By Lea Crowe, Tom deMayo,

Eric J. Griffin and Michael Lee

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1
Genam meam dedi vapulatori
(I have given my cheek to the smiter)

— Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

THREE PILLARS

2
 Locked in a feu-
dal society by day and the
courts of the Damned by night,
Dark Medieval Europe nonetheless
perseveres. It is an age of faith, an age
of impending change and an age of
brutality — it is the Long Night. Carpe
Noctem.

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Credits Special Thanks To:
Authors: Lea Crowe, Tom deMayo, Eric J. Griffin and Michael Lee Rob “How’d That Get There?” Hatch, for the Food Business
Developer: Justin Achilli, Emperor of Byzantium Condom Incident.
Editor: Allison Sturms Jeff “Imperial Guard?” Holt, for assisting the purple Blood
Art Director: Lawrence Snelly Angels.
Layout & Typesetting: Katie McCaskill Robbie “A Million Monkeys” Poore, for revealing the truth
Interior Art: Michael Gaydos, Darren Frydendall, Pia Guerra, behind the Internet and Hamlet.
Fred Harper, Brian LeBlanc, Larry Macdougal, Paul Mendoza, Aaron “Evil” Voss, for succumbing to the wiles of Marathon.
Andrew Ritchie, Andrew Trabbold Greg “Iron Man” Fountain, for being smarter and more sen-
Front Cover Art: William O’Connor sitive than words can express.
Back Cover Art: Fred Harper Ed “Spare No Rod, Spoil No Child” Hall, for covering all the
Front & Back Cover Design: Katie McCaskill bases on laser proofs.
Laurah “Queen of Interns” Norton, for invaluable help and
greatly appreciated vitality. And cigarettes. Best wishes at
school, Laurah.
Authors’ Special Thanks
Lea Crowe wishes to thank Robin Low for additional
information.

© 1997 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights

reserved. Reproduction without the written permission
of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the
purposes of reviews, and blank character sheets, which
may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf,
A Note on Historical Accuracy
Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages and
Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White If you’re looking for real world historical veracity,
Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Æon, Were- you’ve come to the wrong place.
wolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling In the process of developing Vampire: The Dark
the Dreaming, Werewolf the Wild West, Dark Ages Ages books, certain concessions have to be made in
Companion, Three Pillars and Constantinople by Night order to preserve the drama of the setting. There are
are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All anachronistic terms, historical events taken out of
rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text their chronology, viewpoints that differ significantly
herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. from what we “know” today and even people and
The mention of or reference to any company places that did not exist.
or product in these pages is not a challenge to the This is intentional. When a particular situation
trademark or copyright concerned. calls for something specific that has yet to exist or is
This book uses the supernatural for settings, already extinct, sometimes the lines of history must be
characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural blurred. In the end, it makes for better stories.
elements are fiction and intended for entertainment In sum, all of these fudges are minor — dates may
purposes only. Reader discretion is advised. be shifted a few years along the timeline, people may
Check out White Wolf online at be allowed to live a few years longer or die a few years
earlier — but no gross changes that compromise the
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integrity of history as it relates to the setting are made.
and rec.games.frp.storyteller
Relax. It’s just a game.
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THREE PILLARS

4
 Table of Contents

Introduction: How to Use This Book 7

Chapter One: Those Who War — Nobility 11
Chapter Two: Those Who Pray — Clergy 41
Chapter Three: Those Who Toil — Peasantry 81
Chapter Four: The Italian City-States 121
Appendix: Positions of Power 153

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 How fine the manners are in
this barbaric country…
— Petrarch

how to use this book

7
 Welcome to Three Pillars, the setting sourcebook for
Western Dark Medieval Europe. Herein the reader will find
in-depth analyses of each “pillar” that upholds the whole of
Dark Medieval society as well as numerous story ideas, character
concepts and general observations on the world as a whole.
This book is a resource for both Storytellers and players.
Storytellers should make use of it to enrich their world, taking
examples from the text and integrating these concepts into
their chronicles to add depth. Players should look at this
book as a “user’s manual” for the Dark Medieval world — it
contains much information that is common knowledge for
the period, and should shed light on the night-to-night affairs
of the world. Between players and Storytellers, the common
ground established here provides an excellent foundation for
epic stories and personal dramas alike.

The Golden Rule

As always, the Storyteller is the final arbiter of the shape
of her world. Much of this book’s content reflects a perspective
different than our own 20th-century point of view, but only
the most foolish of neonates would believe this to be a work of
canon. Just because you read it here, don’t assume it’s true in
your Storyteller’s chronicle — like all supplementary material,
this book is just a birthing chamber for ideas. The writers and I
can’t possibly know what each of you want individually, so you
are hereby encouraged to take the concepts contained within
and make the world your own. Remember, Storytellers, that
the players choose to game for entertainment and that their
input is valuable. The best worlds are joint creations of player
and Storyteller alike, and the stories told in the context of
those worlds acquire a depth unobtainable in an off-the-shelf
product. Make your world your own.

Contents
Three Pillars contains a vast wealth of information, pre-
sented (in the grand Vampire tradition) from the perspective
of a member of the tier of society in question. (Note: This
doesn’t mean each chapter is a first-person account, but the
material is guilty of a little bias. Take what you like and run,
as per The Golden Rule, above.) Efforts have been made to
present information as it pertains to both vampires and the
kine, as the world continues to turn even while vampires
slumber away from the harsh rays of the sun.
Chapter One discusses the lords and ladies of Dark Medi-
eval Europe — the nobility. See how vampires sway the course
of government without ever revealing themselves to rivals.
Chapter Two examines the House of God and those who
do His work — the clergy. How do Cainites — the Damned
— continue their unlives under the stained glass and faith of
the Church?
Chapter Three looks at the 98 percent of society respon-
sible for oiling the machinery of society with their blood and
sweat — the peasantry. Do you believe that all vampires hail
from nobility or wear the cloth? Think again.…
THREE PILLARS

8
 ChapterFour delves into that anomaly of Western Europe, Italy. Appendix: Positions of Power is a simple resource that
The stage is set for the Renaissance, but the world is nonetheless presents all of the rulers of various European countries as well
Dark Medieval. How do the independent city-states cope with their as a chronology of important events. Find the king of your
Cainite masters while struggling to shake off the yoke of feudalism? chronicle’s home country in one convenient location.

Further Reading
When you’ve exhausted the information here and want to find more, the following resources are highly suggested:
The Norman Heritage 1066-1200 by Trevor Rowley — A bit Anglocentric (as if the title didn’t tell you), but none-
theless valuable. Also included are numerous maps and floor plans, which are themselves incredible boons with regard
to an age when nothing was ever written down.
Great Ages of Man: Age of Faith from Time-Life Books — The lite beer of research volumes, but worth a look for
its photographs and art reproductions if nothing else.
The Story of Civilization: The Age of Faith by Will Durant — One of the best series of historical recordings in the
whole wide world. Durant’s annals include not only abundant information but also the fruit of the gods: anecdotes. If
you want actual “photographs of history,” Durant’s Story of Civilization is a godsend.
Life and Work in Medieval Europe by P. Boissonnade (translation by Eileen Power) — Though somewhat dated
(that’s a euphemism for “a damn dry read”), this book is still packed to the gills with factual information and laboriously
assembled firsthand accounts of the day-to-day affairs of Western Europe.
The High Middle Ages in Germany edited by Rolf Toman — Numerous accounts by multiple authors of life and
everything that touches it in Germany between A.D. 1000 and 1500. This book is a refreshing and easy-to-read com-
pilation, perfect for fostering story ideas revolving around medieval cities.
The Medieval Soldier by A.V.B. Norman — How to dismember your neighbors, from Saxony to the Levant.
The Italian City-Republics by Daniel Waley — This is an all-around excellent introduction to the Italian communes
and was the basis for much of Chapter Four. Waley has also written numerous other books on the Italian cities — all
of which are recommended (if a bit dry).
A History of Private Life edited by Philippe Ariès and Georges Duby — An excellent visual resource. Volume
Two has a section on living conditions in pre-Renaissance Italy. The discussion is a bit late (c. 1350), but most of the
information can be applied to the Dark Medieval world without stretching facts too greatly.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

9
THREE PILLARS

10
 If I were king, I should be a
slave to policy.
— Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

THOSE WHO WAR

11
 my gifts and well-wishes for the baron. Leave here as a boy and
Ride Out as a Boy, return as a ruler of men, my son. We will not meet again.”
Return a Ruler of Men At that, he raised a trembling hand, summoning the abbot
and Sir Martin, leaving me to my thoughts and preparations for
The winter was cruel in my 15th year, howling down from
the bedeviled north and lingering long past its appointed season. the journey.
I remember huddling before the great hearth, feeling nothing but We journeyed from my father’s lands through days of freez-
cold, listening to the howl of hungry wolves riding the ill winds. ing rain and mist, but Sir Martin knew the route well, and found
The chill slipped inside our stone walls and pierced my father’s lodging for us every evening with one of the baron’s vassal lords,
heart. He died a little each day, coughing and choking at the foul or else in the dim, forbidding cells of village monasteries. Our
humors that the winter had quickened in his veins. He sum- hosts were courteous and mindful of the customs of hospitality,
moned me to the great hall on the first day of spring, and I knew sharing news of the unseasonable winter and hungry for tales
it was to say good-bye. from outside their territories.We were enjoined to extend our stay
A fire guttered in the broad hearth and my breath lingered a little longer at every turn. The clergy tempted us, especially
in ghostly plumes as I crossed the long chamber to my father’s with lavish gifts of food and drink, eager to know our business
dais. He sat in his canopied chair, the seat of honor, and the with the baron. Each time they made their entreaties furtively,
long fever had rendered him down to stretched skin and bone. like conspirators, as though there were more to their questions
My father slouched under piles of furs, his eyes glassy and his than they dared to share. My father’s seneschal said that it was
gray hair stringy with sweat. His hounds attended him, crouched money they sought and managed to refuse their offers politely.

Hautmont Castle
around their master’s feet as if to share their warmth with him.
Sir Martin, our seneschal, and the good abbot from the village
waited near the hearth, their silhouettes painted in orange light
The towers of Hautmont Castle rise white and forbidding
and shadow.
over the treetops, visible for many miles along the trade road.
The hounds growled ominously at my approach, as if
Once across the river, the road continues on to the east to
somehow hoping to guard their lord from the evils that beset him.
the county of Champagne, while another track leads north,
I waited in silence, pulling the furs tightly around my shoulders.
through a gate in a large wooden palisade that parallels the
When he finally spoke, it was a thin, wheezing sound, a rattle
road and encircles the base of the bluffs. This is the barbican,
like brittle chains. My father’s strength was almost gone.
the first line of defense, and is designed not to turn back a
“The holy man tells me it is spring. Is it so, boy?”
determined army so much as to delay them in the event of a
“Yes, my lord,” was all I could say.
surprise attack, so that the castle proper might have time to
“Then it is an ill-omened thing,” he said with sudden
close its great gate and man the outer walls. The gate, watched
bitterness. “But time waits for no man, and so you must do as
by a young castle porter, allows no more than two riders abreast.
I bid. The first seven years of your life were spent with your
mother, as is proper, then I took you in hand and taught you Beyond the barbican lies a narrow field called the list,
how to hunt, ride and fight. We taught you how to live, but where the baron holds his tournaments in peacetime. In
now you are 15, and must learn what it means to be of noble wartime, if an enemy forces his way past the barbican, his
blood. Now is the time for your nourishment, and our master troops would find themselves wedged into a strip of land
the Baron of Hautmont has agreed to take you as his squire. between the palisade and the castle proper, with the river
He has not forgotten his love for me, for I gave him my horse on one side, the steep slope of the bluffs rising up on the
when his fell at the Battle of Clairault, and saved him from other, and the castle’s archers firing a steady rain of arrows
capture. Count your blessings, boy, for he is a powerful man, from the walls above.
the equal of any baron in northern France, and he rewards Outer Works
faithful service. You will serve him until your 21st year, and At the foot of the castle’s outer walls is the moat, a broad
if you are wise, you will pay attention to everything. You shall ditch full of slimy rainwater. The moat and outer wall are
learn of life in a great castle, and the ways of a noble house- the first layers of the castle’s defense, giving the fortress a
hold, and you will see their pleasures and their pursuits, their roughly triangular shape as it extends from the massive central
feasts and great tournaments. Mark well how he treats his keep along the banks of the river bend and then across the
vassal lords, for one day you will be counted in their number, bluff’s landward side. The outer wall is further reinforced
but also give care to his treatment of the common man, and the with eight round towers, built a little out from the wall so
keeping of the law.” anyone seeking to climb over with ladders or ropes exposes
My father paused for breath, a thin, whistling sound that himself to a withering crossfire. Entrants into the castle
echoed in the hall. “Take my sword, my coat of mail and my tall cross the moat via a broad, oaken drawbridge, raised by two
horse, for like as not you will ride out to war more than once large, iron chains in the face of an enemy attack. Looming
at the baron’s side. Sir Martin will see you to Hautmont, with forbiddingly over the castle gate is the gatehouse, a squat,
solidly built fortification unto itself. A heavy iron grating, the
THREE PILLARS

12
portcullis, can be dropped from the gatehouse above to seal the bailey, where both castle folk and village peasants alike
off the castle while the drawbridge is down; during the day come to bake their bread. The nervous whicker of horses rises
it remains up to allow for the constant stream of craftsmen, from the castle’s large stables nearby. Next to the stalls sit
soldiers and servants passing to and from the castle. The huge the baron’s kitchens, whose huge cookfires can roast a whole
wooden gates, studded with iron nails to dull enemy axes, pig or a side of beef at one time. The kitchens lie outside the
remain shut, though a door set into one gate is left open, baron’s living quarters because of the risk of fire. Servants often
allowing mounted men to enter one at a time. Through the sneak into the kitchens for scraps or leavings while running
gate is a narrow, low-ceilinged tunnel that runs under the their many errands.
gatehouse. The tunnel’s other end is likewise guarded by
a portcullis, and the close ceiling is riddled with apertures Inner Works
called “murder holes,” by which arrows or burning pitch are At the other end of the bailey is another high wall,
dropped onto would-be invaders. identical to the outer works in every way, including moat,
Past the gatehouse lies a broad stone courtyard bustling two extruded towers, drawbridge and gatehouse. If an enemy
with activity. The courtyard resembles a small village, crowd- made it past the barbican and either over the outer wall or
ed with wooden buildings where most of the castle’s inner through the outer gate, the castle defenders would retreat to the
workings are performed. This is the castle bailey. Against the inner fortifications and set the wooden buildings in the bailey
outer wall sit the barracks for the baron’s household guard and alight. Through the fire and smoke would come a steady hail of
many of his servants. Rows of plain wooden sheds store grain, arrows, and there would be nowhere for the invaders to hide.
cloth, raw ore and other castle supplies, while shrill cries rise Like the outer gate, the portcullises of the inner gatehouse
from a small building containing the baron’s beloved hawks. remain open during the day to allow for the movements of the
A fountain bubbles nearby, providing water for the castle and castle folk. One of the last acts of the castle seneschal each night
a place to gossip for the servants. Amid all the mundane bustle is to ensure that the inner portcullises are lowered, keeping the
rises a small, buttressed chapel, its iron-banded doors securely lowborn servants quartered in the outer bailey from wandering
shut; opposite the courtyard sounds the thunder of bellows their master’s grounds. The flagstones are much cleaner beyond
and the clamor of hammer on iron as the castle smith toils the inner gate and free of livestock. Servants in clean livery go
in his man-made inferno. The great castle ovens are also in about their duties swiftly and silently.

THOSE WHO WAR

13
 Across this smaller courtyard is a tall, rectangular
stone building, set with high windows and gargoyles Arrival in Hautmont
leering from the eaves. This is the baron’s palais, the site There was little traffic at the barbican, and the portly
of his great hall and the apartments of his household and steward there waved us through with a cheerful greeting. We
chosen retainers. It is the only stone building in the castle crossed the lists and climbed the steep path to the gatehouse,
built more for comfort than defense. where yet another of the baron’s men relieved visiting com-
moners of any weapons before they could enter the castle.
Beyond the palais lies a yet smaller courtyard, and
He bowed his head respectfully and bade us welcome, and we
looming above it all rises the great square bulk of the
passed into the bailey.
donjon, the original tower raised by the lord so many years
Inside the bailey was a commotion unlike any I had ever
ago and the last line of defense. When all else is lost, it
seen before. The castle folk were busy at a hundred tasks,
is the donjon to which the castle folk retreat to, its stone
cooking, cleaning, building and forging. The women gossiped
walls over six-feet thick and approachable from only one
over jugs of water at the nearby fountain, while children,
side. All of the castle folk and the villagers could fit in-
pigs and chickens scrambled heedlessly across the paths of
side the tower, and the great storerooms within contain
our horses. Shouts and laughter mingled with the sounds of
enough food and arrows to last for a long siege. Somewhere
hammer and saw. Some of the baron’s men-at-arms played
below ground (near the keep’s infamous cells) are several
dice and drank outside their barracks, cursing the stench
great wells, fed from the rushing river. Rumors persist
raised as a chandler drew candles from a vat of boiling fat. A
that Hautmont’s original masters built a tunnel beneath
boy dashed headlong from the doorway of the castle kitchens,
the keep that emptied out onto the riverbank a mile or
followed closely by a red-faced cook. Amid shouted impreca-
more downstream — a means of escape should the tower
tions the boy found his feet and went back to mucking out the
fall. During times of peace, the upper floors of the keep
stables, licking berry juice from his grubby fingers.
are used as apartments for guests and senior servants, or
as convalescing rooms for the sick. A sharp-eyed sentry We dismounted at the stables, eager to be out of the saddle.
stands on top of the donjon, trumpet close to hand at warn With a few words of instruction to the grooms, Sir Martin left
of coming enemies or noble guests. the stable and crossed the bailey. I followed, working the stiffness

THREE PILLARS

14
from my legs and trying not to gawk at all the activity around me. Thus, the baron’s daughters are left to wait until their father
We crossed the inner moat and stood before a bronze gong set beside finds them suitable husbands, whereupon they will leave Haut-
the inner gate. Sir Martin rapped on the gong with a mailed fist, mont and become mistresses of their own estates. Marriages rarely
and a young man appeared at once, wearing a scarlet bliaut and have anything to do with love; rather, they are a tool of political
fine woolen hose. I realized with a start that this man was one of and economic influence. The baron’s eldest daughter, Mathilde,
the baron’s squires, there to receive noble guests. The squire eyed is married to the youngest son of the Count of Vermandois, an
me with evident curiosity, and after a few words from Sir Martin, investment on Robert’s part because the union bound the House
he bowed courteously and led us inside. of Hautmont to the ruling family of the county.

