan try to
live inconspicuously on the fringes of urban demesnes. ORGANIZATION
Background: Many, though by no means all, Lhiannan Lhiannan form themselves into tightly knit cults, known
are female; females tend to be perceived as having a greater as sabats. Sabats tend to organize along sire-childe lines, but
connection to the Dark Mother. Lhiannan tend to be chosen Lhiannan can be inducted into sabats headed by a Lhiannan
from mortals who still follow the old pagan ways. unrelated to them. An interesting custom among the Lhiannan
Character Creation: Any Attribute class can be primary. involves dueling for control of a particular magical site; the
Lhiannan, by dint of their rural unlifestyle, tend to have high loser and her sabat are immediately inducted into the winner’s
scores in animal handling and survival-based Abilities. Most sabat, and the winner gains control of the site.
Lhiannan have Retainers and Herds (pagan cultists).
Disciplines: Animalism, Ogham, Presence
C URRENT PRACTICES
For now, Lhiannan try to hold on. They feverishly infiltrate
Weaknesses: Lhiannan are innately pagan; the mark of
rural communities that still remember their ancient roots, trying
the Mother-Goddess flows through their dead veins. As such,
to corrupt the inhabitants and eventually generate a groundswell
all difficulties to detect their nature via Aura Sight, Faith
of resistance to the Church. Unfortunately, the Church expands
Numina, etc., are reduced by two. Additionally, Lhiannan
faster than the Lhiannan can comprehend; ironically enough,
increase all difficulties by two (including soak rolls, if such are
the Druids’ own immortality works against them.
necessary) when resisting Faith magic — even pagan Faith.
Organization: Lhiannan form broods centered around a PRESENT CONCERNS
powerful individual and her followers; these broods are often The Lhiannan have myriad concerns. Foremost among
referred to as “covens” or “sabats.” Sabats act in conjunction and them is the spread of the Church. Already, individual inquisi-
generally maintain herds of mortals and ghouls. Rival sabats are tors have begun targeting sabats, and a few more scholarly
often bitter enemies; this lack of cooperation is one more reason bishops to whom these inquisitors report are beginning to
why the Lhiannan have failed to defend their holdings. postulate the existence of a deeper conspiracy. Additionally,
Destiny: The pagan Lhiannan have all but fallen to other Cainites are eager to wipe out the Druids once and for all,
Christendom as it stands. By the end of the Inquisition, the either because they object to the Lhiannan’s practices or
Church has completed the task of purgation. No Lhiannan because their presence proves increasingly inconvenient.

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CHRISTIANITY as the Apostate. Julian turned from his Christian faith and
sought to embrace the beliefs of his forefathers — he reinstated
Except the Lord build the house: their labour is but lost that build it. paganism, encouraged heresy and schism, and, with the might
Except the Lord keep the city: the watchman waketh but in vain. of the Eastern Empire behind him, prepared to sweep Chris-
— Nisi Dominus, Book of Common Prayer tianity away forever. In his fear, the Pope prayed for the
The Church is all things to all people. To some it is the salvation of his flock and was answered. In a dream, he saw the
last repository of knowledge in the Western world, to others a Archangel Michael trampling Julian into the ground and
repressive organization that seeks to crush all rational under- stabbing him through the heart with a spear. As Julian died he
standing. Some go to the Church to seek out redemption and whispered, “Thou hast conquered all, O pale Galilean!” and
salvation, the only paths to Heaven; others curse it as the none of his successors dared doubt his judgment, or the power
manifestation of the Antichrist’s final victory. Whatever of the Christian faith.
one’s views, the Church is the fixed center of the Dark
Medieval world. No other body rivals it for power and influ- THE ROMAN CHURCH AND
ence; no other organization can be said to hold the world in its THE DARK AGES
hands. To the Cainites it is both enemy and friend: the one
It was in these times that the Dark Ages truly began — the
fixed point in centuries of unlife, and the center of resistance
Roman Empire was but a memory, Rome itself had been sacked
to their very existence. In any event, it can not be ignored.
by Alaric and the Vandals, the Eastern Empire seemed deca-

THE HISTORY OF dent and fragmented by national and political battles, and all
Classical scholarship had been lost. It was an age of new gods