Baron Robert and

The baron’s other daughters, Elaine and Julianne, re-
main unbetrothed, though they are fast approaching their

His Household
womanhood. Lesser nobles, hoping for blood ties to the
baron, have made numerous proposals, but Robert has been
canny, clearly leaving himself some room to maneuver in
Like most nobles, Robert of Hautmont maintains a
case a choice prospect for alliance should arise. In this way it
sizable family, he and his wife having been blessed with no
often happens that young women find themselves wed to old
less than two healthy sons and three beautiful daughters. For
barons past their prime, all for the sake of material advantage.
each family member there are the requisite servants: squires
It is common throughout Christendom for husbands to treat
for the men and maids for the women. Combined with the
their wives despicably once the marriage has been consum-
necessary servitors and functionaries of the castle, the baron’s
mated and its material benefits have been gained. Wives are
household is a large community indeed.
sometimes cloistered, confined to their own chambers and
Henry, the baron’s eldest son, is a man with a bright
the castle grounds, condemned to live their lives in solitary
future. When Robert dies, Henry will become baron without
misery while their husbands seek the pleasures of other ladies.
question. This is not to say, however, that the baron’s second
Robert of Hautmont, for all his reputation as a just and fair
son, Percival, is without prospects, for upon his adubbment as
lord, banished his wife to chambers in the donjon very shortly
a knight, Robert will invest him with one of the family’s three
after they were wed. Is it no wonder that so many romantic
castles and arrange a profitable marriage to an ally’s daughter.
tales tell of young wives giving “their love and kiss” to dashing
In the case of lesser nobles, however, such largess is rarely
young knights rather than to their husbands?
possible. Younger children of poor lords face more limited
prospects, either becoming knights and seeking their fortunes Once a marriage is made, the bond is unbreakable,
in service to a higher lord (if their father can afford it), or else save for two conditions: A marriage can be annulled if a
finding a place in the ranks of the Church. Both of Robert’s wife is unable to conceive a child, or if husband and wife
sons reside in their own apartments in their father’s palais. are too closely related. Many times, the only option left to
Robert’s daughters have even fewer options open to them. a divorced wife or to an unmarriageable daughter is a life of
The laws of Church and state forbid women from holding quiet contemplation in a nunnery.
seigniorial authority over vassals, which means that while The day-to-day requirements of a castle and its noble family
a woman can hold property, she cannot exercise its martial require a large group of highly-skilled servants. In noble families,
capacities, nor collect taxes, nor accept oaths of fealty, which the higher the social rank of one’s servants, the greater the
essentially incapacitates the fief. If Robert and his sons were household’s prestige. The overall supervision of a lord’s castle
to die in battle, the lands of Hautmont would fall to his wife, and estates is the duty of the seneschal, who makes decisions
Margaret. Whatever her feelings might be for this tragic loss, on everything from tax collection, to inventory, to the food
after a proper period of mourning she would be compelled to served at mealtimes. The castle’s marshal is responsible for the
find another husband to rule the barony. The responsibility lord’s stables, seeing to the care and breeding of the family’s
for finding a suitable match actually rests in the hands of the horses. Even Robert’s master falconer is a landless knight who
dead baron’s relatives, and indeed one or more of Robert’s trains and cares for the baron’s splendid collection of hawks.
brothers might immediately seek his wife’s hand in order to It is no dishonor for a noble to act as a servant, as long as it
lay claim to his properties. If the dead lord’s kin are unable or is to someone of higher rank. The last of the “high servants”
unwilling to find a suitable match, the widow can then appeal is the chamberlain, who is responsible for the daily activities
to her seignior for a husband. (There is one tale of a noble of the castle that do not pertain to food, drink or mealtimes.
woman who journeyed to the court of the king, and in his The chamberlain sees to the cleaning, maintenance, and
presence said, “I am the Baroness of Poitou, and I have been furnishing of the castle’s many apartments and chambers.
widowed these past six months. I demand that you find for The more menial tasks required at the castle are performed
me a husband!”) It is imperative that a widow find a suitable by “low servants” of sturdy peasant stock. From the castle’s
husband promptly, for if the fief lay fallow for too long, then weaponsmith to the potboys, service in the castle is a privilege
its seignior can legally confiscate the lands for himself, keeping passed through the family, and it grants significant status over
them or giving them to another vassal. the ranks of village folk.
THOSE WHO WAR

15
 The personal attendants for the baron and his family For the first time the great baron smiled, like sunlight on
are a special case of servant, consisting of young men and stone. “What news of your master, Sir Martin?”
women accepted from the ranks of the barony’s vassal “He is grievously ill, sire. The winter has been a cruel
lords. It is accepted wisdom in Christendom that noble one, and I fear that even now the Lord has called Sir Walter
children must first enter into a period of service and edu- to his reward.”
cation before they are fit to assume the responsibilities of For a moment, the look of resignation abated a little
adulthood. This period is called the nourishment, beginning from the baron’s eyes. “It sorrows me to hear this,” he said
with a child’s 15th year and lasting until they reach their sadly. Once again those steely eyes regarded me. “Is this my
majority at 21. Noble sons are sent to the house of their liegeman’s son?”
father’s neighbor or feudal superior, and they serve as the Sir Martin nudged my elbow. I stepped forward. “I am,
master’s squire. A squire is required to dress his master, serve sire.” The words came out like a squeak. Someone in the hall
him and his lady at table, curry his master’s horse and care laughed loudly.
for his weapons and armor while on campaign. Daughters Robert took no notice. “May God give rest to your father’s
become ladies-in-waiting, attending to the needs of castle soul, lad. No one in my domain ever served me better. Well do
mistresses and refining their social skills. I remember his bravery at Clairault! He was a fine knight, as
you will one day be. What is your name?”
Secrets Revealed “Renauld, sire.”
The baron’s squire looked straight ahead as he made Robert nodded gravely. “Welcome then, Renauld. I accept
his way briskly across the inner courtyard and through the your service, and I will raise you to be a proper knight.” For a
tall doors of the palais. Two men-at-arms stood guard outside, moment he paused, and it seemed as though he struggled within
eyeing us warily as we passed. I was struck by the wan color of himself to reach a decision. When he spoke again the words came
their scarred features and the challenging look in their eyes. For out swiftly, as though the baron feared he might change his mind.
all that they were common folk serving their betters, the soldiers “For the love I bear for your father you will have a position of
seemed to share a secret between them, as though they held some favor, and take your rest outside my chamber door. You will
special dispensation that set them apart from others of their ilk. keep your things with the other squires in the donjon.” Robert
The squire conducted us into the great hall without raised a hand, and the squire who had brought us to the palais
delay. Groups of men milled about the high-ceilinged hall, came forward. “Paul,” the baron said, “show my new squire the
passing in and out of the long columns of sunlight shining dormitory, and teach him his duties for the evening meal.”
through the high windows. Some were the baron’s vassal “Yes, sire,” Paul replied, and he indicated for me to follow.
lords, speaking amongst themselves and waiting to conduct I gave a parting look to Sir Martin, but the old knight was deep in
business with their seignior. Others were villagers, appealing to conversation with the baron, so I knelt and then took my leave.
the baron to settle disputes or civil suit. In one corner, southern I followed Paul out of the palais and around the building,
trouveres entertain a group of knights, each thespian acting out into the smaller courtyard before the keep. A wooden ramp led
the part of some ribald story. up to the donjon’s second-floor entrance, an access that could be
Across the room, sitting in a high-backed, canopied chair, burned in the face of an attacking enemy. The interior was cold and
rested a short, square-shouldered figure, his brow creased damp, the darkness within near-absolute. I followed Paul down a
with thought as he considered a proposal from a broad-bellied broad corridor into a huge, high-ceilinged chamber, where, in times
merchant. He held an air of inviolate authority, a sense of of war, the baron could address most of the keep’s defenders, and
assurance that came from being born to rule. Yet, there was places could be made for those who were wounded in the fighting.
also a cool distance in his gaze, somehow removed from the The air was dank and chill, smelling of must and mildew. I thought
events around him, as though he were merely an observer in of the baron’s poor wife, forced to spend her days in this benighted
the affairs of his own fiefdom. It seemed a strange thing for place, and shuddered.
a man who held absolute power over his domain. Paul went through an archway that opened onto a great
So it was with trepidation that I stood before Robert of flight of stairs. Up we climbed, past several floors until we
Hautmont as the young squire conducted Sir Martin and I into came to a torch-lit level with a number of large apartments.
his presence. The baron fixed me with a penetrating glare as Paul went inside one, a chamber containing 10 narrow beds
we knelt before him. with wooden chests at their feet. The room was empty, though
“Rise,” he said gravely, and turned to my father’s seneschal. it was clear that all but two of the beds were being used. Other
“It is good to see you again in my hall, Sir Martin. How long has than a large crucifix of dark wood on one wall and a table at
it been?” the far end set with a big candle, there was no other furniture
“Three years, sire, at the adubbment of Sir Henry your in the room.
son,” Sir Martin replied with equal gravity. “My lord, Sir I walked inside, my mind distracted by all that I had seen
Walter sends his love and a gift of two fine falcons to give and heard, when Paul abruptly turned and smashed his fist into
you good hunting this summer.” my mouth. I stumbled, tasting hot, bitter blood, and the squire

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fell upon me, hammering blow after blow into my chest. For
all his litheness, the squire’s arms possessed terrible strength,
batting aside my wild blows as though I were an infant. Finally,
Rise at Five,
he stood, leaving me to clutch at my bruised ribs and pray to
God for the smallest breath of air. Dine at Nine
Christendom sets its rhythms by the rise and fall of the
“See here, filth,” Paul hissed, putting a foot on my chest.
“We got rules here, we squires do. First rule is: I am the senior sun. Fields cannot be sown, great battles cannot be fought,
squire. I am the oldest, the biggest and the meanest. You don’t and long journeys cannot be undertaken except by the light
do nothin’ but I don’t tell you to do it first. Remember that, of day. A wise lord rises with the first pearly glow of dawn,
or I’ll break you like a stick.” Paul bent low until his face was and his castle stirs to life around him.
but inches from my own. “It’s my place, outside the master’s The first souls to rise in a castle are typically the bakers,
door, not yours. He thinks he can keep you from her, but I lighting their ovens not long past four in the morning to bake the
know better. She knows you are here. Sooner or later she’ll send bread with which the lord and lady break fast. Industrious lords
for you. Nobody escapes.” rise at five — sometimes earlier if the day promises to be a busy
Paul grabbed hold of my tunic and hauled me to my feet one. With full dawn more than an hour away, a lord summons his
as though I were made of straw. He was six years older, but squires, who open their master’s clothing chests and proceed to
the power in his frame went beyond the difference in our years. dress him for the day. First, the lord dons linen underclothes, then
His eyes were mocking, as though he could read my thoughts. long hose of fine wool, tastefully colored in black or brown. Next
“Get your rags in that chest there, filth,” he sneered. “Then comes the chemise, a shirt of white linen without cuffs or collar.
get yourself to the kitchens. You’d best get there before me or Over the chemise goes the pellison, a long, fur-trimmed robe,
I’ll thump you again.” and then the bliaut, a loose tunic that is pulled on like a shirt.
I swung at his jaw with all my strength, hoping to surprise Finally, there are cloth shoes, pointed at the toe and adorned
him as he did me, but Paul knocked me from my feet with a with gems to show the baron’s status and wealth. If the lord’s
contemptuous laugh. “Do as you’re told, filth, and you just cheek is too stubbled, he sends for the castle barber, as it is the
might live through this,” he said, and left me there, fighting fashion of the time for noble men to be clean-shaven. Once
back tears of terror and rage. dressed, the lord washes his hands and face thoroughly, and
My education had begun. then begins the day by heading to the castle’s chapel for Mass.

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17
 Only after morning prayers does the castle’s family break and even blows are quickly forgotten. And the lord never fails to
their fast, retiring back to their chambers for a light meal of show his gratitude on feast days, when he opens his larder to the
bread, cheese and watered wine. The master’s chamber is a large castle folk and the village below, and has the criers yell, “Come
room, dominated by tall windows that look out onto the inner inside if you are hungry, and eat and drink your fill!” There is much
courtyard. A single tall candle sits on a table by the bed, lit each gorging and guzzling at the lord’s expense, and a surfeit of goodwill.
night to keep pixies and devils at bay while the master sleeps. At the same time, a noble lord’s wife is in no way idle. For all
The room’s furnishings are spartan, but beautiful in craftsman- that the romances proclaim a lady to be meek and retiring, the truth
ship. The bed is large and canopied, exquisitely carved from of the matter is that they rule every bit as much as their husbands,
wood and hung with fine curtains to keep out the unhealthy and a great deal of the castle’s day-to-day affairs come under their
night air. Tall, ornate wardrobes and iron-bound oaken chests control. The mistress of a castle commands as many as 20 servant
contain clothes, jewels and other valuables. Overstuffed “his maids, some of whom are pucelles, daughters of vassal lords, and
and hers” chairs face one another near a window, while the subject to a certain amount of consideration, the same as the
baron’s has a “chair of state” before the massive hearth. Like lord’s squires. The duties of these servants are to clean the apart-
the seat in the great hall, the chair is intricately carved, high- ments of the palais, wipe down all the stools and benches, feed
backed and crowned with a wooden canopy, and set before it is the chamber animals (the hounds and caged birds), and then
a footstool covered in red silk. The master’s bedchamber serves receive tasks of sewing, weaving or cutting of fabrics. In addition,
as both a place for rest and for conducting daily business when the mistress of the castle sees to the training of her daughters,
no formal audiences are required. Reading stands supporting ensuring their education in the Scriptures, in romantic stories
books of poetry or scripture are common, as are chessboards for and poems and in courtly behavior. In times of peace, the ladies
providing hours of diversion, and often there are perches set of the castle provide pleasant company and diversion, especially
up for the master’s hawks. There is also a table set out of the during the long, shuttered months of winter when everyone
way on which sits a jeweled box. The box is a saint’s reliquary, huddles within the walls. They are also charged with making
and it contains holy artifacts precious to Christian faith. Some guests welcome; in some regions it is the responsibility of the
reliquaries contain locks of hair from pious saints, or scraps of ladies to conduct guests to their rooms, assist them in removing
cloth from the robes of prophets. The castle’s lord and lady kneel armor and boots and wash their feet and hands.
before the reliquary every night and pray for the safekeeping of This is not to say that the baroness and her daughters are
their souls while they sleep. ignorant of the larger business of the castle. When the lord
The lord and lady turn to the business of the day after the rides off to war, the lady commands the castle, and she must
morning meal. While any lord can leave the functioning of be able to check up on the provosts’ accounts, adjudicate the
his domain to the hands of his able servants, it is considered a complaints of peasants, arrange alms for the poor and manage
mark of indolence and foolishness. A castle is self-sufficient; the the relations with the local representatives of the Church. Most
estates have their own corn lands and pastures, their stacks of castle ladies know as much about defending a castle under siege
hay, granaries and storehouses. There are local mills for grinding, as their husbands, and they can ride, hunt and handle a spear
cattle byres, slaughterhouses, and salting sheds for keeping meat. as well as most men. Additionally, most noblewomen learn
Practically every bit of food needed by the castle folk is grown the arts of medicine and healing, and they are expected to set
locally, and the many servants wear coarse wool clothing that a broken limb or suture a sword wound with skill and fortitude.
is sheared, carded, spun and woven on the castle properties. But for all these duties, the tasks of the lord and lady consume
The smith forges all the necessary weapons and tools in the no more than a morning’s labor. By dinnertime, commonly served
bailey. A castle lord makes daily inspections of the stables, at nine a.m., most day-to-day business is concluded, leaving the
then the smithy, and even the kitchens, mews and bakery. At lord and lady with the rest of the day to spend at their leisure.
each turn he asks for a detailed report from the servants and To this end, there are a good number of pleasant diversions for
offers his comments or suggestions on how operations are to be the noble folk, sedentary pastimes such as checkers or chess, or
conducted or improved. Sometimes the servants disagree with more active pursuits like swordplay or hunting.
the lord’s wishes and flatly refuse to carry them out. Each man
and woman serving in the castle has his or her own sphere of Gentle Diversions
influence, and a wise lord is obligated to treat his servants with Indoor games are in great demand when bad weather
tact and a certain respect within those spheres. Such forbearance makes outside sports impossible, and bookish diversions
comes from the sure knowledge that these common folk, some are somewhat limited. Backgammon is a favorite game, but
of whom have inherited positions passed down from generation most popular among the men are games of dice. Often the
to generation, are devoted to the castle and the lord’s household Church censures the use of dice in all its forms, complaining
and would only act in their common interest. These common that not only is the act of gambling a risk to the soul, but the
folks’ fortunes are as tied to the castle as the lord’s. blasphemies constantly uttered by losing dice players serves
In this way, the hundred or more souls who occupy a great as a means of populating Hell! In fact, laws in some parts of
castle are like a single, large family, with the castle lord as patriarch. France state, “Dice shall not be made in this dominion, and
The servants, like children, sometimes squabble, but harsh words those using them shall be looked on as suspicious characters.”
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 Sup at Five,
Of course, such laws are most difficult to enforce, and are
usually limited to punishing the makers of loaded dice. Dice

to Bed at Nine
are often the ruin of many a noble and honest villager alike,
yet the games continue.
Outdoor sports enjoy equal popularity, particularly among Appetites are keen and spirits high after an afternoon
young nobles, who while away many hours playing such games spent hunting or wielding sword and shield. By five, the sound
as guilles. In this game, nine pins are set on the ground and of trumpets cry from the donjon and the castle folk assemble
players take turns knocking them over with a thrown stick. in the great hall for the evening meal.
Tossing the ball is a common pastime, and sometimes lords
The great hall is lined with long, heavy tables made of
and ladies alike spend hours in the fields shooting crossbows
oak — their dark, scarred surfaces testament to years of feasting
at birds. None of these diversions, however, match the sheer
and celebrating. The tables are arranged in a horseshoe-shape,
spectacle and excitement of hunting.
with the castle folk taking their places along the long “arms.”
Falconry is the definitive sport of the nobility. Carrying a
The master’s table, where the lord eats with his family and
hunting bird on one’s wrist is a mark of status and privilege. It
any honored guests, stands at one end of the hall. Seating ar-
is known for nobles to take their birds with them even on short
rangements are very important; one’s status in the household
journeys, and for lords and ladies to witness Communion with
determines how far down the table from the lord one sits. As
falcons resting on their arms. Hawks are prized gifts between
much as possible, a lady sits beside each man, particularly at
noble men, and there is no swifter way to the gallows than
the master’s table.
through the theft of a hunting bird. A baron would sooner
forgive the theft of gold than the loss of a single falcon! If a As the castle folk file in, each takes a turn at the lavatory
bird becomes lost, a peasant who finds it can reap considerable beside the entrance, where washstands with pitchers and
reward for its safe return. But woe to the varlet who would basins allow for the cleaning of the hands and face. No one is
keep such a noble possession! If caught, he must either pay exempt from washing, and the process follows a set order of
a ruinous fine or else allow the hawk to peck six ounces of precedence: first, visiting clergy, then visiting nobles, then the
flesh from his breast. lord’s family, after which the commoners take their turn. The
long tables in the hall bear carefully laid tablecloths, with a
Falconry is not the only type of hunting favored by nobles.
drinking vessel, knife and spoon set at each place. While the
Stag and boar are prized for their meat and the challenge they
knife is made of steel for serious cutting, the other tableware
provide in the chase. The equipment for hunters is simple:
is of gold or silver and represents a large fraction of a noble
The most expensive articles are the hunting horns, those great
estate’s portable wealth. Cups for the noble folk often resem-
oliphants whose high, clear notes can be heard for miles. They
are made of ivory and chased with gold, and hung from the ble fantastic beasts: dragons, griffins, unicorns and great dire
hunter by a cord of silk or fine leather. The weapons of the wolves. The common folk make do with more simple cups of
hunter are bow and arrows, a small hatchet called a “Danish wood or cured leather “jacks.”
axe,” a broad-bladed boar spear and a large knife in case of The moment that prayers are finished, a procession of
emergencies. Hunting boar is a dangerous business, for these servants carries dishes of food and drink into the hall. Great
creatures are large and very fierce, and their thick hides enable loaves of bread are laid at regular intervals, made with fine
them to scorn all but the fiercest blows. Hunters use great wheat for the nobles and coarse, black grain for the commoners.
boarhounds to run the creature to earth; the chase can go Additional loaves follow, which the men cut into thick slabs
on for miles, and the hunting party often becomes separated and share with the ladies beside them. Later dishes of meat
in the confusion. If a chase leads across a farmer’s ripe fields, are served upon these bread tranchoirs, rather than setting the
then so be it; it is a lord’s especial privilege, and to complain greasy foods on the table itself. The “trenchers” themselves are
against it is considered treason. not eaten; rather, they are gathered into great baskets at the
Of course, a lord and his sons devote much time to the end of the meal along with the meat scraps and distributed to
practice of the arts of war in addition to these other activities. the beggars who line up each dawn outside the barbican. The
Skills and reflexes must be constantly honed, and every few days lord’s dogs devour whatever food does not make it into the
most nobles can be found trading blows with blunted swords and alms basket. Guests are wise to toss a choice morsel or two to
practicing their shield-work. The game of chess is also encouraged the master’s favorite hounds.
by many, for it instills the value of patience and the art of strategy. In the space between the tables, the castle’s kitchen
When a lord and his sons keep company, the talk often turns hands serve a steady procession of courses. The presentation
to stories of bloody conflict and discussion of the finer points of of both dinner and supper is intended to provide the diners
conquest. But it is possible to have too much practice, too much with a large variety of choices and to ensure that everyone eats
preparation. The vital humors heated by the clash of arms, even their fill. The meats are sliced expertly by the kitchen carver,
in play, create a pressure that demands release. Too many ruinous and taken first to the master’s table, where the lord and his
feuds are fought by nobles for no other reason than boredom and family choose the choicest cuts for themselves. Squires fulfill
a willingness to test the sharpness of their blades. their role at mealtimes, carrying great trays of food to their
THOSE WHO WAR

19
master and keeping his and his family’s cups full. All the while, more than a day or two at a castle or village, and pay for food
a continuous stream of lesser servants runs back and forth and lodging by performing epics and romantic tales. Their
between the hall and the kitchens, keeping the food coming. performances delight the hall for hours, while the castle folk
Food arrives in four courses, and meat dishes abound: Pork digest their heavy meals. This is the only chance the kitchen
is by far the most common on ordinary days, as is chicken or folk and squires have to retreat to the kitchens and eat their
most any other kind of bird. A favorite way to prepare the own suppers, the only consolation being that with the mass
meats is in the form of a pasty. These meat pies are something of food served each night, no one goes hungry.
of an art form with castle cooks, and they can be made with Finally, the lord rises and bids one and all a good night.
eels, geese, pigeons, venison, salmon and other meats. Fish is The squires escort the lord, his wife and children to their
in abundance, as are frogs children catch in the castle’s moat. chambers. The morning routine is performed in reverse, as the
There are a wide variety of soups — a staple dish in common lord washes, says his prayers, and undresses for bed. By nine,
and noble households alike — spiced with sweet basil, marjo- he and his family settle into sleep.
ram, sage, and the most favored spice, pepper. An abundance The squires at this point head for the donjon, to wash and
of vegetables and cheeses round out the meals. see to getting clean clothes for the morrow. For the senior
Castle folk keep their cups full of wine, or in the case of squire, one final task remains: meeting with the seneschal just
some common folk, beer. While the castle has vineyards for its after the tableware has been accounted for and then making
occupants’ usage, most lord’s cellars also contain imported tuns the nighttime rounds of the castle. Starting with the donjon
of exceptional wines from as far afield as Spain, Germany and and proceeding all the way down to the barbican, seneschal
Italy. A brewhouse in the outer bailey makes a considerable and squire make certain that the sentries are at their posts,
quantity of beer, both godale, or “double beer,” and the more that the armories are secure and that none of the common
common “small beer.” Since the crusaders returned from the servants remain in the inner courtyard. All the drawbridges
Holy Land, there has been an increasing interest in spiced beer, are raised and the portcullises dropped. Only then does the
and many castle brewers experiment with gentian, juniper, seneschal relinquish the great ring of keys at his waist. Outside
and cinnamon beers. the master’s door, the seneschal passes the keys to the senior
At last, after everyone has eaten their fill, the lord sig- squire who carries them to a hook beside the bed in the mas-
nals for the trouveres to begin. These traveling entertainers ter’s chamber. After that, the great castle sleeps, and the cycle
wander the length and breadth of France, stopping for no begins anew the following day.

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20
 When we gathered back in the hall for the baron to bid everyone
A Resident Evil good night, the baroness was waiting. Baron Robert summoned
A lord’s favored squire sleeps like a hound outside his master’s me. There was a terrible weariness in his voice, a hollow sound
door, one ear cocked for the slightest sound or summons. In those of despair. “Conduct my wife to her chambers, boy,” was all he
first weeks I made many clumsy mistakes while tending to the said, and the sound of defeat in those words left me cold.
baron, but while he never hesitated to correct me, Baron Robert The night was dark as the Devil’s heart as we left the palais.
did not dismiss me to the donjon dormitories. The baron kept me Margaret made her way through the garden effortlessly, leaving
in the favored place, almost out of defiance, it seemed, though at me to stumble along in her wake. She laughed softly. “My hus-
what I could not imagine. The honor meant little to me whenever band thinks much of you, placing you outside his door. Why is
Paul caught me alone in the castle halls. that, Renauld?”
Every aspect of the castle had its hierarchy. The lord (who “I’m sure I do not know, my lady,” was the best I could manage.
himself must answer to a feudal superior) commanded his high “No? How disappointing. I had hoped it was because you
servants, who themselves commanded lesser servants, and even the were someone special, someone with promise.” The guards at
least of these, down to the pot-boys, had a clear pecking order of the entrance to the palais hung their heads meekly as she passed.
who defers to whom. Everyone, it seemed, had at least one person Stung by her words, I followed her inside.
beneath them to lord over. It was no different with the squires. Baron “My father was a great knight,” I ventured, as we set our
Robert maintained no less than eight, a sign of his wealth and power. feet upon the great stair. “He saved the baron’s life at Clairault.”
The squires with the most seniority terrorized those beneath them, “What a pity the son cannot match the father. I hear that the
heaping abuse and labor upon their juniors daily. It was no secret other squires beat you. They handle you like a calf.” She turned, and
to the baron, whom I imagine suffered much the same way when it seemed as though her eyes flashed like a cat’s in the torchlight. “I
he was a squire. I bore up under Paul’s torments and fought back think my husband holds you close because he fears that you could not
by holding onto the favored place outside the baron’s door. In years survive sleeping in the dormitory, and he has pity for your father.”
to come, the seniors would pass on, receiving their knighthoods, My cheeks burned like hot coals. Shame and anger tightened
and despite many bitter promises made after beatings or demeaning my hands into fists. My fear of the baroness was forgotten as I
tasks, I found myself terrorizing the new lads junior to me with equal followed her inside a dimly-lit chamber. “I am my father’s son. I
viciousness. It was simply the way of things. will not fail him, or my lord, the baron. And one day, Paul will
We squires were the baron’s closest companions, near him every not dare raise his hand to me.”
hour of every day. In the process of attending him, we observed the “Oh, such bold words,” Baroness Margaret laughed. “Such
ways and means by which he ruled his domains, and he discussed bold, empty words.”
matters of rulership with us many times, gently guiding us to insight With a start, I realized we stood in the baroness’ bedchamber.
and maturity. We were like sons to him, which meant that all too Barely a handful of candles burned in the large room, guttering in
often if we made a step amiss, Robert did not hesitate to correct us unseen drafts and throwing wild, contorted shadows on the aged
bluntly and sometimes harshly. We were nourished in this way, walls. This light gave only hints about the room, the outlines of a
made ready for our future responsibilities, and we were fortunate large bed, formed of dark wood. Ragged tapestries, tables covered
that our lord took his responsibilities so seriously. In some parts in earthenware jars or old, ironbound books. The baroness went
of the land, there were evil lords who used their position to inflict to one such table. “It takes courage to be strong, Renauld. The
hideous abuses on the boys in their charge. courage to do what must be done. I fear you haven’t the heart.”
Three months passed before I set eyes upon the baroness, She drew a chalice from the tabletop and turned to me, a smile on
Margaret. One evening she came to supper in the great hall unan- her face. “Better you should return to your tower. Live out your
nounced; I remember how all the tumult of the feasters fell silent, life behind stone walls. Your father is dead, and will not know.”
like birds startled to stillness by the tread of a hunter. Her eyes glittered with merriment, and my rage slipped its leash.
I had never seen anyone so regal before. She was tall and pale “I will show you courage! Name me a task, my lady. Anything.”
as alabaster, with only the faintest rosy blush on her lips. The rushes Baroness Margaret smiled. She was playing with me, like a child
crackled faintly with her delicate tread, and the baron’s great hounds
with a new pet, and I burned for the chance to prove her wrong.
hung their heads and shied away from her approach. The baron rose
She held up the chalice. “Then drink,” she said. The cup
to welcome his wife. She stood before the master’s table and made a
brimmed with dark wine. “Have you the courage to empty my cup?”
slow, deliberate bow. Even I could see the mockery there, but Robert
I took the chalice without hesitation and raised it to my lips.
made no reply. The baroness took her place beside Robert, and slowly
My mouth filled with blood. Hot, bitter, fresh from the
— tentatively — the meal resumed.
vein. Blood. My mind reeled with revulsion and horror. But
I felt her gaze upon me while I performed my tasks, setting my
there were her eyes, boring into mine, certain of my weakness.
nerves on edge. Never did the baron offer her a cut of meat or a drink
of wine. Her plate sat empty; she watched everything and everyone I thought of Paul, and the beatings, and her mockery, and
around her. When the meal ended and the trouveres began their tales, I swallowed. Again, and again, gulping the abominable drink.
I hastened from the hall. Even in the kitchens my skin prickled with Blood dribbled down my chin, soaking into my bliaut. And still
waves of heat and cold. It still felt as though she was watching me. I drank. May God have mercy on my soul.
THOSE WHO WAR

21
Knights in the lance penetrates the target’s shield and mail covering.
A squire can fail one or both of these feats and still receive

Training
In addition to acting as bodyservant and confidant to
his adubbment, but his reputation for martial prowess will
be severely stained.
Learning to fight is only part of a knight’s training,
the baron, a squire spends part of nearly every day training however. Chevaliers are expected to be paragons of virtue and
for a knight’s chief function: combat. A noble son first holds courtly behavior. To that end, the squires bear the responsibility
a sword at age seven, becoming accustomed to its weight and of escorting the lady and her daughters when outside the castle,
the punishing shocks of dealing repeated blows against wooden and entertaining visiting noble dames with stories, songs and
targets and blunted blades. He learns to deliver strikes from games. The castle ladies take the young men in hand and help
horseback as well as on foot, and then later, to handle the them to become charming and well-versed, smoothing their
knight’s oval-shaped kite shield. By 15, an aspiring squire has rough manners and making them mindful of the dispositions of
developed enough strength and basic familiarity with the tools the gentler sex. If a squire is very fortunate, the castle mistress
of battle that he can begin to refine his art under the tutelage will also insist on teaching the young men their letters, which
of the castle’s master-at-arms. allows them to broaden their education as well as to better
During the afternoons, while the lord and lady of the oversee their estates in years to come.
castle are taking their leisure, the squires are sent to the inner
courtyard to practice swordplay. They fight in full armor: a Blood Curse
hauberk of mail and leggings that covers their torso, arms and I had drunk a chalice of blood before the Baroness of Haut-
legs, plus mail “mittens” that cover the hands and a coif that mont, gorging on damnation while she looked on and smiled. Too
protects the head. Over the coif goes a heavy steel helmet, late, I learned that the madwoman had not been so mad after all,
called a great helm, which offers ample protection at the cost and that darkness indeed had come to dwell in my master’s castle.
of limited visibility and poor ventilation. Squires and knights Baroness Margaret was not cloistered at all. She was a vampire,
alike wear thick padding under the armor to provide some and fearful of the light of day. She haunted the stygian vaults of the
modicum of comfort and added protection against blows. castle donjon, surrounding herself with castle walls and men-at-
Owing to all this protection, it is uncommon for knights to be arms to protect her daytime sleep. And the castle folk served her,
slain on the field of battle. The rules of chivalry require that whether they knew it or not. I suddenly understood the haughty looks
a knight accept the honorable surrender of a fellow knight of certain castle servants, and the weary distraction of the baron.
when offered it, in return for payment of a ransom of gold or Baron Robert no longer ruled in Hautmont, if in fact he ever did.
property rights. Thus, there is a powerful incentive to beat a Her blood had made me stronger and faster than I had ever
foe into submission and take his surrender. been before. I felt no fatigue, had no need for much sleep, and
In addition to several hours of sword work, squires must my senses grew sharp. There was not a single squire who could
practice the skills of fighting from horseback. It is the horse best me with sword or lance, though I found that horse and
and the power of a mounted charge that makes the armored hound alike grew skittish of me, as though they could sense the
knight the master of the battlefield, and it forms the foun- foul taint at work in my veins.
dation for the authority of the noble class. Noble children, But after a month, I felt the fire in my blood begin to wane,
sons and daughters alike, learn to ride as soon as they are and my strength waned with it. The other squires noticed, and
old enough to remain in a saddle. During their nourishment, took their vengeance out upon me on the practice field. My
squires perfect the ability to strike targets from horseback arrogance gave way to despair. Like all evil things, the gift of the
with both sword and lance. Squires practice first against baroness did not last. If I wanted to keep my prowess, I would
straw targets representing men on foot, then try their hand have to seek her out again and again, so long as I lived.
against the quintain, and wood-and-straw mannequin clad I resisted as long as I could. The baroness welcomed me like
in armor, and made to represent a mounted knight. Squires a lost son, and gave of her blood, with a mocking smile that shed
must control their horses, hold their lance at the correct no warmth. She knew that I was hopelessly ensnared. I drank,
angle, and properly react to the shock of their lances’ impact and grew strong, and my misery knew no bounds.
against the target — all in all, a feat of intense coordination. Afterward, the only pleasant hours of my nourishment
At the time of a squire’s knighting, he performs two were spent in the garden attending on the fair Elaine, reading
feats to prove he has mastered the necessary skills to become poetry and entertaining her with song. As I came to know her,
a knight. First comes a feat of strength: The squire, in full I found my seignior’s daughter to be more beautiful and refined
armor, must run and vault onto the back of his horse, without than any other lady in Christendom, and the very image of
the assistance of stirrup or saddle. Once mounted, the squire gentle nobility. She seemed entirely innocent of the monster that
must ride out onto the lists, where the quintain awaits. The her mother had become, existing only for her sisters and her
second feat requires that the squire take a lance and make books. I grew ever more protective of her, determining that if I
a single charge at the quintain, striking it solidly, so that were to be Damned, I would save her from the same fate, to the

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 Law and Order
last drop of my blood. After I had waited on her for a year, one
day she favored me with a smile and a coquettish laugh. “If you
were a knight, would you wear my scarf in the tournaments,
Renauld?” Despite the best efforts of enlightened men there is not
My heart swelled, with sadness and a terrible, hollow joy. yet a central code of law throughout the kingdoms of Chris-
I bowed to her deeply. “Fair damoiselle,” I replied gravely, “I tendom. Since the time of Charlemagne, local lords have
shall be a knight, and your father’s man. It would be my honor bore the responsibility of meting out justice and punishments
to wear your token in the lists, if you deem me worthy.” To as they see fit, asserting this right as the privilege of their
which she let out a high, musical laugh. Her eyes glittered like God-granted nobility. To some, this duty is a burden, borne
sapphires. with solemnity; to others, it is a license to inflict pain upon
“Then I shall make for you a garland,” she said, “to wear their helpless subjects.
upon your helm, and a scarf of silk for your lance. And you will A noble’s capacity to dispense justice depends, like every-
joust for me.” Then her face became serious, and she leaned thing else, on his rank. A landed knight or petty noble has the
close, placing a tiny white hand on my own. One of Elaine’s power of low justice, the right to judge petty infractions such as
maids frowned disapprovingly. “What if I should be taken,” public drunkenness or quarreling, and can sentence guilty par-
she said, “captured by my father’s enemies and ransomed like a ties to minor punishments such as the stocks or flogging. More
king? What then?” serious offenses, such as murder, theft or rape, are adjudicated
My breath felt hot in my lungs, and I could hear the blood by the local baron. The barons of Europe (and their superiors)
rushing like a river in my ears. “I would ride to your rescue, have the right of high justice, giving them the absolute power
through darkness and death, against all the knights in Christen- of life and death over all the peasants and vassals within their
dom. As any true knight would,” I added hastily. It would not domain. How these forms of justice are applied depends on
do for the maids to tell Elaine’s mother that I presumed upon her what rank of society the accused comes from. Ideally, nobles
daughter’s affections. enforce the laws of the land harshly but fairly. In reality, there
The maids shifted about like fretful hens, but Elaine had is no equality under law, and individuals are presumed to be
eyes only for me. “You are my Roland,” she said softly, and guilty unless it is proved otherwise. A peasant accused of a
from that moment forward, I was. high crime is often executed after a swift and arbitrary trial. A