CHRISTIANITY brought into southern Europe from the barbarian northlands,

and of heresies brought out of the East. The old order had gone
forever and the lights of civilization went out across the
Though it seems impossible now, the fledgling sect of
Christianity was very nearly extinguished at its beginnings. So continent.
insignificant was it to the Roman Empire that the authorities During this time, the Church became a recognizable
who crucified Christ neglected to make any records of the entity. Fearing that Christianity would be swept away in a tide
event. It was only chance — or Divine will — that allowed of heresies, and that Christian would fight Christian over
Christianity its time to grow. articles of faith, a succession of Popes laid down the Orthodox
In the first centuries of the first millennium, Christianity and Catholic beliefs that would govern the Christian world for
was but one of many mystery sects fighting for survival and centuries. St. Augustine is perhaps the most famous of these
influence. Ancient gods spoke to their followers through the lawmakers, but many other talented Popes and churchmen
ecstasies of the mystery cults, and it seemed as if the Cult of sought to impose order on the chaos of the Dark Ages. The idea
Mithras would rule the Roman Empire. However, in 311, Em- of orthodoxy that developed, though extremely complicated
peror Constantine I was stunned by a vision of a cross in the sky and subject to much debate over the ages, can be summarized
and promised that should he win the battles he was undertaking, easily — the official Church in Rome was the only true church,
he would dedicate himself and his empire to the crucified god. salvation could only be found by following the tenets promul-
gated from here, and all else was heresy.
Win he did, and the dying Roman Empire turned to the new
faith. It took root in the surviving courts of Byzantium and was Ironically, the actions of Italy’s vampires helped to pre-
spread by zealous missionaries into the pagan and barbarian lands serve the Church in Rome — Ventrue, Lasombra and Toreador
of Europe. The faith took hold in many centers: in Rome, where all needed strong political systems to support their aims and
the Popes followed the tradition of Saint Peter; in Constantinople, challenge the power of Constantinople. Other clans also
where the Empire continued its slow spiral into decadence and supported the Roman Church — Nosferatu seeking salvation,
the Church was ruled by Patriarchs; in Ireland, where mission- and Brujah hoping that classical scholarship could be restored.
aries impressed the barbarian chiefs with their courage. At this Despite their similar aims, the clans never moved toward a true
time the Christian faith was interpreted in many different ways. alliance and often worked at cross-purposes as they battled for
Eastern denominations introduced ideas of personal reincarna- control over the Church hierarchy.
tion, of a dualistic universe, of a feminine god; free will was Not only did the Roman Church survive these dark years,
debated fiercely, as was the doctrine of Christ’s human nature but it prospered. Due to the collapse of most civil, legal and
and His divine spirit. In each area new versions of Christianity national authority across Western Europe, the Roman Church
emerged, as the simple faith was translated through the prior was able to fill this void and provide order in people’s lives. The
experience and beliefs of new parishioners. Roman Church became the repository of knowledge and wis-
Christianity could have continued in this organic way, dom, the arbitrator of disputes, the wealthiest and most powerful
becoming a broad and all-encompassing faith, were it not for organization in Europe, and, eventually, the final legal authority,
the actions of the Byzantine Emperor Julian, known to history with dominion even over emperors. This last power was assumed

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114
when, in the ninth century, Pope Leo III crowned the Holy The worship of the Church is also expressed in rites of baptism,
Roman Emperor Charlemagne III, cementing the right of the confirmation, weddings, ordinations, penitential rites, burial
Church to determine the actions of state. This was a great coup rites, and the singing of the Divine Office.
for the Toreador, who delighted in seeing the Ventrue-influ- The Roman Church also fosters other public devotional
enced emperor bow down before the Pope. practices, including the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament,
In the four centuries since the crowning of Emperor the Rosary, novenas (nine days of prayer for various special
Charlemagne, the Roman Church has grown full and mighty, purposes), pilgrimages to shrines, and veneration of saints’ relics
dominating Europe from Spain to the Balkans, from England or statues. Christians are not encouraged to practice private
to Italy. The Orthodox Church retains its power in the lands prayer; the Church dictates the practice of worship, considering
of the Eastern Empire but cannot spread, contained as it is by privacy in this matter to be dangerously close to heresy.
the growing force of the Roman Church and the threat of the In addition, the Church has an impressive array of holy
Infidel. The Irish Church — which might have spread a days, following a cycle of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent,
different Christian faith, one more accepting of the pagan Easter, and Pentecost, as well as a distinctive cycle of com-
ways — has been bought into the fold and, with the Norman memoration of the saints.
invasion of Eire, the hold of Rome on even those distant Some vampires have adopted a few of the Church’s practices
islands is secure. for their own — they hold holidays in mockery of the holy days
WORSHIP and practice blood magics in place of communion (see the Book
of Storyteller Secrets for more details on these practices).
The public worship of the Roman Church is its liturgy,
principally the Eucharist, which is also called the Mass.
Recitation of prayers and readings from the Bible take place in
ORTHODOX CHURCH
Latin (which is seldom understood by the parishioners); these The main rival of Roman Christianity and the major Christian
sacraments are followed by the faithful receiving communion, faith across the Levant and Eastern Europe, the Orthodox Church
understood as sharing in the sacramental presence of Christ. claims to have preserved the original and apostolic Christian faith.

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