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priest, however, can declare that his holy station makes him a castle’s master hangman by the name of the seigniory that
immune from earthly judgments, and demand that his case be he served (e.g., Maitre’ Hautmont). These men attend not
given over to the church for adjudication (often leading to an only to hangings, but also to beheadings (the proper method
acquittal or at least a lessening of punishment). In the case of of execution for the nobility), tortures, and they act as master
the nobility, the law becomes less binding still. To begin with, jailers. The position involves considerable social stigmata;
a high noble can only pronounce judgments on those lords hangmen’s families marry amongst themselves, from fief to
who owe him fealty. The reasons for this are practical as well fief, and sons follow in the footsteps of their fathers. It is a job
as political. Punishing another baron’s vassal can be taken as with good security and not much work.
an act of war, leading to dire repercussions. Short of killing a Torture is common even in a humane noble’s castle, used
noble criminal outright, the only other punishments that can often to extract confessions from criminals, including nobles if
be levied are fines or confiscation of property, neither of which the accusations relate to treason. The methods of persuasion
can be legally enforced since a baron’s legal recourse stops at vary from region to region. In Brittany, the accused is tied to
the boundary of his territory. Like accused clergy, nobles who an iron chair and gradually brought closer to a blazing fire; in
are accused of crimes in another baron’s territory must be sent Normandy, a criminal’s thumbs are squeezed in a kind of screw.
elsewhere for judgment, in this case to the court of the baron’s At Autun, a particularly ingenious method involves placing
seignior. The baron’s noble superior, in theory, has authority the prisoner’s feet in boots of spongy leather. Boiling water
over not only the barony in which the crime had been com- is then poured over the boots, which penetrates the leather
mitted, but also the fief from which the accused hails, giving and eats away the flesh, granting a foretaste of Hell itself. At
the seignior the power and authority to make punishments felt. Hautmont, the preferred torture is known as “squasations.” The
The end result is that many unscrupulous knights errant and criminal’s hands are tied behind his back and then fastened to
other traveling nobles are tempted to brutal abuses of power iron rings. Chains attached to these rings lift the man off the
that they might not normally entertain on their own lands. floor. If the crime demands extraordinary torture, weights of
Any noble accused of a crime has the right to demand up to 250 pounds can be attached to the accused’s feet. The
a trial by his peers. This trial, called an assize, is announced victim is then hoisted all the way to the ceiling and allowed
to drop with a jerk, dislocating his limbs.
far and wide, giving as many nobles a chance to attend as
possible. The jury of peers hears the case and decides the guilt There are many simpler and more convenient means of
or innocence of the accused, and the local baron must abide torture at a hangman’s disposal as well: injecting boiling water,
by the decision. Even then, however, a guilty verdict can be oil or vinegar into the accused; applying hot pitch or placing
reversed. If a member of the jury believes that the verdict is hot eggs under the armpits. Lit candles are sometimes tied to
the hands so that they are consumed along with the wax, or
unjust, he may demand that the judgment be settled in a trial
water drips from a great height onto the victim’s stomach.
by combat. Thus, a knightly duel must be fought, not between
Oddly, this method is said to break down the most stubborn
the accuser and the accused, but between the accuser and the
criminals, as is watering the soles of a criminal’s feet with salt
juror, and God will give victory to whomsoever champions
water and allowing goats to lick them. Of course, the most
the truth. The clergy disapproves of such trials, perhaps
common method of torture is the rack. Victims lie on long
suspecting that more than one guilty man has gone free by
wooden trestles and their hands and feet are tied to great
virtue of a well-meaning ally’s sword arm, and so the Church wooden wheels, which are then turned in order to stretch the
has managed to limit the use of trial by combat to only the body and slowly dislocate the limbs.
most serious trials.
The execution of a condemned criminal is carried out swiftly
Criminals awaiting trial or execution are held in the and efficiently. A peasant sentenced to hang is placed in a wagon
subterranean chambers of the castle donjon. Prisoners of noble and carried out of the castle to the neighboring village or town.
blood are entitled to a decent-sized cell and reasonable food. There the wagon stops at the local church and the condemned
If the crime is not especially severe, a noble has the option man is allowed to beg forgiveness for his crimes before God. The
of paying a moderate bail that would allow him to avoid abbot performs the final unction, and then the criminal is paraded
imprisonment altogether while awaiting trial. The peasantry back through town to the gallows. The only hope the peasant has
have no such privileges. They are thrown into cold, wet cells for reprieve is the slim chance that the hangman’s rope might
infested with vermin, and they are lucky to keep their clothes. break. If this happens, it is taken as a sign from God proving the
The dark places beneath a castle donjon are host to a grim peasant’s innocence, and he is allowed to go free.
assortment of confinements; there are little-ease chambers,
The only cause of execution for a noble is the crime of
rooms where prisoners have room neither to sit nor stand, or
high treason to the kingdom. A convicted nobleman is allowed
chausses de hypocras, cells where a man’s feet are constantly
a final meal on the morning of the execution, then he is
kept in water. There are even oubliettes, the “chambers of
conducted to the castle chapel to confess his sins and receive
forgetfulness,” remote cells in the lowest levels where prisoners
the last rites. Unlike the hanging of a peasant, the execution
are sealed up and left to die. Yet, these are the least of the
is commonly carried out in private. There is also no hope for
donjon’s terrors. Throughout Europe, it is the custom to call
reprieve — an executioner’s axe never breaks.
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24
 fringes of the noble classes did so because the need for power
Dark Designs blazed in the core of their being. Most often, these creatures had
I was trapped in service to the Damned, giving up my soul been nobles themselves and had been raised with the expectation
for an unholy communion of stolen blood. The baroness had of rulership, so even in dark damnation they were drawn to what
deathless strength and ancient guile to turn me to her will. Worse they had known all their lives. I came to know of one vampire
still, the law of the land favored her. bloodline, the Ventrue, who perpetuated themselves almost
My second drink of the baroness’ blood lent me even greater exclusively from noble families. Other vampires took hold of the
strength and stamina than I had felt before. In return, I served reins of power simply because they could, for vengeance, for
the baron’s needs during the day, and the baroness’ after dark. greed or to escape the desperate boredom of immortality. Such
At first, I looked upon the foul creature that was Baroness was Guy de Montpassant, a madman even in life, who twisted
Margaret and thought her nothing more than a Hell-spawned the minds of mortal lords to do his bitter deeds.
monster haunting the dark places of a venerable castle. As time The baroness was one of the Ventrue, seduced into darkness
passed, however, and I learned more about the ways of the vam- shortly after the birth of her last child. She never spoke of the
pires, I realized with horror that she took a keen interest in the fiend who turned her, or how it was done, and it was never my
management of the estates, with keeping the law and following place to ask. Why Guy de Montpassant desired her destruction,
the tides of politics. Baron Robert was little more than a mouth- I never knew. It was enough to me that he meant Hautmont to
piece giving voice to her commands. fall. For that alone, it was my duty to oppose him.
For a time this confounded me. Why would a creature Vampire nobles maintain the laws of the land as earnestly as
possessing immortality, ageless intellect and supernatural vitality their mortal peers, for it is the law that keeps their lands secure
have a care for mortal law? Then, when the troubles began with and establishes alliances and obligations that they can make use
neighboring Courtrace, I had my answer. of. I have heard that in some benighted Eastern lands these crea-
The raids began in late summer. Courtrace men stole across tures of Hell disdain any subterfuge and rule openly, becoming a
the border and attacked isolated farms, putting families to the law unto themselves.
sword and setting crops alight, then retreating back to their lands Like their mortal counterparts, vampire nobles preserve the
before Hautmont soldiers could arrive. law in order to twist it to their own ends.
The baroness was enraged by the news. The raids, should So it was with Courtrace. The raids continued into au-
they continue, would put a considerable strain on the barony’s tumn, until finally the Hautmont vassal whose farms were being
resources, limiting its capabilities in almost every aspect. “It is hardest hit set an ambush and captured a band of the raiders.
Guy de Montpassant!” Margaret declared. “He has crept like a In his rage, the vassal hung the raiders without trial, taking high
rat into Courtrace’s halls and has set them against me. Nothing law into his own hands. Without delay, the Baron of Courtrace
else explains this sudden belligerence.” demanded the arrest of the vassal, Sir Morgan, and within the
That was when I understood why the baroness ruled
bounds of the law, Baron Robert had little choice but to comply.
Hautmont as any mortal noble might. Even a vampire’s great
The repercussions of the arrest would be far-reaching. Courtrace
powers could reach no further than the length of her arm or the
could potentially seek claim to Sir Morgan’s lands in redress for
sound of her voice. They could only affect what was immediately
the hanged knights. At the very least the legal suit would leave
nearby, the same as any man. But an army gave a vampire
Sir Morgan’s fief seriously weakened, which left the barony
influence for many miles, and coffers of gold could sway minds
vulnerable.
all over Christendom. The resources of a fief gave a vampire a
“Montpassant seeks to goad me,” Baroness Margaret
long reach, indeed. What was more, by taking control of a great
declared when she heard the news. “He wants to bring Haut-
fief such as Hautmont, a vampire gained not only the resources
mont into conflict with Courtrace. Clearly it is a trap. Damn Sir
of a noble family, but also the allegiance of the vassal lords who
Morgan! The impetuous fool! If he had kept his head, we would
owed them fealty.
not be facing this problem at all.”
The baroness controlled Hautmont as surely as if it had
I listened, feeling my heart grow cold. Twelve peasants were
been hers by birthright. The tower and the lands my father had
killed, for the sake of a legal maneuver. The baroness spoke of
passed to me were also, ultimately, hers as well. That was the
the affair as an annoyance, no more. What did that say about
basis for my fealty. Even if I had the strength to resist the bar-
her feelings for the men she commanded? Were we all nothing
oness’ temptations, even if I did not love Elaine more than life
more than pawns for the Damned?
itself, the cursed creature that ruled Hautmont could still have
The baroness turned to me. “We will give the madman no
threatened to take my lands from me if I did not obey her wishes.
satisfaction. Tell my husband to arrest Sir Morgan. Sir Morgan
Many strands comprised the cord that bound me to Baroness
is to be encouraged to demand a trial by his peers.” Baroness
Margaret.
Margaret smiled. “If Montpassant goes so far as to provoke a
Of course, not all vampires desired the trappings of nobility.
In fact, as I came to learn, many of the Damned were solitary trial by combat, we may turn this situation against him. Also tell
creatures, leery of the company of their fellows and tormented by my husband that I think now is the time for us to conclude our
their own inner demons. A vampire who haunted the nighttime business with Hugh of Artois.”

THOSE WHO WAR

25
Their Day in Court
accepted a gift of choice hunting lands from the neighboring
Count of Champagne in exchange for free use of Hautmont’s
river bridge in times past. Thus, Robert owes different levels of
In addition to impromptu judgments presented as necessary,
fealty to two masters. As Hautmont castle lies on the Champagne
all high nobles must set aside one day each month when the
side of the Meuse, if the two neighboring counties ever went
subjects of their domains can gather and appeal a case before
to war with one another, Robert would be obliged to allow the
their seignior. These court days are important because they allow
count’s armies past the castle and across the river, then do battle
faraway vassals a predictable time to plan their trips to the castle
with them on the other side! While the peasantry is enjoined
and be guaranteed an audience. It also lets lords take action
never to look a proverbial gift horse in the mouth, a nobleman
on matters that require a collection or quorum of nobles to
must always be wary of another’s generosity.
participate in, such as an assize or a council of war. Every vassal
lord is required to be present and offer support and counsel to There is more to inheriting a fiefdom than merely a young
their seignior for each and every trial set before the baron, but man coming into lands and wealth. The law of the land states
such is the distance most vassals have to travel to court that that when the son of a vassal takes possession of his father’s
this duty is seldom fulfilled except in special circumstances. title, the vassal’s seignior is entitled to a monetary payment
called a relief. The relief is usually a fairly large sum, a means of
Another important function of court day is the swearing
establishing a formal debt between the new lord and his superior
of allegiances or fealty. The oath of fealty is more than a simple
even before the oath of fealty has been declared. In the case
ceremony. It is a symbol of loyalty, a commitment of support
of Sir Henry, Baron Robert’s son, the challenges of succession
both physical and spiritual that runs in both directions. As
are greater still. Being the eldest entitles him to the family
a vassal swears to uphold his seignior, so too does the seignior
castle and most of the baronial lands, but not all. A small part
accept the vassal as his charge, with the inherent obligations
passes to his brother Percival, and should his younger brother
of respect and support.
dispute the claim, Henry would have to count on the loyalty
Fealty is in many ways the coin of the nobility, and obli- of his vassals to support the division of land. This in itself is
gations exchanged for lands or privileges can sometimes lead to no small feat, as many of the vassal lords would be tempted to
conflicting of loyalties. It is entirely possible for a noble to owe test their new seignior’s resolve, making their own demands of
fealty to more than one lord. Baron Robert himself owes fealty to land and privileges in the hopes of feathering their own nests.
his longtime lord, the Count of Vermandois, but Robert’s father At the same time, neighboring barons, who make threats and

THREE PILLARS

26
demands of their own, often bully concessions out of young It was a long, tiring day, and the great hall of the palaiswas
and inexperienced rulers. New rulers find themselves beset always full. In addition to the nobles, many common folk had disputes
from all sides by opportunists and insubordinate vassals, and a to be settled, or merchants desired some agreement for their river
powerful domain may come apart at the seams in a few short trade. Even several village friars came to ask for material assistance
months under a weak and incapable master. for their parishes. With only a brief pause at dinner, Robert listened
to each case with care. Whenever possible, he gave a clear and
Blood Feud immediate ruling. “Your subjects must see that you are confident
By the time came for Sir Morgan’s trial, the blood of the and decisive,” Robert often told me. “They must feel that their
baroness was fast fading from my veins. As my strength waned I disputes are of worth to you. Even those whom you ruled against
found myself longing for its unholy vitality with a desperation that then return home with the belief that you are a conscientious ruler,
unnerved me. The baroness declared that if I were to drink from of strong character and clear mind, and this reputation will spread
her a third time, she would require an oath of fealty from me. At throughout your domain.”
last, the trap had sprung. I could not refuse. When I acquiesced, When all of the barony’s petty business was done, the Baron
the baroness declared that the oathtaking would be made before of Courtrace stepped forward and declared loudly, “Justice! I have
her assembled court. waited this entire day to hear what the Baron of Hautmont intends
It came as no surprise to me that the baroness would hold to do about the murder of my peasants!” John of Courtrace was
a court of her own, a dark, forbidding mirror-image to the daylit a tall and fierce-looking man, with the pale skin of the Celts and
business of Hautmont. The trappings of power attract supplicants hair as black as night. He was a fearsome baron, a man who held
and hangers-on, and the reality was no different for the society power over his vassals like an iron club, and there was no man in
of the Damned. Had she wished, Baroness Margaret could have Vermandois who would gainsay him. His anger filled the hall like
surrounded herself with a deathless entourage the envy of any a cold wind. “Where is your justice, Robert of Hautmont? Give
mortal count. Sir Morgan to me, and I shall show you how Courtrace deals with
During my months of servitude I had witnessed several other impertinent vassals!”
vampires come and go through the castle donjon, slipping in through Cries of outrage resounded throughout the hall. I watched the
the tunnels beneath the castle or entering brazenly through the assembled faces, seeking out those who held their composure, those
gate. Within the bounds of Hautmont and beyond, the baroness who knew as I did the true players behind this game. Baron Robert
had vampires in service to her, whether by oaths of fealty or other answered his neighbor coolly, “My knight has demanded a trial by
obligations. They acted as her eyes and ears, helping to protect her his peers, as is his right. The assize will be called on the morrow.
domain and make her wishes felt. Some vampires served her for Until then, I welcome you as a guest in my hall, so you may satisfy
the sake of her patronage. In my time I saw more than one pale yourself that justice will be done.”
trouvere take gold or blood from the baroness in exchange for nights John of Courtrace did little to conceal the disdain in his voice.
of ancient song and poetry. “Oh, well said. Slippery as an eel. We will wait for as long as it
The law of fealty is a double-edged sword to vampire nobility. takes, and when tomorrow comes, my sons will help decide Sir
While a vampire could subvert a mortal household and lay claim to Morgan’s fate.” The baron’s three sons, clad in blackened mail,
its vassals indirectly, by the same token these supernaturally powerful had the languid look of snakes about them. “And any knight who
creatures assumed obligations of their own to the household’s seignior. dares say that Morgan is not guilty of murder shall feel the bite of
A knight held his lands on behalf of a baron, who held lands on Courtrace steel!”
behalf of a count, who in turn ruled considerable domains at the Baron Hautmont was sorely troubled that evening, drinking
behest of a duke, and so on back to the king. Baroness Margaret more than his usual share of wine. As I readied him for bed, I saw
was an immortal, a servant of darkness, but if the mortal Count the haunted look in his eyes and I asked him if he feared that Sir
of Vermandois demanded support from Hautmont, the baroness Morgan would not have a fair trial.
would be obligated to give it, or else risk forfeiting her lands. It “I fear he will not, Renauld,” Robert said wearily. “The man
sometimes gave me bleak amusement to wonder how many mortal insulted me in front of nearly a dozen of my knights, and they sat
nobles could unwittingly command creatures whose powers were as timid as church mice…” The baron’s eyes grew distant, and
beyond human comprehension! The game of thrones has its rules, I saw in their unguarded depths a terrible, bleak helplessness.
and even the undead must abide by them. He could no more defy the monster that was his wife any better
The subsequent court day saw nearly a dozen nobles come than I could. “Well, take this as another lesson, boy. Keep a
to speak with the baron, on subjects ranging from crop blights to careful eye on your possessions, be they land or men, for someone
castle building, to a wild report of huge wolves stalking the forests always seeks to take them from you. Ambitious nobles will try
south of Belvain. There also arrived the Baron of Courtrace and to expand their domains by taking yours. They lure away your
three of his sons, demanding redress for their peasants whom Sir vassals with gifts, bribing them to break their promises of fealty
Morgan had slain. From beyond Courtrace came an even more or promising better protection and prosperity under their rule.
distant baron, Hugh of Artois, along with his eldest son to conduct They employ devious means to turn your people against you,
some private business with my master. sowing discontent, then if they see you are weak, they march in

THOSE WHO WAR

27
and take what they want.” The baron gave a bitter laugh. “In The two combatants faced one another, their expressions
the peasantry, we call such a thing thievery,” he said and took a unreadable beneath their heavy helmets. Father Mortimer stepped
deep breath. “Enough prattling. Attend to my wife’s commands,” forward, raising his arms to heaven. “Lord God of Hosts, be
he said bitterly, waving his hand in dismissal. “Tomorrow will with these valiant knights—” Whatever else the priest intended
come too soon, I fear.” to pray was drowned out in a roar as Sir Simon charged headlong
The assize gathered in the great hall after Mass, and the toward Sir Henry.
knights of Hautmont and Courtrace assembled to hear Sir Mor- The battle was swift. The man from Courtrace moved with
gan’s case. The knight was summoned from the donjon, and he a speed and strength that surprised even me. He fell upon Henry
looked his accusers in the eye as he told of repeated raids onto like a storm, hammering his blade against shield, sword, and helm,
his lands by Courtrace men. Cattle had been stolen, as well as all in a frenzy of blows. Sparks flew from Henry’s helm and great
grain, and in one instance, a farm had been put to the torch and cracks appeared in the wooden face of his shield. It was a terrifying
the entire family murdered. At that point, Sir Morgan declared, sight to behold; in that moment I did not blame those knights who
he considered the raids to constitute an invasion of the baron’s feared to face John of Courtrace and his kin.
land, and when he finally caught a band of raiders, he treated Henry’s shield dropped a heartbeat later, faltering under the
them like invading troops and killed them. withering assault, and he left his head unprotected. Simon did not
Throughout the trial, the sons of Courtrace were vocal hesitate, swinging a terrible blow at Henry’s helm.
and derisive, challenging every statement Sir Morgan made and I think Henry knew he was outmatched from the beginning.
accusing him again and again of usurping his seignior’s privilege He called for the Ordeal because he felt it was his duty to support
of high law. Finally, Simon of Courtrace, the baron’s eldest the innocence of one of his family’s vassals. He did not desert
son, rose angrily from his seat and cried, “Enough! We have that duty.
heard this man’s excuses! The fact that our peasantry might Even as Simon’s blow fell, Henry thrust forward with all his
have raided Hautmont lands is not the issue here. Sir Morgan strength. His sword extended parallel to Simon’s sword arm and
took the high law into his own hands and must be punished. penetrated the vulnerable spot at the knight’s armpit. Henry’s blade
What say you all?” went deep, shearing through lungs and heart, even as Simon’s
“Guilty!” cried Simon’s younger brothers. Once again, their sword split Henry’s helm asunder.
gaze swept the hall, and from the silence that followed, it was clear Henry fell to his knees, pulling the shattered helmet away.
that none had forgotten the threat of John of Courtrace. Blood poured freely from a terrible wound at his temple. My lord’s
One by one, the knights nodded their heads in acquiescence, son looked down at the twitching body of Simon and spoke in a
cowed into condemnation of their fellow lord. All except one. quiet voice. “God’s will is done.” Then his eyes rolled back in his
Henry, the baron’s eldest son, rose slowly from his chair. “I head, and Henry fell to the ground.
will not sit idle while a man is condemned for his loyalty,” the Elaine let out a despairing wail. We Hautmont squires
young knight said. “Sir Morgan is right. The men of Courtrace rushed to Henry’s side. Sir John and his sons came forward.
struck repeatedly at his fief, and he was within his rights to take They gathered up Simon’s limp form, wrapping the knight in a
action as he would against any invader. What difference if the cloak, and John turned to my master. There was rage in his eyes,
raiders die by sword or rope? As Sir Morgan has sworn to defend and a helplessness I knew all too well. His face was cold and
my family’s lands, so too have we sworn to defend him. Your dead, and his words ground one against another like gravestones.
judgment is wrong, Sir Simon, and I demand it be settled by “We will not forget,” was all the nobleman said, and the
an Ordeal of Battle.” men from Courtrace turned away, bearing the body of Simon
I expected Simon to erupt in a towering rage, but he only back home.
laughed, a frighteningly merry sound, as though he were being Squires escorted Henry to his room in the castle, watched
asked to join a hunt instead of fighting a duel. “So be it! I shall over by his sisters and Father Mortimer. No one knew if the
see two Hautmont men die today. We shall meet in the inner baron’s son would live. That night I went to pledge my fealty to
courtyard after you have made your peace with God.” the creature whose schemes had brought Henry to death’s door.
The two knights met in the inner court, wearing full armor and The baroness called her court in the cavernous assembly
wielding sword and shield. All the nobles gathered in attendance, chamber of the donjon, presiding from a dais every bit as regal
including the baron’s daughters. Elaine’s face was pale with fright, as her husband’s. Some 20 vampires assembled there, called
and I longed to be able to reassure her of her brother’s triumph. from all over the barony and beyond to discuss events and plan
The truth was, I feared for Henry myself. Was this what the against the threat of Courtrace. For all that their numbers were
baroness meant by turning Guy de Montpassant’s schemes against fewer than Hautmont’s sunlit court, the supernatural power of
him? As near as I could tell, Sir Henry was entirely ignorant the collected nobles made them greater still. I could only wonder
of his mother’s damnation, and had nothing but his God-given at how these vampires traveled from abroad — some by nocturnal
strengths to call upon. I was certain that Simon of Courtrace had processional, perhaps; others through cunningly transported cof-
the blood of a vampire singing in his veins. He was certainly as fins or covered carriages. They watched with varied expressions,
much a ghoul as I was. some amused, some somber, others disinterested as I bowed my
knee before the throne of the baroness. Another vampire came
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28
 Betrothals,
forward, his face and form a blasphemous horror, holding the
brimming chalice in his hand.

Weddings and
In keeping with their origins, vampire nobles invoke solemn
ceremony when making oaths and allegiances. The Blood Oath
requires no words to take its terrible effect, but like many of
her Ventrue peers, the baroness favored the substance of ritual.
She rose from the dais and took my hands, in dark mockery Celebrations
The importance of the institution of marriage to the nobility
of the oath of fealty.
I took a deep breath, feeling my insides twist. I could not keep of Christendom cannot be overstated, for the linking of powerful
the quaver from my voice. “Baroness, I enter into your homage families through ties of matrimony cements lasting political and
and faith and become your man, by mouth and hands, and I swear economic relationships that can decide the course of fiefdoms
and promise to keep faith and loyalty to you against all others.” for generations. Noble children are often betrothed while still
Baroness Margaret smiled with the pride one reserves for a in their cribs, as parents look to profitable alliances in the short-
well-trained hound. “I do promise to you, vassal Renauld, that term and broadened resources in the long-term. The feelings of
I will guarantee to you the rights and privileges worthy of your the child-brides never come into consideration in most cases.
station, against any creature with all of my power, and shall Marriages begin as an offer, either from a suitor to the father
reward your faithful service in full measure.” of a lady, or from the father of a lady to the father of a prospective
She drew me gently to my feet and kissed me on the mouth. husband. Fathers of eligible ladies must provide dowries, financial
Where a mortal would then have sworn his oath on a holy reliquary, incentives to make the marriage worthwhile to suitors. Dowries
for me there was only a sacrilegious cup of blood. consist of gold, gifts of land and livestock, or other property rights
I drank, completing the ritual. The baroness held my gaze that go to the bride’s husband after the wedding. As marriage is
with hers all the while, but my thoughts were only for Elaine. If the a commitment for life, many noble fathers put great effort and
baroness would risk her eldest son to further her goals, what might thought into providing their daughters with suitable dowries. A
she do to her daughter? I had long resigned myself to damnation, nobleman with many daughters is a fretful man indeed.
but I vowed then and there to keep Elaine safe, to somehow free The betrothal is a ceremony to solemnly declare the
her from her mother’s clutches, even if it cost me my life. intention of marriage. It is the final step in the negotiation of
Henry died just before the dawn. a marriage contract, like the signature on a treaty or charter.

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It is not the same thing as marriage, as the Church hastens to In the bailey, the cookhouse enters a seemingly never-ending
point out, because the particulars of that union are spiritual and frenzy of preparation. Feeding all the guests and their retinues is a
should not be concerned with matters of state. Nevertheless, task that even the castle cooks find daunting. The baron’s huntsmen
once a noble bride becomes the “intended” of a lord, it causes a ride forth daily to scour the countryside for game, and village boys
great scandal if either family tries to back out of the agreement. receive a copper penny for every bird or young hare they can trap.
Traditionally, the father of the bride hosts the wedding at Every day until the wedding, the great ovens blaze at all hours.
his castle, and if the bride’s father is a wealthy man, a tournament A store of gifts is assembled for the guests, each one is carefully
sometimes follows to celebrate the union. Messengers scatter like chosen to honor the recipient and all are very expensive. Care
crows, taking word of wedding to all the neighboring households. must also be given to ensure that no recipient receives a gift more
The father of the bride and his seneschal open the castle coffers, valuable than another noble of higher rank. It is enough to drive
and gold that had been hoarded there for such times flows like the mistress to distraction.
water, summoning a never-ending stream of merchants, craftsmen The weeks prior to the ceremony teem with many formal
and entertainers. The first noble guests arrive up to a month before greetings and long afternoon hunts as the castle population
the ceremony, coming from many miles away. Great tents and swells to three times its number. When the blessed day dawns,
pavilions to house the many guests sprout up like a field of huge, the guests convene in all their bejeweled splendor, forming a
colorful mushrooms outside the castle walls. procession that follows the bride and groom down from the
The castle enjoys a wondrous rebirth as the day of the wedding castle and into the large church outside the castle village. Before
draws near. Walls get a good scrubbing and the courtyards and the procession rides an entire troop of trouveres, filling the air
moats are cleaned, while the castle mistress conducts her servants with a joyous symphony of flutes, harps and viols. Behind
like an army, ruthlessly attacking the dirt and dust of the long the trouveres rides the bride, on a black mule with extra long
winter months. New clothes are made for all the servants. The ears and a carefully curried coat. The bride’s father leads the
filthy carpet of rushes laid out to cover the floor of the great hall mule, and the animal wears trappings of gold and scarlet
is swept away and replaced, blended with roses, lilies, flag and samite. Then comes the groom, riding a white palfrey with a
mint, making a soft, fragrant carpet for the guests to walk on. In saddle of blue leather. Behind him comes his mother and the
honor of the festivities, the bride’s father directs the seneschal to bride’s mother, and all the female relatives of both families,
set out some of the castle’s greatest treasures: grand tapestries of their mules led by squires. Next, all the noble guests follow,
precious silk or Venetian wool, blazing with color and life, hang
with the father of the groom and the highest-ranking noble
in the hall and other parts of the palais.

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at the head. Along the road stretches the cheering multitude
of the peasantry, free from their day’s labor in honor of the Ominous Nuptials
occasion. As the nobles pass, they toss coins into the crowd The day following Henry’s bitter victory, Baron Robert sol-
to show their wealth and generosity. emnly announced the betrothal of his daughter Elaine to Etienne,
the son of Hugh of Artois.
Finally, the procession reaches the church, and the
The match was well-made, for the barony of Artois was a
highest-ranking clergyman the bride’s father can summon to
rich one, blessed with exceptional vineyards that allowed them to
officiate the ceremony stands outside. The bride, according to
further benefit from the river trade. Robert agreed to allow barges
custom, descends from her mule by a truss of hay. Standing
with Artois wine free passage down his stretch of the Meuse for
before the sacred portal of the church, in the full light of day,
Elaine’s dowry, and he promised to send 50 knights to help defend
bride and groom exchange their vows. Once they are said,
Hugh’s lands in time of need. (As Artois was another sworn vassal
the couple scatters silver deniers into the air to the cheers
of Vermandois, Robert reckoned it unlikely that Hugh and the count
of the assembled peasants, and then the doors of the church
would find themselves opposing one another, though such things had
swing wide, as the nobles make their way within.
been known to happen in the past.) In addition, a sum of gold would
Bride and groom sit in places of honor in the church’s
be paid equal to a year’s revenue of the baron’s properties, which by
exalted chamber, while the priest intones the solemn Mass of
any accounts was a very generous sum. For his part, Robert knew
the Trinity, and pronounces a special blessing over the couple.
that Artois was cousin to the heir of Vermandois, so Hautmont’s
“Let this woman be amiable as Rachael, wise as Rebecca,
ties to the count’s family would be even further strengthened, and
faithful as Sarah. Let her be sober through truth, venerable
Elaine’s children would sink Hautmont roots into the land and
through modesty, and wise through the teaching of Heaven.”
estates of their rich neighbor. The betrothal ceremony would be
The Mass finally ends. The Agnus Dei is chanted, and then held in the chapel that evening. I spent the day trying to find some
the bridegroom advances to the altar and receives the kiss of reason not to attend.
peace from the bishop. The groom then turns to his wife and That evening, amid a blaze of candlelight, Elaine stood beside
embraces her under the shadow of the crucifix, transferring the Sir Etienne at the altar, and after prayers, said their promises in the
kiss to her, and with that the marriage is complete. Emerging presence of their parents and the holiest of saintly relics. “I will take
back into the sunlight amid more cheering and coin-throwing, you for my wife,” Etienne declared in a loud voice. “And I will take
the procession returns to the castle, where the guests gather in you for my husband,” Elaine replied.
the great hall to present their congratulations to the couple Watching from a shadowed alcove I felt a chill pass through my
and give their gifts. After several hours, a fanfare of trumpets heart. I had hoped, for at least a glance from her, the smallest look
announces that the bridal feast is ready. of regret, but there had been none. After the ceremony the marriage
Even the great hall is too small to feed so many important was announced for the first day of spring, and a tournament would
guests, thus, the feast is served outside. The highest-ranking be held in honor of the blessed event. It promised to be an event the
guests and family sit with the bride and groom under a great likes of which Hautmont had never seen before.
tent of blue silk, while the other guests are seated at enormous Often I had wondered why the baroness’ children remained
tables beneath the afternoon sunshine. The common folk are untouched by her taint, of all the people in the castle. Now I
included, for on this day anyone who wishes to may come understood. Noble children are too valuable as bargaining pieces,
inside the barbican and eat their fill; no one from baron to too useful for the marriages they can make. That was why Henry
beggar shall go away hungry. In the bridal tent, the wedding died believing he was doing his duty as a high lord, instead of being
couple are served by two barons as servants of state. A great sacrificed like a chess piece. That was why Elaine had been kept
cup of wine is passed to the groom, who must drink half of it, innocent, so that she could lay her hand on a saint’s reliquary
then pass it to his wife, who must drink the rest to complete without hissing in torment.
the ceremony. Then, the feasting begins. When at last the wedding day arrived, I and the rest of the baroness’
The revelry lasts for hours, as the sun wanes and the music oathbound servants were ordered to watch over the proceedings in case
of the trouveres wafts through the warm night air. Down by Courtrace tried to interfere. I could not refuse. I watched Elaine pledge
the common tables, peasants dot the lawn as on a battlefield, herself to Etienne of Artois and felt a bit of my heart die.
lulled into sleep by food and wine. Those of the noble guests The baroness appeared at the bridal feast, sitting beside her
who are themselves not too overcome rise from the bridal husband with an air of cold, regal bearing as she accepted the guests’
tent to dance, their steps light and quick despite the hours congratulations. Over the course of the night, I saw the pale faces
of heavy eating. Finally, well into the night, the priest once of her vampiric court mingling amid the revelers. Doubtless they
more appears, and the wedded couple retires amid cheers to attended to their lady’s business, but I also saw many a look of
a great pavilion. Within, the cleric blesses the rose-strewn longing in their empty eyes. It was as if the celebration was the
nuptial couch, while the newlyweds kneel piously before it. closest they could come to the warmth of mortal companionship.
On the morrow, husband and wife are expected to attend Every time one of those fiends refused a cup of wine, every time I
a special morning Mass devoted to the virtues of marriage, caught one of those creatures looking stricken over the throngs of
and exchange promises of fidelity, patience and compassion. merry dancers, I felt a savage little spark of joy.
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31
The Tournament
Throughout Christendom, tournaments are reckoned as
squires busily prepare for the day’s events. A good number of
knights make their way up to the castle chapel for prayers. It is
considered best to go to tourney with a clean conscience, because
“little wars themselves, and the apprenticeship to great ones.” men still sometimes die on the jousting field.
Though the Church objects vehemently to the practice, most After breakfast the sun looms high and bright, burning
nobles believe that without good tourneys one cannot train off the mist from the river, and the lodges are abuzz with gaily
good warriors: “A knight cannot shine in war if he has not been laughing ladies and the jovial talk of less martial nobles. At their
prepared for it in the tourneys. He must have seen his own blood feet swirls a giddy mass of commoners, shoving and shouting
flow, have had his teeth crackle under the blow of his adversary, “Largess! Largess!” to their betters. From time to time a noble
have been dashed to the earth with such force as to feel the weight responds, tossing out a handful of coins and watching with
of his opponent, and disarmed 20 times; he must 20 times have amusement the scuffling it causes. Everyone wears their finest
retrieved his failures, more than ever set on combat! Then he clothes, rich with fur trim and glittering with gold and jewels.
will be ready for actual war and can hope to conquer!” Brightly colored pennons flutter everywhere, filling the air with
In fact, early tourneys were little more than small wars, a a sound like beating wings. Then a bold fanfare of trumpets
series of battles fought at a certain location and organized as resounds, and everyone responds with a hearty cheer as the
much for training as entertainment by nobles bored by years tournament begins.
of relative peace. In those days there were no more rules to the The procession begins from the end of the lists, lead by
tourney that one would expect to find on the field of battle, and four heralds in richly colored silk bliauts. Behind them comes
many men were maimed or killed. Since then, high nobles have a trouvere on horseback, tossing his sword high into the air
sought to make of the tourney a more “gentle” sport, for the end for end and catching it with the other hand. Then come
enjoyment of participants and spectators. The tournament is a the combatants, knights resplendent in their jousting array,
festival day for the common folk, who can put aside their labors riding two by two. Their chain hauberks gleam like ice, and
and enjoy the spectacle. Cutpurses and scandalous “joy women” their helms display wings or horns, or the figures of outlandish
ply their trades amid the rough crowds, while merchants set up beasts. Their shields are painted and their horses’ harnesses
tents at the outskirts of the field and add their voices to the glitter with medallions of gold and silver. The professional
clamor. For the knights themselves, there is more than merely a jousters in their midst stand out like bare patches in a saint’s
chance to gain glory in combat, as every defeated knight must pay reliquary, their plain, functional armor and tack giving them
a ransom for his horse and armor to the victor. For this reason, the gaunt, foreboding look of storm crows. The tourney knights
many poor knights become professional jousters, going from take their parade down the length of the list, and then back
tourney to tourney and living off ransom money. Because most again, each man competing for the admiration of the ladies.
captured armor is rarely cared for and often returned filthy and Riders prance and curvet their mounts as they pass someone
tarnished to their owners, professional jousters are sometimes worthy of special attention, and the gentle ladies, heady with
referred to as making their living by “black mail.” the spirit of the joust, fling “gages of love” to them. Knights
In the days before a tournament, a small army descends take up the ribbons or garlands and wind them around their
upon the host field. Long lines of gaily-colored tents spring up lances. The showers of affection continue throughout the day
near the castle lists, and squires run to and fro among them, as the ladies’ favor switches like the wind from one cavalier
stacking lances and readying tall warhorses. Men move amid to another. In the end some women are left with nothing but
the garish tents, sunlight glinting off the polished rings of their their pellisons and chemises!
armor. The fields both within and without the barbican vanish As the procession ends, the knights take their positions,
under a sea of vibrant colors: blue, red, white, orange and royal some mounted near the ends of the list, others dismounted
purple. The only clear place is the site of the tourney itself, where with their squires behind the inner wall. Once all the knights
two vast walls 100 yards long stand 50 yards apart. One wall have found their places a herald cries out, “Let him come to
is shoulder high, and behind it are the canopied and carpeted joust who wishes to do battle!” On cue, two trumpets answer,
lodges of the noble spectators. The common folk have their and from either end of the list come forth the garishly-colored
place on the ground and jostle and shove to see the action. The pursuivants. The pursuivants are trouveres who have taken the
inner wall is a barrier almost chest-high, with many openings coin of a jouster and are sent forth to loudly advertise their
along its length. Behind this barrier wait the squires with fresh employer’s martial prowess. Immediately the two entertainers
horses, weapons and bandages. begin to verbally spar with one another.
As the first pearly glow of dawn touches the misty air on “Here is a bold cavalier, Ferri of St. Potentin! He is a brave
tournament day, the castle heralds move among the many tents, knight of a noble house who will teach a lesson to his enemies!”
and lonely voices echo through the early-morning fog, “Jousters cries one.
make ready! Jousters make ready!” Some knights, mostly young “Here is Pierre, eldest son of the most puissant Count of
men touched with nerves before their first match, have long Maurevay! Watch now his deeds, all you who love brave
been awake, but now a general stirring arises, and before long actions!” cries the other.
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32
 “Pierre?” cries the first man, sounding as though he has
stepped in something. “He is the son of a crow! His friends The Tourney at
should be ashamed of him! Let him go and get his ransom Hautmont
money, for he’ll soon have need of it!” A week after Elaine’s wedding, the number of guests around
“Silence your boasts, you pursuivant of a listless master!” the castle seemed to triple with all the knights and their retainers
comes the retort. “Sir Ferri, if he should outlive the shock of who came to joust for the baron’s gold. Baron Robert offered 100
defeat, shall have his spurs struck from his heels as an insult silver deniers to the man who won the most jousts, and the news
to knighthood!” spread like wildfire across the countryside. Elaine’s sister Julianne
The crowd roars their approval, and the pursuivants and her maids swooned for days at the prospects of so many earnest
quit the field as the two combatants are led into position knights competing for their favor.
by their squires. When all is ready, the marshal raises his Some 84 knights presented themselves on the day of the tour-
white baton and calls loudly, “In the name of God and St. nament, parading down the list in a brightly-colored procession like
Michael, do your battle!” a fairy army. Even I found myself hard-pressed not to be carried
The two knights lower their lances and charge. Three away with the excitement of the jousts.
passes compromise each joust, and a knight who first unhorses I and another of the baron’s squires wagered which of the
his opponent is the clear victor. In the event that both knights knights would likely win our lord’s gold. We considered each of the
keep to their saddles, the one who has the most solid hits wins. knights in turn. Then, at the end of the procession, my eyes fell on
For the most part, the jousters are paired against one the grim faces of John of Courtrace and his sons. Their armor was
another by mutual agreement and the decision of the tourney blackened, and the helms hanging from their saddles resembled the
marshals. However, some matches are declared to settle a heads of dragons. They paid no mind to the cheering throng and
feud. It is these fierce duels that often see the most fatalities, the taunts of the fellow jousters. They had not come for friendly
for the jousters continue their battle until one man gives his rivalries. Courtrace had come for blood.
yield. Most such fights begin on horseback, then continue Throughout the day, the ghoulish strength of John and his sons
on foot if a knight is unhorsed but can continue to do battle. left splintered lances and senseless knights in their wake. Finally,
at the end of the day, John of Courtrace took to the list and vowed
The second day of the tournament sees the grand
to joust against all comers. A gasp went up from the crowd, but
finale, the melee. After a night of feasting and sharing tales
none of the knights dared to challenge him. Finally, it looked as
of jousts past and present, those knights who can still fight
though my lord the baron was considering sending for his armor,
lead the spectators to a large meadow nearby, and there sep-
when Sir Percival raised his lance and entered the list amid cheers.
arate into two even groups. Each side has a banner, usually
My lord’s young son and the baron took their places. On
held by the best fighter on each side, which the opposing
the first pass, both knights struck cleanly, shattering their lances.
side must capture to claim victory. The two forces start some
Percival’s struck the baron’s shield and turned, while the baron hit
ways apart, both a considerable distance from the shouting
Percival on the helm and flung him from the saddle.
crowds, and with an angry cry of horns, both bands lower
“Dead! Dead!” went up the despairing cry from the lodge. Elaine
their lances and charge.
screamed, and I ran to Percival’s side, heedless of the baron’s rearing
The knights come together in a deafening crash, and horse. The baron’s son was alive, but his helm had crumpled under
the air above them fills with the shards of splintered lances. the blow, and a piece of the eyeslit had been driven back into his left
Men from both sides are pitched from the saddle, and the eye. He lay there clenching his teeth to keep from screaming. “Help
squires must then rush into the chaotic battle. The danger me up,” he groaned, and I shouldered his weight. Percival gave a
in a tight-pressed melee is worst for the dismounted knights, weak wave to the crowd and his family, who were too far away to
who can easily be trampled in the confusion. The squires must see how he had been maimed. Baron John looked down from his
drag prone fighters out of the press, much as they would be horse and smiled. “Well struck for a stripling,” he sneered. “Now
called upon to do in actual battle. Once the energy of the if you will excuse me, your father owes me a bag of silver deniers.”
initial charge is spent, knights fight stirrup to stirrup with Baron Robert paid the prize to John of Courtrace, and howled
blunted swords, trying to force their way to their opponent’s his anguish behind closed doors. That night, my lord went among his
banner. The great battle often runs the length and breadth men, offering great rewards to the man who could draw blood from
of the meadow until one of the armies is finally victorious. the Courtraces in the melee the next day. Baron Robert looked as
After a dinner served on the battlefield and much praise though he had aged a hundred years since the secret feud between
offered for the many jousters and their gracious host, at last the baroness and Guy de Montpassant had begun. I wondered
the tourney is done, and the many noble guests filter away, how many more prices the baron would have to pay before all was
striking their camps and beginning their various journeys said and done.
home. Over the following months, knights defeated in the Many of the Damned moved amid the mortals that night, pass-
jousts will have to provide ransoms in gold to the victor in ing through the jousters’ encampments and making conversation or
order to reclaim their horses and armor. congratulations. The more martial vampires watched the tourneys,

THOSE WHO WAR

33
perhaps longing for the excitement and the challenge of combat now or sometimes outright enemies who have only their feudal duty
largely denied them. No vampire could ever ride at the head of an keeping them civil with one another. A wise baron thus learns
army, or win a lady’s favor on a bright, sunny day. Many of the to make short work of his wars, keeping his army in the field
creatures tried to live out the glory of battle vicariously, choosing one no longer than absolutely necessary. Not even that most holy
or more mortal knights and making wagers on their performance in of causes, the liberation of the Holy Land from the heathen, is
the lists. Some of the Ventrue spoke of undead tournaments, hosted able to keep crusading armies united for very long.
by vampire lords, with jousting and melees under the cold moon. A knight’s feudal obligation requires 40 days of service to
If these tales were true, such affairs seemed empty and forlorn by his lord during times of war, after which the lord must in some
comparison. For what is a tournament without the crowds, the way compensate the knight for being so long away from his
passion of young maidens and the vulgar joy of the common folk? land and family. A knight supplies his own weapons, armor
The baron himself took the field the next morning, leading and horse, as well as a limited amount of provisions to sustain
one of the bands against John of Courtrace in the melee. For all him in the field. If he should be captured in battle, it falls to
his fury, and the exhortations he made to his men, my lord was himself and his family to provide for his ransom. Higher-ranking
defeated, driven from the saddle just short of the enemy banner. nobles who maintain a number of vassals must provide a specific
The men of Courtrace took their leave at the end of the day, but I number of troops to their seignior’s army, under their command.
knew that we had not seen the last of them. The Baron of Hautmont, for instance, provides the Count of
Later that afternoon, Sir Etienne took his leave of us, return- Vermandois with 50 mounted knights and 200 peasants when
ing to Artois with his new wife. The castle began the slow task of called to war. A vassal who fails to answer his lord’s call can
returning to its normal affairs, and I wondered if the scars on my have his dwellings burned according to feudal law.
heart would ever heal. In addition to the knights, the common folk also aid their
It was three days later that the messenger arrived, on a stag- lord in wartime. Every able-bodied man must come when the
gering and lathered mount. One of Elaine’s maids had stumbled trumpets are sounded, to likewise serve for 40 days, though
into the village of St. Anthony, the broken stub of an arrow in they stand little chance of any recompense if they serve
her back. Before she died she spoke the name “Courtrace.” The longer. Common folk who provide their own horses (usually
villagers found the rest of the bodies half a league down the road. the high-ranking servants of a lord’s house) are employed as
Horses and mules laid slain, wagons overturned, and the rest sergeants and equipped with weapons and armor from the cas-
of the servants slaughtered. Etienne of Artois hung from a tree, tle’s armory. These sergeants support the knights in mounted
pinned there by a lance. Of Elaine, there was no sign. The men combat and command peasant formations on the field. The
of Courtrace had taken her. rest of the common folk come to their lord’s castle on foot,
When the baron heard the news a deadly calm fell over him. carrying whatever implements they may use as weapons. Axes,
He thanked the messenger courteously and saw to the man’s needs, sledge hammers, pitchforks and simple clubs are common. A
then turned to his white-faced seneschal. “Call out the levies,” was lucky few might be better equipped with a rusty sword or spear,
all he said, and with that Hautmont went to war. and a dented helm looted from a battlefield from years past.

A Knight Shall
In battle, these footmen are undisciplined and weak of spirit,
but who can blame them? Without real armor and no training,
only a fool stands his ground before a charge of knights with
Ride to War
Throughout Dark Medieval Europe, baronies go to war
steel-tipped lances! The real use of peasantry comes during
extended campaigns or sieges, where they forage for food or
build camps, fortifications and siege works. In short, their
with their neighbors frequently, often for reasons as simple menial skills give them value.
as disputed borders, hunting privileges or logging rights. The
right to settle any dispute by force of arms is a tradition as old
as kings or emperors, and it forms the very foundation of the
A Damned Resolution
The horsemen rode out that afternoon, ordered to spare no
noble estates, where every vassal lord accepts his land and horses as they sped across the baron’s lands, carrying their message
rights in return for military service to his seignior. In Christian to every village and tower. At every crossroads, they paused and
lands, these feuds last for only short durations and are usually gave wind to their trumpets, the sound carrying across the miles
fought with very specific objectives in mind. Most battles are and reaching every hand at work in the fields. To the vassal lords
small-scale skirmishes, typically raids against an enemy’s villages went the message, “Come with all the men you are bound in duty
or farms, or attacks against weak castles along the border. The to lead, seven days from today, to Hautmont Castle, armed and
reason is because the obligations that allow a lord to raise his provisioned for service; for your seignior’s daughter has been taken
army are only good for a specific length of time, which limits by Courtrace, and the baron would see the end of this feud.”
the duration of the warfare, and beyond the basic loyalty to At Hautmont, the hammers rang long into the night as the
their feudal obligations, little discipline exists among the rank smiths repaired weapons and helms for the coming battle. The baron
and file. A baron’s army is made up of individuals, often rivals and his senior knights sat until the wee hours, debating their strategy.

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A protracted war was impossible. After the great extravagance of surprise attack on the wedding party, slaying Robert’s son-in-law,
the wedding and tournament, there was no money left to tempt the and killing their servants, many of whom were under the age of
vassals to remain past their 40 days. Where normally the baron 17. With one impetuous action, the House of Courtrace had gone
would simply strike into Courtrace and begin burning towns and from cunning provocateurs to savages. It was not long before the
farms until the enemy came out to stop him, in this case this strategy rider dispatched to Vermandois returned with a good part of the
would do him little good. He could burn every crop and hamlet count’s army behind him.
from border to border and it would not get Elaine back. Robert The baroness watched the preparations with grim satisfaction.
saw very quickly that he would have to march to Petitmur, Baron She had tempted Courtrace into overstepping themselves and used
John’s castle, and storm the fortress, because his army would not Elaine as the bait. Now instead of a feud with a single neighbor,
hold together for a protracted siege. Doubtless the Courtrace baron the pawns of Guy de Montpassant faced the combined forces of an
expected the same thing, and he would have engineered some form angry county. Never once did she show any concern for her captive
of trap for the invading army. daughter, thinking only of revenge against her rival.
But all was not in Courtrace’s favor. While the Hautmont For my part, I went about my preparations with deadly earnest,
vassals gathered with their levies, Robert sent messengers to the cleaning my lord’s armor as well as my own and preparing sword
aggrieved Baron of Artois, then sent a rider to the Count of Ver- and lance. A squire was not supposed to fight in war, only acting if
mandois, explaining the heinous actions of the men of Courtrace, their lord were to fall, but in the confusion of the melee, such rules
and calling on his relatives by marriage to support his actions in are often forgotten. I spent the days praying to a vengeful God for
ending the rule of so wicked a house. Four days after the summons, the chance to try my sword against John’s vile sons.
every one of Robert’s vassals camped outside the castle. The mood Within five days, the army was ready. Two hundred knights,
was one of righteous wrath, for John of Courtrace had broken nearly 100 sergeants and 450 footmen gathered outside the castle walls, along
every law of conduct that feudal law applies to war. Tradition and with twice that number of squires, servants and baggage handlers.
custom required that warring nobles issue a week’s notice before Hautmont’s folk lined the castle road as the baron rode to the head
actual hostilities commenced. Further, a warring noble must wait for of the armored column of knights. We marched off to the cheers of
40 days before attacking the family of his enemy, giving them time the commoners, our line stretching for more than a mile.
to make their own peace, preparations for war or declare neutrality. We reached the border two days later, marching through a
Finally, all nobles must respect priests, women and minors. The misty rain that turned the roads into quagmires of clinging mud.
men of Courtrace had violated all these in one foul deed, making a There three of Baron Robert’s best huntsmen and a messenger from

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Artois awaited us. The news on both fronts was good. According ground shook. Our footmen began to look at one another in fear.
to Robert’s wishes, Hugh of Artois attacked Courtrace from the At 30 yards, the enemy knights lowered their lances, a glittering
north, burning everything he could find. Though not normally thicket of deadly points.
a domain with a large army, the rage Hugh felt at losing his son At 20 yards, the enemy let out a roar, and their horses went into
persuaded him to dig deep into his coffers and lay out a sizable a fast trot. Now they sounded like a roll of thunder bearing down on
sum for mercenary soldiers. Though no lord willingly trusted any our hapless peasants, and it was only our presence behind them that
warrior who sold his loyalty for coin, these men would stay in the kept them in place. Then at 10 yards, a trumpet blew a high, wild note,
field for as long as the gold held out, which was a considerable and the Courtrace knights went to the gallop. A wall of horseflesh and
advantage over a regular feudal army. Hugh had acquired a steel lance points crashed into the footmen, and the peasant formation
company of German cavalry and another company of Genoese shattered like ice. Men were run through or trampled in the press, and in
crossbowmen to stiffen his ranks, and as yet Courtrace seemed moments the forelocks of the horses glistened in red. The knights let their
unwilling to oppose them. lances go and drew their swords to hack their way through. Here and
The huntsmen brought tidings gladder still: Sent into the there a brave footman fought well; an axe cut through a horse’s neck,
countryside ahead of the army to spy out the lay of the land, these or a pitchfork found a gap in a nobleman’s armor. Within moments,
woods-wise men had found the trap laid for the baron and his however, the footmen fled in every direction, throwing down the weapons
men. Courtrace, too, had spent a king’s ransom in gold to raise in a headlong rout. But the enemy line had been scattered in the melee,
his own mercenary army of beggar knights. Nearly 150 of them and all the impetus had been taken from their charge.
lurked out of sight near Petitmur, ready to swoop down on the rear Now Robert drew his sword; now came time for our revenge.
of an invading army. Robert showed his teeth like a hound with His blade swept down, and our line surged forward, close-knit as
the scent of his quarry, and he sent Hugh’s messenger back with Courtrace had been. We covered 10 yards, and stirred to a canter;
exhortations to spread his destruction from one end of Courtrace 30 yards, and lowered our lances. Our enemy had seen us and
to the other. With that, our army marched on to Petitmur. now knew that the footmen had hidden much of our numbers, but
When we reached the castle, Robert ordered us to flank it was too late. Our trumpet called, and we sprang into the charge.
it during the night, settling into a valley nearly a mile from the I rode beside my lord, lance in hand, and roared my rage along
fortress. There the baron bid us wait, and pitch our tents. We with the rest. In the moments before impact I picked out a man for
stayed for three days, while the rains fell and my lord’s vassals my target, who had turned to pull a lance from one of our fallen men.
grew bored and restless. Quarrels broke out among rivals, and He was not fast enough. My lance took him in the chest and lifted
dice games escalated into blows. The army had frayed a bit around him from the saddle; moments later my horse crashed into his, and all
the edges when my lord’s scouts rushed into camp. Sir Eustace, around me rose the din of battle. I let the lance go and clawed out my
Baron John’s second son, had gathered the Courtace mercenaries sword, twisting in the saddle to find another foe. There was no time
and left the castle, rushing north to stop vengeful Baron Hugh. for fear, or even anger. Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
They were heading right for our camp. Robert gave a shout of No other knight challenged me, and looking back, I was lucky
triumph and ordered the army to form into lines. for it, because for all my wrath, I was yet only a squire, and not a
Robert set his army astride the valley road, with his footmen 50 match for a knight with years in the saddle. The battle concluded in
yards to the front, and his knights and sergeants arrayed behind them. moments. Not a single mercenary knight had escaped. More than a
Many of the knights thought this an insult. “Why should common folk score were captured, battered and broken, and were set aside to be
stand before us?” But the baron bid them watch and wait. held for ransom. Sir Eustace had met with my lord the baron, and
Before long, the enemy army came into view, marching in such was Baron Robert’s rage that he hacked the younger knight to
columns down the road. Great was their amazement at finding pieces. The baron ordered the enemy knight’s head to be placed on
us there, waiting for them! Sir Eustace led them, and we watched the end of a spear. Sergeants rounded up the scattered peasants while
him rein in and consider our formation for a moment. All he could we rode on to Petitmur. For our part, not more than 20 knights had
see were footmen and a thin line of knights behind them. It was been slain, thanks to our strong coats of mail. It was the peasants
clear that if he tried to retreat back to the castle, we could fall who bore the brunt of the killing. Nearly a third of our footmen were
upon his rear and cause untold havoc, so in truth, the Courtrace dead, and a third again sorely wounded.
man was left with little choice. The pale-skinned fiend drew forth We came upon John’s castle late in the afternoon, and Baron
his sword and ordered his beggar knights into hasty formation. Robert threw his army against the fortifications at once. There was
They fanned out into a line, until each man’s calf touched that of a fever in the ranks, the fury of warriors who had tasted blood and
the man beside him. When they were ready, Eustace lowered his were hungry for more. We cried Elaine’s name and “Hautmont!
sword, and the line began to advance, lances held high. Hautmont!” as we stormed the barbican and rushed the castle gate.
A groan went up from our footmen, and more than one fellow The air sang with the flight of hundreds of arrows. Twice we pressed
stole a nervous look back at us. Someone raised his pitchfork and forward, and twice the Courtrace men drove us back, leaving a
shouted a curse at the enemy. pile of bodies in our wake. Finally, the baron called the army back,
When the Courtrace line was within 60 yards, their horses and the remaining footmen were put to work fashioning battering
cantered, picking up speed. The horses’ hooves rumbled, and the rams. We would wait until nightfall.

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 The baron called his squires and the knights of his household dropped down into the horrid chamber. Her body was like ice after
to his tent as night fell. Baron Robert’s face was drawn, his eyes so long in the water, and she barely breathed.
sunken, but a fierce gleam burned there. When we assembled, he Someone from above held down a torch, and the lady I loved
looked into each face in turn. “Darkness has fallen. You know what opened her eyes. She hissed in fear of the torchlight and clung to
we will face when we make it inside the castle. Leave your shields me. The baron’s daughter seemed to writhe in my arms, her face
behind, and fight with a torch in your left hand. Stick it in the nuzzling into my neck. Then I felt the fangs, like two thorns pressing
monsters’ faces and strike for their necks. My…wife commands that against my throat.
the man called Guy de Montpassant be taken and bound in chains. My heart broke at that moment. I looked up at the entry-hole
So be it, but if you love me as your lord let your first command be to the oubliette, and saw the baron’s anguished face. I was ready to
to rescue my daughter.” The baron pleaded with his eyes. “Find die, to let her feed and at last leave this miserable existence behind,
Elaine, and let not one Courtrace man live through the night.” but once again, Baron Robert’s gaze pleaded with me. “End it,” he
With that, we left the tent, and the baron commanded the said. “For the love of God, end it.”
trumpets to be blown. We threw ourselves headlong at the gates They say I screamed like all the tortured souls of Hell as I
of Petitmur, piling our dead in heaps. By midnight the gates gave pushed Elaine away and raised my sword. Guy had not been so
way with a crash, and the real battle began. subtle with Elaine as the baroness had been with me. He had forced
Our armies tore at one another like maddened beasts, damnation upon her and left her to starve. There was no hint of
beating a bloody path to the foot of Petitmur’s donjon. When its comprehension, no hint of sanity in her eyes as I bore down upon
doors at last gave way, the undead vassals of Guy de Montpassant her. The woman I loved was long gone, I told myself, as I began
waited within. the butcher’s work. She was not here. She was not here....
No word can describe the slaughter that followed. While we We left Petitmur that day, a broken and bloody host. Baron
had forced our way inside the castle, John of Courtrace and his Robert ordered the castle to be put to the torch, and we turned our
sons had surrendered themselves to Guy’s dark Embrace, and fully backs on the nightmares we had seen.
a score of vampire knights awaited us in the donjon. These were Much later I stood before the baroness and recounted every
men who had known nothing but the pursuit of arms since their detail of the campaign. I waited for her to fly into a rage once she
boyhood, and now had the strength of 10. Their blades flickered learned that Guy had escaped. But instead, my mistress only smiled.
like lightning in the dim light, and our knights fell, reaped like grain “In truth, I had little hope of catching the weasel. It was enough
to a scythe. Our ranks wavered, and a great cry of despair went up to humble him, to send him scurrying like the dog he is. He’ll not
from our men. All might have been lost there and then, but Baron be a problem any time soon. You have done well, Renauld. I think
Robert took up a boar spear and rallied our knights around him. that you have earned your knighthood. Now go and rest. Tomorrow
We bore the enemy back with sheer numbers, and one by one, the I have an important errand for you to undertake.”
fiends were pulled down and hacked to bits. With that she dismissed me.
It was nearly dawn before the battle was done. The fighting My body seemed to move of its own volition, carrying me out
spread deep into the bowels of the donjon, and there in the darkness, into the night. I thought of Elaine, and Henry, and of the bloody
Guy de Montpassant and John of Courtrace escaped, through heaps at Petitmur. All because of the rivalry of monsters, and the
some hidden passage we never could unearth. One barony lay in games of vengeance they played.
ruins, and our combined army had been decimated. And still the I went to the top of the donjon and looked out at the north of
baroness’ rival went free. The feud continued. France, sleeping under a silver moon. How many more of them were
It was I who found Elaine, some time later, after the sun was out there, I wondered, haunting the halls of power and advancing
high in the sky. She had been left in an oubliette, wearing nothing their cold schemes?
but her chemise in knee-deep water. I called for the baron and then May God have mercy upon us all.

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37
 The Baroness
Quote: You dare trespass in my halls and call me an abomination? Dismiss this
childish rabble and remember your station, priest. Or are you fool enough to tempt my
wrath?
Prelude: Your life was charted out in a conversation over your cradle, as
your father proposed your marriage to the son of a powerful neighbor. The deal
was arranged, and from that moment forward you were raised to become
a fitting wife for a baron. You learned to read and write, and eventually
memorized a wealth of romantic verse and literature to entertain your
prospective husband and castle guests. As you grew older, your mother
taught you about the practical aspects of managing a great castle and its
subjects. You learned the lessons well, wearing the mantle of authority
like a comfortable cloak. Of course, your mother abjured you to cling
to the womanly virtues of subservience and meekness, but you never
really believed your husband would dare demand such things. Sub-
servience was for the common folk.
Your marriage came as a slap in the face. The baron took you,
wedded you, and promptly tried to forget about you. The truth was
that your husband was a fool, a gambler and a drunk who had already
squandered much of his family’s wealth and was only interested in your
dowry. He sequestered you in one of the most inhospitable parts of the castle
and then returned to his life of iniquity. According to the laws of the land,
you were powerless to oppose him.
But one night a stranger appeared, asking for hospitality. This mys-
terious knight came to you, after your husband had lost himself in his
wine, and spoke with outrage at the way you had been abused. You were
meant to rule, he said, not to serve. And there was a way to claim what
was your right and privilege, a way to power that had nothing to do
with petty mortal laws. He held out his hand to you, offering his gift,
and you did not hesitate.
Concept: You were literally born to rule. Your earliest memories
were being cared for by servants and issuing commands to the household
staff. Your entire childhood was spent learning the practical issues of
leadership and estate management. Then, after more than 10 years
of rigorous training, you were married to a fool and expected to sit
idly while he ran the estate into the ground. Damnation seemed
a small price to pay to escape from the living Hell of shame and
humiliation your life had become.
Roleplaying Hints: You are ambitious and arrogant, with
the kind of overpowering self-confidence that comes from having
the God-given right of life or death over your subjects. Vassal
lords and common folk are possessions, to be cared for as such,
but also to be used or sacrificed as necessary.
Equipment: Aging castle and estates

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Name: Nature: Tyrant Generation: 11th
Player: Demeanor: Autocrat Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Toreador Concept: Baroness

Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength___________________
OOOOOO Charisma__________________
OOOOOO Perception_________________
OOOOOO
Dexterity___________________
OOOOOO Manipulation_______________
OOOOOO Intelligence_________________
OOOOOO
Stamina____________________
OOOOOO Appearance________________
OOOOOO Wits____________________
OOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting____________________
OOOOOO Animal Ken________________
OOOOOO Academics_________________
OOOOOO
Alertness__________________
OOOOOO Archery____________________
OOOOOO Hearth Wisdom_____________
OOOOOO
Athletics___________________
OOOOOO Crafts_____________________
OOOOOO Investigation________________
OOOOOO
Brawl______________________
OOOOOO Etiquette___________________
OOOOOO Law_______________________
OOOOOO
Dodge_____________________
OOOOOO Herbalism__________________
OOOOOO Linguistics__________________
OOOOOO
Empathy___________________
OOOOOO Melee_____________________
OOOOOO Medicine___________________
OOOOOO
Intimidation________________
OOOOOO Music_____________________
OOOOOO Occult_____________________
OOOOOO
Larceny____________________
OOOOOO Ride_______________________
OOOOOO Politics____________________
OOOOOO
Leadership_________________
OOOOOO Stealth____________________
OOOOOO Science____________________
OOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________
OOOOOO Survival___________________
OOOOOO Seneschal__________________
OOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
Auspex
__________________________
OOOOOO Generation
__________________________
OOOOO Conscience___________
OOOOO
Presence
__________________________
OOOOOO Resources
__________________________
OOOOO
Dominate
__________________________
OOOOOO Retainers
__________________________
OOOOO Self-Control_________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO
Courage___________________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOO
__________________________ Humanity
__________________________ Bruised
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO

THOSE WHO WAR

39
THREE PILLARS

40
 O lord, oure lord, thy name how merveillous
Is in this large world ysprad, quod she;
For noght oonly thy laude precious
Parfourned is by men of dignitee,
But by the mouth of children thy bountee
— Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales

THOSE WHO PRAY

THOSE WHO PRAY

41
41
 Heaven and Hell are certain. Faith
You will spend perhaps 70 years in this world, and forever Faith is like a beacon, frightening creatures of the night
in the next. Forever. The forever may be an endless ecstasy, back into their shadows. The Church keeps the beacon
or an eternal torment. It is your piety during your three score burning bright. Not only are the men and women of the
years and ten that determines your fate. And while piety is Church strong in faith, but their preaching and teaching
owed to God, it is only through his earthly agency that it may inspire faith in others — and the Church is therefore the
be expressed. That earthly agency is the Church Universal, one force in the Dark Medieval world that even the vampires
the Church of Peter. cannot bend wholly to their own purposes. They would
This is no threat. The Church does not seek to scare you into love to see the light extinguished and the world sunk into
acceptance of its claims — it has no need, for everyone knows that a truly dark age.
what the Church preaches is true. And since no man can afford Faith in God is all that stands between mankind and a fate
not to consider how he may spend eternity, all men must express in which human beings would be cattle –– mere meat animals
their piety to the Lord through devotion to His Church on to be culled for food or entertainment — and the vampires
Earth. For a man who does not do so faces the very real risk of would be unchallenged lords of the night. With the Church
Hell; while a pious and godly man may dare to hope for Heaven. dismantled, subverted or rendered impotent, the power of the
The Church’s power is absolute and all-encompassing, for Cainites would be unchecked.
it comes from God Himself. It transcends kings and princes — Faith is the rock on which the red tide breaks. It is a rock
creatures of sand, whose time comes and goes like any man’s. It that most vampires would desperately like to see eroded.
exposes false gods — creatures of air — for the deceivers they
are. It is the source of the only eternal truths the world knows.
Eternal truth. This is the rock of faith upon which Jesus
Theme and Mood
The Church can play many roles in Vampire: The Dark
built his Church. Ages. In some chronicles, it exists as something of a cipher, part
Who else can claim such an estate? of the scenery that never comes to the forefront of the story.
In others, it plays a significant role, at least part of the time,
The Rock of Peter and the Storyteller needs to consider how to depict it. Is the
It would be misleading to say that the Dark Medieval Church the friend of mortals and the enemy of vampires? Or
Church is built on certainty, for the same reason that it would is it a corrupt, power-hungry political force to whom vampires
be misleading to say that the 20th century economy is built are simply more powerful allies or victims?
on money. Everyone — except heretics and heathens — takes As a player, you may wish to portray a character with
certainty for granted: It is an assumption so basic that it goes a Church background. In this case, you should make sure
unsaid by all right-thinking people. The people of the Dark that your ideas coincide with your Storyteller’s. It’s no good
Medieval world know that God exists, and that the Bible is a creating a character who was excommunicated for expos-
source of unquestionable truth. ing systematic high-level corruption in the Church if the
The Church’s role is instead to manage that certainty. It chronicle relies on the concept that the Church is basically
is an intermediary between God and humanity: It is granted benevolent and honest.
a knowledge of the divine that is denied to the ordinary man The mood of these essays is a positive one: renaissance.
or woman, and it uses that knowledge to lead humankind The 10th to the 13th centuries, for the Church at least, was
closer to God. a time of massive renewal and growth. A weak and aging
The Church is at the center of the Dark Medieval world. institution rediscovered itself and its sense of purpose, and
It affects almost every aspect of the life of every man, woman it rode a wave of religious feeling to become the greatest
and child in Europe, from cradle to grave. Most people, rich kingdom in Europe since the fall of Rome. In the wake of
and poor alike, are baptized in church, attend Mass every this renewal — and perhaps helping to lead it — came a
Sunday of their lives, are married by a priest and are finally great spiritual, cultural and philosophical rebirth. When you
buried in Church ground. come to involve the Church in the chronicle, whether as
This universal influence derives from the absolute certain- player or Storyteller, you cannot help but take account of
ty that people have in the Church’s teachings. Life on Earth the vast changes going on in the religious landscape. The
is nasty, brutish and often short, and only by being a good Church swaggers with confidence: A few years from now,
Christian is it going to get any better after you die. People the great Pope Innocent III demands fealty from kings and
know that after death their souls are literally weighed on the princes, and he receives it.
balance by God, and they will be carried off to Heaven or This very confidence has, however, led to stagnation and
Hell according to how they have lived. Dark Medieval society arrogance in Dark Medieval Europe. Arrogance, in turn, leads
feels a genuine terror of Hell: It is no mere scare-story, but a to absolutism, and absolutism to terror. The same confidence
real place, only a heartbeat away at any time. that enables Innocent III to claim rulership over the kings of

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the world enables him to demand a crusade into Europe itself, mood of Vampire: The Dark Ages very well, it may be overly
to bloodily wipe out a heretic sect. The glory of Rome bears familiar to some players: Try to find a new and interesting
a shadow of the darkness to come. twist on it. For example, instead of a slow, inexorable tide,
In all too many ways, the Church’s renaissance is an model the Church on a wild fire — leaping from place to
empty one, driven by greed rather than by faith. It stands place, unexpectedly flaring up again after being suppressed
to reason that many Church officials are not particularly and illuminating even the darkest corners of Europe with
faithful Christians — historically, one Italian bishop even the flames of faith.
admitted that he did not believe in Christianity, and that he There are two main themes in what follows. The two
had taken the office “because of its riches and honors.” This are closely related.
is a tempting way to portray the Church in your chronicle, The first theme is the dilemma with which the Church
but remember that Christian faith is what makes the Church presents vampires. Vampires have always known the power
distinctive, and think carefully before discarding it. of religion to control mortals — witness the number of them
More honest is the renaissance at the Church’s humble who have posed as pagan gods. In the Catholic Church,
roots. While great cathedrals and monasteries spring up this power is doubled: Not only does the Church hold total
around Europe, the Cistercian heirs of Benedict pursue a religious control over Europe, but it also dominates lay
truer spiritual aesthetic on the dark edges of civilization. power politics. It can make or break imperial candidates,
This is renewal with a difference — a rebirth of the soul influence the course of empires and force monarchs to come
rather than of the flesh. to it as vassals. Any Cainite with a power-hungry bone in
For vampires, of course, the Church’s renaissance is her body would love to seize the papacy for her pawns, but
easily seen as a dangerous tide of faith. Instead of glorious she would find it more difficult than she anticipated. With
religious art, literature and thought of the period, or the the renaissance has come new faith — still rare, it is true,
purifying determination of the Church reformers, the but enough to make the Church a very uncomfortable place
Church may embody a dark, threatening force, systematically for a vampire to be. The Holy City of Rome itself is braved
driving Cainites out of the civilized lands into terra incognita. only by those truly consumed by a desire for power — or, of
The Church is vast, monolithic and seemingly unstoppable. course, the truly pious. In this is an accurate metaphor for
Although this depiction of the Church appears to fit the the Dark Medieval Church as a whole.

THOSE WHO PRAY

43
 The history of vampires in the Church is one of tentative
approaches, brief successes and sudden disasters. Lust and fear Story Seeds
balance delicately in the Cainite mind, and the Church excites The theme of dilemma is an obvious story hook. All stories
both emotions to extremes. A vampire lusts after the power that need tension, and the tension between desire and fear is a
is there to be seized — and fears the danger involved in seizing it. classic character issue. It recurs in every story where the hero
The second, closely related theme is the triumph of must take risks to achieve his ends. In a way, the stories are
human faith and integrity over vampiric corruption. In many almost too obvious: Lasombra characters want to make inroads
spheres, mortals have been the unwitting pawns of Cainites into the power of a Ventrue baron, so they plan to turn the
in their endless plots. Because of the Cainites’ difficulties in bishop of the diocese, but they fear that some of the bishop’s
penetrating the Church, it has largely remained free of their assistants have True Faith; Tremere characters want to raid the
influence. Its present success is the result of human inspira- library of a great abbey for sorcerous manuscripts, but they fear
tion and the human spiritual urge, not merely the outward becoming trapped even for a day in a busy community of holy
sign of some vast vampiric plot. The Church is a reminder to men and women. Dilemma is an effective theme for stories,
vampires that their power is not limitless, and that mortals and it will certainly be an important element in many, but it
cannot always be relied on to remain as cattle. is rarely enough to sustain an entire story on its own. (By the
This threat disturbs some Cainites. Their docile kine way, it is important for the Storyteller to remember that True
have inadvertently taken up arms and marched against their Faith is a rare merit, even in the Church. It is tempting to
secret masters. To others, however, it is an affirmation. Clans beef up Christian antagonists with “just a dot or two” of True
like the Toreador and the Ventrue see their role as farmers as Faith, but this is not only cruel to the players, it devalues the
much as predators, while factions such as the Prometheans background. And when you do give a character True Faith,
go even further in their belief that mortals are the Cainites’ be scrupulous about playing that faith.)
near‑equals. The triumph of the Church proves to them Just as obvious is that the human success story that is
that their human protégés are worthwhile subjects, not mere recent Church history can lead to confrontations between
cattle, as other clans like to treat them. Free of vampiric vampires and mortals — or between rival vampire factions.
intervention, humans have proved themselves capable of Cainites attempting to subvert the Church, or a Church office,
great feats of inspiration and leadership — and their talent expect human opposition or opposition from entrenched rival
should be treasured rather than oppressed. clans, but what if they discover that the Brujah who held

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them off has been equally hostile to her own clan’s infiltra-
tion? Further investigation might lead them to a conspiracy
of Christian vampires who, far from trying to gain ascendancy Lexicon
over the Church, are fighting a secret war to defend it from Abbey — A large monastic house.
manipulation by any faction. Perhaps they are Prometheans Anchorite — Someone who has retreated from
who don’t want the Inconnu to gain control of a new pawn, the world in order to pursue spiritual contemplation.
or perhaps they are honest Christians who don’t want to see Female is anchoress.
God’s work corrupted by soulless cadavers. Curia — The papal court.
Many subsidiary themes can also give rise to stories. The Double house — A monastic house that contains
contrast between asceticism and luxury — the purification of both monks and nuns. Needless to say, the sexes are
the spirit and the pampering of the flesh — could motivate rigidly separated, though liaisons are not unknown.
either spiritually-minded characters or those who want to Liturgy — The ritual forms of public Christian
defend their creature comforts. worship. Liturgy is a catch-all term covering words,
For advanced troupes, the Church is also a rich source of actions, music and symbols.
metaphor and symbolism. Churches and other paraphernalia of Monachus — A vampire who has made a monastic
Christianity could symbolize a thematic aspect of the chronicle house her haven. Plural is monachi.
such as the triumph of hope over despair, or a concrete one Oblate — A child entered into a monastic house
such as a Promethean conspiracy. Alternatively, a symbol such for education, who will take vows on her majority.
as a censer or the sign of the fish could symbolize the influence
Postulant — A man or woman seeking to take
of the Church. Metaphorically, the Church represents history
monastic vows.
and learning — and, by extension, memory and wisdom — as
well as religion itself. If you want to pursue this metaphorical Priory — A monastic house, smaller than an abbey
angle, then root all of your Church-related stories in history — and possibly dependent of or subject to one.
make every character, every artifact, every text resonate with Rector — The priest incumbent in a particular
the ages. For more about this, see the discussion of wraiths in parish, responsible for pastoral care of the parishioners.
Church chronicles, on page 51. See — The office of a high clergyman; and, by
extension, the area under the influence of such a
The Mills of God clergyman. The Holy See or Apostolic See refers to
The Dark Medieval Church has, as an organization, little the papacy.
or no knowledge of Cainites. Nevertheless, by its very pres- Vicar — The priest incumbent in a parish church
ence, it is a threat to every vampire in Europe. Its inexorable that belongs to a religious community. Unlike a rector,
growth inevitably means that it frequently, if inadvertently, who receives all the income from his parish, a vicar
claims vampire territories for its own. receives a stipend from the religious house, which keeps
Don’t make the arrival of the Church on the characters’ the rest of the income for itself.
doorstep a one-off conflict. The gradual encroachment of the
Church into the domain of a Gangrel or Tzimisce coterie could
make a chronicle in itself, beginning with the appointment of
a priest (probably swiftly dispatched) and with the founding
of a small Cistercian house (which, being protected by some
measure of faith, proves more difficult). Then, working up
Unholy Blood
From its very beginning, the children of Caine have sought
through increasing popular acceptance of the Church and to exploit and subvert the power of the Church. Religion
the rise of a firebrand populist preacher, and ending with a has always had a profound grip on the human heart, and the
titanic clash of wills between the region’s Cainite predators vampires, supreme manipulators that they are, have never
and the Church incarnate in one of its high officials, come failed to take advantage of this.
to bless a grand new church.
In pre-Christian times, early Cainites set themselves up
In more civilized areas, the Church is already universal as gods on Earth, commanding cults, sects or even nations.
in a spiritual sense, but its holdings continue to grow. Nobles, Christianity was not conducive to this particular technique,
for example, frequently donate land to the Church in order to of course, but hungry vampires soon found other ways to
ensure their salvation. Once in a while, the Church will find take advantage of this new religion. The secrecy of the early
itself contesting its new acquisition with the resident vampire. Christian cults of Rome — and their fondness for meeting in
More sinister is a Cainite who has managed to acquire high underground catacombs — made them natural herds for vam-
influence within the Church and who could visit nobles and pires. Charismatic and compelling, vampire “priests” brought
“persuade” them — for the sake of their souls — to make many converts into the cults they had taken over. These cults
donations, indirectly denying her rivals their hunting grounds. grew large and influential, though the vampires’ understandable
THOSE WHO PRAY

45
reclusiveness means that Church history has little to say about Rome was a stronghold of the Ventrue clan in the im-
them. Their leaders prospered, feeding off an endless supply mediate post-Christian era, and though many other clans
of converts and building their secret principalities. could be found there — the more refined vampire lords, for
This was the beginning of vampiric power within the example, gladly accepted the Toreador as decorative but not
Church, but it demonstrated the same factionalism that dangerous — any attempts to usurp control of city and empire
would forever deny the vampires effective control. Each tiny were crushed without mercy or compunction. The Ventrue’s
cult formed around one vampire, and each vampire bitterly hold on the machinery of temporal authority, though fractious
fought the attempts of other Cainites to gain influence over (witness the many internal conflicts of the Roman Empire), was
his circle. (The leaders of the vampire cults were almost ex- nigh absolute. Most clans accepted this, taking advantage of
clusively male, though female vampires were able to cultivate the Ventrue’s success rather than trying to upset it. Apart from
the cults of the Virgin Mary.) An effective federation of the the usual flies in the ointment — the perpetually anarchistic
Roman cults could easily have enabled vampires to seize Ravnos and the pernicious Followers of Set — the only clans
the future papacy, but deep mutual distrust between both seeking to overturn Ventrue power were the Brujah and the
individuals and clans prevented any chance of alliance. As Lasombra. The honest warriors of the Brujah attacked Rome
a result, it was the mortal majority who cleaved together to via an endless, hopeless series of minor uprisings and border
control the early Church. wars. The Lasombra sought a safer, subtler and more effective
They never lost that control. The Church, despite method — through the Christian cults.
constant infiltration, always remained stubbornly resistant, Therefore, while they were by no means the only clan to
a bastion of the mortal — or perhaps of the divine. The exploit the increasing popularity of Christianity, the Lasombra
rock of faith on which the Church was founded always certainly did so in the most systematic way. They regarded the
proved too durable. nascent Church not only as a valuable feeding ground, but also
as a trap into which they could lure powerful victims. Once
The Underground “converted” to the Lasombra’s peculiarly self-serving version

Stream of Christianity, these citizens sought tirelessly to bring their

fellows round to their new religion, and they worked against the
Despite their inability to win control of the Church, authority of the traditional gods — thus, subtly undermining
Cainites have been involved in the Christian religion ever the authority of the Ventrue.
since it first arrived in Rome. Their presence in the Church Inevitably, other clans were also active in the early Chris-
has been significant, but submerged, only occasionally surfacing tian community. The Nosferatu, of course, had lived below
to become visible. ground for decades and gladly took advantage of the fearful,
The Early Days secretive Christians’ use of the catacombs. The infernal Baali
labored ceaselessly to pervert the evolution of Christian dogma.
Although St. Paul, the first great Christian missionary,
(Their main efforts, however, were concentrated in the Near
came to Rome in A.D. 60, the authorities vigorously op-
East rather than in Rome. They, therefore, had more influence
posed the new religion for a long time. The Roman Empire
over fringe cults and heresies than over the main Church.)
was religiously tolerant in general, preferring to assimilate
The Toreador, recognizing a beautiful tale of transfiguration
and espouse the gods of the people they conquered. But
when they saw one, became inadvertent proselytizers. But it
Christianity could not be treated that way. First, it was
was the Lasombra who saw Christianity’s potential as a rival
stubbornly monotheistic, insisting that all gods except
power structure to the secular authority of the Ventrue. The
its own were false. Secondly, Christianity challenged the
Lasombra worked hard to draw new recruits, especially from
authority of the Roman state. Christians insisted that the
the upper classes, into their cults.
kingdoms of God and the world were quite different. They
refused to make sacrifices to the emperor or (in later days, The Lasombra scheme had, however, one fatal and ironic
when emperors began to claim godhead) to acknowledge flaw. Christian converts had a great deal of faith in their God
his divinity. — they had to, in order to stand by Him while their religion
was persecuted by the Roman authorities. Although the vam-
Christianity took root in Rome in the years after Paul,
pires had abused this faith and turned it to their own ends, the
but it was repeatedly persecuted by the state. Just four years
converts’ belief and certainty was still genuine. The very piety
after Paul, Nero began the suppression of Christianity. From
on which the vampire priests played repelled them, making
A.D. 81 to 117, Domitian and then Trajan continued the
them uncomfortable in the presence of their own circles, and
work. Christians responded by going underground — often in
even prevented them from drinking the blood of their herds.
a literal sense. Because few others went to the catacombs of
Rome, the early Christians frequently met there. Inevitably, As they had seized the best of the early pickings, the
some met with the other inhabitants of the darkness — those Lasombra faced the worst of this new crisis. The Baali had so
who saw a means of subverting their enemies above ground distorted the divine message that their cultists never came close
in these mortals. to any true faith. The Nosferatu understood and sympathized
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46
with the persecution of the Christians, for they too had been
hounded and driven underground by their fellows for the sin
of being different. In Christ’s promise to take the sins of the
world on his shoulders, and in his transfiguration from mortal
flesh to perfected spirit, they saw hope of redemption. Many
Nosferatu were therefore touched by the faith of those they
preyed on, and they came eventually to espouse it. But the
mortals’ religion was nothing but a convenient bait to many
Lasombra, and they were utterly unprepared for its true power.
Over the years, the Lasombra were slowly driven out of the
cults. Even as their followers begged the “priests” to remain,
their faith forced the Cainites away. Meanwhile, the growing
network of Christians came together into what would become
the Church of Rome.
The opposing urges of hunger for power and fear of faith
characterized the attitude of most vampires, especially Clan
Lasombra, toward the Church for centuries to come. Tantalized
by the possibilities of control, but unable to penetrate the
walls of faith that surrounded the Church, vampires hovered
around the edges, claiming minor positions in the hierarchy
and corrupting a few major officials.
The Death of the Old Gods
The Ventrue, too, had fatally miscalculated. They be-
lieved initially that Christianity was yet another cult, one
that would attract only a few crackpots and troublemakers
before quickly fading away. If it did become successful, they
reasoned, they could always accommodate it — after all, the
Roman state religion had served them well, and it would
hardly be difficult to change horses in midstream. The
infighting between the Lasombra cults and the doctrinal
crises of the second century disguised the true influence
of Christianity in Rome and its growing hold on the city’s
mortal masters; and, of course, the Lasombra did not tell the
Ventrue of the dangerous faith that Christianity inspired.
The Ventrue were therefore shocked when, some 250 years
after the birth of Christ, they discovered the true extent
of Christianity in Rome — and the vast threat it posed to
their own control.
The first general persecution of Christians began under
Decius’s rule in A.D. 249, and this lasted two years. The
emphasis was not on wholesale slaughter — comparatively
few Christians were martyred — but rather on driving people
away from the faith. Valerian carried out a second general
persecution in 257-8, with similar effects. In 260, the Ventrue
apparently felt the threat had been contained: They allowed
an Edict of Toleration to be pronounced, and 40 years of peace
between the Roman state and the Christian Church followed.
They were wrong. In those 40 years, the Church not
only recovered, it consolidated its position and converted the
leaders of Rome with ever-increasing zeal. At the beginning
of the fourth century, the desperate Ventrue initiated a final
persecution through Diocletian. Although it lasted eight years,
it could not save them.

THOSE WHO PRAY

47
 The conflict ended with the conversion of the Emperor
Constantine. He issued the Milan Edict of Toleration in A.D. 313,
which guaranteed religious freedom and equality for Christianity,
returned Church property and abolished the cults of the state. The
Ventrue still held many levers of power, but Christian faith meant
that Rome would never again be unconditionally theirs.
After the Fall
After the fall of the Roman empire, temporal and spiritual
power in Europe diffused. The declared primacy of the Roman
bishop and the legacy of the empire meant that Rome retained
some vestiges of authority, but this was mainly symbolic. In
practice, local and national churches were largely independent
of Rome. More importantly, they were greatly dependent on
lay authority. Although kings and lords supported the Church
— after all, they risked damnation if they did not do so — they
preferred a Church that answered to them rather than some
other authority. Appointments therefore rested in the hands
of relevant local rulers.
The Lasombra clan, already deeply entwined with both
Church and nobility, used this period to reinforce its presence
in the Church. Although clerical faith made direct control
difficult, it was easy for Lasombra counselors to “advise” a king
to make the correct appointment. Once a mortal puppet was
in place as a bishop or other high Church official, he could
make further appointments to spread Lasombra influence.
Why did the Lasombra care about infiltrating the Church?
First, the clan understood the tremendous hold Christianity had
over the mass of people. If the religion that now dominated Eu-
rope could be bent to their will, their power would be unlimited.
Secondly, many nobles looked to the Church for confirmation of
their authority — their rule was affirmed by divine right. Thus,
with the Church under their control, the Lasombra could use
this seemingly harmless piety to challenge the Ventrue on their
home ground. In their great game of politics, the Lasombra saw
the Church as a secret weapon. The voice of God could strike
at any target — unexpectedly and without fear of contradiction.
The Lasombra were not, of course, alone in the Church.
Many pious Nosferatu continued to find sanctuary there, while
some Brujah and Toreador saw it as the best hope for preserving
the knowledge and culture of Rome through a barbarous age.
(Defending the remnants of the hated destroyer of Carthage was a
bitter pill indeed for the Brujah to swallow, but better that than see
centuries of art and learning wiped out altogether.) But it was the
Ventrue who represented the main opposition to the Lasombra’s
schemes. With their influence in the nobility of Europe, they also
sought to appoint their own candidates to Church offices.
Because both of the major factions were only partially
successful, and because each spent as much effort undermining
the other as building its own power base, vampiric influence
over the Church remained intermittent and fragmented
throughout the ninth century. The outcome favored the
Lasombra in Southern Europe and in many of the higher
Church offices, with Ventrue candidates occupying several
bishoprics in England, France and Germany.
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48
 quired a number of important Church offices around Europe.
They were able to make such progress with comparatively
Scholars and Soldiers little opposition for two reasons: the new importance of the
From the fall of Rome through to the end of the monasteries, where the clan already had many members, and
12th century, the Brujah have felt obliged to defend the the complacency of the Lasombra, who had been content to
Church because it has always been the last repository of regard them as irrelevant cowards with no interest in contesting
the learning of Greece and Rome. At the same time, they the real power of the organization.
have been acutely aware that in doing so they are defending
During the same period, however, mortal reformers under-
the remnants of Rome itself, the city that destroyed their
took a process that would utterly transform the Dark Medieval
beloved Carthage. The Zealots quarrel over their clan’s
Church, from an arm of the state dependent on the favors of
attitude toward the Church — the more scholarly ones
lords and princes to an empire that claimed the world as its
value it as the one source of education and culture in a
dominion and kings as its subjects. This transformation and
barbarous world, while the warriors of the clan insist that
renewal swept aside much of the vampires’ laboriously acquired
the destruction of Carthage must not go unpunished.
gains in the Church, and left even their well-entrenched control
Most Brujah feel a mixture of the two emotions. over mortal temporal power weakened and fragile.
Those who are active in the Church generally promote
its intellectual and philosophical activities, while trying to
restrain its insatiable growth into a new Roman Empire.
The Other Clans
The Ventrue and Lasombra have struggled for power within
As Innocent III comes to the throne, the Brujah learn that
the Church, and the Toreador have unexpectedly overtaken both
the hated enemy is once again at the zenith of its power.
of them in recent times. Most other clans, though, have a less
systematic interest in the Church, but few can ignore it.
A New Dawn The Assamites, Gangrel and Ravnos have little to do with
Toward the end of the 10th century, Europe pulled itself the Church. True, the Assamites are involved in the Crusades,
back together after the chaos of Rome’s collapse. In the pro- new Cistercian monasteries occasionally intrude on Gangrel
cess, the Cainites of the West found the status quo ante almost territory and the Ravnos know that high Church officials are
restored: The Ventrue wielded the majority of political power, rich enough that they won’t miss a pretty bauble or two; but
and the Lasombra had a slender, but potentially telling, grip these clans have minimal actual involvement in the Church.
on much of the Church. The Brujah have no designs on the Church. If anything,
The major change over the course of the 11th century was they wish to keep it free from the influence of the other clans.
the emergence of the Toreador as an important faction within Brujah often believe that, as the guardian of human knowledge
the Church. The Artisans gained a great deal of influence in and human spirituality (at least in this part of the world), the
the English Church behind the backs of squabbling Ventrue Church must be a willing party to any new Carthage. Cainites
nobility, consolidated their power in France and quietly ac- and kine must exist together in prosperity, and with Rome’s
present ascendancy it seems impossible that this could happen
without the Church’s blessing. Those of the Brujah who are
The Church and Viae not busy preparing for some impossible personal crusade respect
Many vampiric Roads have a basis in Christianity. the Church, and especially the monasteries, for keeping the
These Roads are more philosophical systems than flame of learning alive in the Dark Medieval world, and for
religious ones, and adherents don’t need to participate preserving classical knowledge and writings for the renaissance
in the activities of the Church — either for or against. that they know must come.
Nevertheless, vampires who adopt these Roads gen- The Cappadocians share something of the Brujah’s interest
erally do so as a result of their religious convictions in the Church’s repositories of ancient lore, and their interest
in life. For vampires on the Roads of Heaven and in the spirit world reinforces this. The prevalence of the Road
the Devil, therefore, and for many on the Road of of Heaven in the clan means that many Cappadocians practice
Humanity, the doctrines of the Church may continue Christianity. Despite Cappadocius’s original vocation as a priest
to be important to their new belief systems. and his secret pursuit of a Christian apotheosis, the Graverobbers
It is possible that some vampires have developed have no organized presence in the Church hierarchy — they
new quasi-religious Roads, based on new interpretations belong more to graveyards than to great offices — but Church
of Christianity, or the various heresies of the period. The theology and knowledge is valuable to them. Many Cappadocians
Storyteller should consider this very carefully before are priests, monks or nuns, but they pursue personal religious
introducing such new Roads. A Road is a philosophical vocations rather than trying to conquer the Church bureaucracy.
system allowing a vampire to manage the Beast Within, The majority of clan members have a great deal of respect for the
not a license to write one’s own moral code. Church, and they dislike the way that the more political clans
are trying to turn it into another battleground for the Jyhad.
THOSE WHO PRAY

49
 Many Nosferatu are also Christians. Individuals in the
clan are surprisingly devout, seeing the Christian promise of
Story Seeds
salvation as the hope of redemption from their curse. Most There are enmities born in the catacombs of Rome that
are content to worship and to lead virtuous lives, though their shape the unlives of Cainites even tonight. Vampires are old,
deformities make it difficult for them to participate fully in old creatures, and they nurse their hatreds and their debts.
the Church in any capacity. The players’ characters, often youthful and weak as
Some Malkavians have been mistaken for saints and vampires go, could become unwitting pawns of their elders.
prophets, and have thus had a dramatic influence on many And even those elders may be pawns in the secret wars of the
local churches over the centuries. The clan as a whole appears survivors of Rome. It is all too easy for neonates to be caught up
to have little formal interest in the Church. in what seems to them to be a vital conflict over present-night
Cainite politics, only to find that deeper down it is an act of
The Tremere, though their minds are mostly on other
vengeance for a thousand-year-old slight.
things, share the Brujah’s interest in the Church’s scholarship.
Like the Zealots, many of those who have left their strongholds Clan Stories
have taken to making their havens in monasteries. In the If all of the players’ characters are of the same clan, or of
long-term, they are well aware of the power — both political clans with a compatible approach to the Church (say, Ventrue
and Thaumaturgical — that they could attain through the and Toreador, or Brujah and Cappadocian — and perhaps
Church, but at the moment, survival is their main priority. even Tremere), then stories can be built around the clans’
The Tzimisce are in a similar position. Their ancestral attitudes toward Rome and its dominions.
lands are threatened by the Tremere, so they have little time For example, perhaps a province of the Church is believed
to worry about the Church. A few voivodes do, however, see its to have been amicably carved up between the Ventrue and the
value as a weapon in their war against the Usurpers, and they Toreador, but the Ventrue secular lords have recently found that
attempt to direct its eastern branch toward the “evil” vampire some officials have turned against them. In addition to their own
infestation. Subtlety, however, does not come naturally to retainers, the Ventrue might call on their Toreador allies to help
the Fiends, and the Church is an unnatural vehicle for their investigate the problem. Or, perhaps a group of Cappadocians
pagan thought. The Tzimisce’s contempt and disregard for and Tremere might band together to steal the magical secrets of
Christianity have dangerously blinded most of them to the the monastery that the players’ characters have made their home.
increasing Christianization of their territories: The Church Characters who are involved with the Church, but in a
is undermining the old gods, and Tzimisce rule with them. way of which their clans might not approve, offer further story
The Followers of Set and the Baali stand fast against everything hooks. Does the clan ignore this rebellious behavior? If not,
the Church holds dear. The Setites have been most successful in what action do they take? What if others in the clan follow
turning individual irreligious officials from benign freeloaders into the character’s lead? When the character encounters other
venal and grasping simoniacs and parasites. No doubt the Setites Cainites in the process of her dealings with the Church, do
would love to take their corruption to the heart of the Church, they judge her on her own deeds or on her clan’s reputation?
perverting the entire organization, but they have been unable to do For example, imagine a fanatical Brujah whose sire, having
so. The Baali have engaged in a systematic program of corruption lived through the destruction of Carthage, filled him with a
and destruction on behalf of their infernal masters, but this has passionate hatred for Rome. While a large number of Brujah
been executed from outside the Church. The wicked bloodline has wish to preserve the Roman legacy of scholarship, this character
had absolutely no success in infiltrating the Church and corrupting might seize every opportunity to destroy centers of Roman
it from within. (Unless, of course, you subscribe to the heretical learning like monasteries and cathedral schools.
Cathar belief that the Church is the instrument not of God but
of the Devil…but that way madness lies.)
One other clan — though it is a clan no longer — must be Other
mentioned. The Salubri, childer of Saulot who bared his neck
to the usurper Tremere, are creatures of peace and righteousness.
Leaderless and alone, poised for extermination by the Tremere,
Supernaturals
The only supernatural creatures other than vampires who
a few Salubri look desperately for safety in the Church. Perhaps are prevalent in the 12th-century Church are clerical mages —
some Toreador abbess, more enlightened than her fellows, may the tradition that evolves into the Celestial Chorus. Cainites
see past the physical deformity and the urge for blood, and permit pursuing an interest in the Church may encounter these mages
a Salubri refugee to make a nunnery her home; perhaps some occasionally, at every level, from humble monk or rector to
Lasombra bishop might perceive the holiness of a childe of Saulot archbishop or cardinal. The scope for Church-related stories
and offer him protection in the bosom of Mother Church. The involving other supernatural creatures is limited.
Nosferatu think they know how likely that is to happen — but If you want to bring werewolves into a Church-related
unlike the Nosferatu, the Salubri have the goodwill of many chronicle, the best way to do it may be as antagonists to
Toreador, and through them the Pope…. the Church. As Christianity spreads eastward, it is easy
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50
to imagine a sept of Shadow Lords fighting tooth and
claw to prevent humans from defiling a caern with their
“chapel.” (Remember that Christian churches are often
built on pagan sites of worship, with the intention of both
suppressing and assimilating the old faith.) If the players’
characters are Tzimisce, they may even share the Shadow
Lords’ aims. (Just as long as they don’t try to share their
personal space.…) The Red Talons, inimical to humans
even at the best of times, might concentrate their attacks
on those humans who worship the human God instead of
the spirits of Gaia.
Wraiths offer perhaps the most interesting complement
to vampires, for both are repositories of history and memory.
The memory of a wraith filters through her Passions, and
that of a vampire through her hunger. The Church, too, is a
repository of history, for the Church has the longest legacy of
any human institution in Europe. A very old wraith’s Fetters
may, for example, be treasured relics or classical manuscripts,
forgotten in a monastery somewhere or locked away in the
cellars of the papal palace.

The See of Rome

The Dark Medieval world is a venue of profound reform
for the Roman Church. The papacy has become the supreme
spiritual and even temporal authority of Western Europe by
the end of the 12th century. Rome has forced local rulers
to relinquish prized privileges to the Church, and she soon
claims even the right to appoint and remove kings. It is
during this period that the papacy takes the shape it retains
right up to the 20th century.
The role of the vampires in this transformation is
ambiguous. During the course of the reform, the papacy
inevitably becomes another piece in the Cainites’ eternal
power games, though one which the vampires find much
harder to control than the petty lords and princes who are
their usual pawns. Some Cainites try to stem the reform,
believing that a Church revitalized by true Christian faith
is the greatest enemy they could face. Others encourage it,
pointing out that the atmosphere of superstitious religious
purity keeps the kine fearful and cowed — easy prey. To most,
however, it is another dramatic setback to their plans for
control. Unintentionally, the reform of the Church purges
many vampires from its corrupt ranks.
At present, the Church knows little about the activities
of the Cainites. Those few officials who become aware of the
vampiric curse are quickly removed, Dominated or discred-
ited in accordance with the Sixth Tradition, the Silence of
Blood. Vampires who eke out unlives within the clergy are
well aware of the risks they take, and they behave with due
caution. The Church’s ignorance is the only thing that keeps
it controllable; in later years, as Pope Innocent III and his
successors begin to detect and root out Cainite influence,
the Church will be on its guard.

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51
Papal Reform — the Italian Crescentii, the dominant family in Rome —
had elected Sylvester III Pope. (The Crescentii didn’t learn.
In order to understand the position of the papacy in 1197, Fifty years previously they had set up another antipope, for
it is necessary to know a little history. which John Crescentius had been hanged and the antipope
At the turn of the second millennium A.D., the papacy mutilated.) The situation worsened when Benedict went back
was little more than a local bishopric invested with a spurious on his agreement with Gregory. Now, three Popes pontificated
authority by a series of emperors who wished to demonstrate simultaneously.
their Christian credentials by supporting the inheritor of It fell to Emperor Henry III to resolve this preposterous
Peter. Worse still, the emperors only supported Popes of situation, and the results were even more incredible. Although
their own choosing. During the early 11th century, any Gregory was the only respectable Pope of the three, he had
number of local Italian factions feuded with each other and bought his office and was therefore guilty of simony. He
with the emperor to control the papacy. Between 1000 and was deposed; Sylvester was brushed aside; and Benedict was
1048, there were seven Popes and one antipope, of whom removed. Henry imposed two of his German cronies in rapid
only three lasted longer than two years. succession — Clement II and Damasus II — but both died
The papacy had become an object of distant reverence. within a year of their election, victims of the Mediterranean
The image of Rome still retained the authority of Peter, and heat and malarial swamps. In 1048, Henry nominated his
pilgrims continued to travel there, but the reality was rather cousin, the Bishop of Toul (in Lorraine), and Leo IX
disappointing. The vaunted papal authority was the plaything was crowned in February of 1049. In his short reign, Leo
of local warlords, and to those who knew Rome, the Pope brought the faraway basilicas and cathedrals of Rome to
was just another bought clergyman, who was granted his the notice of all Europe, and he made a government that
position by his king and just as easily removed. The Pope spanned the continent of the papal court. The papal reform,
was not the vicar of Christ on Earth, but rather the clerk of one of the most dramatic reversals of the Dark Medieval
whichever lord was on top that year. world, had begun.
The problem reached a farcical head in 1045. Benedict Ironically, the reformers’ main objective was actually to
IX, Pope since 1032 (and thus, the longest incumbent of enforce existing clerical law. They had three main targets: the
the seat that century), wished to retire and take a wife, so eradication of simony, the abolition of clerical marriage and
he sold the papacy to Gregory VI. Meanwhile, a rival faction the enforcement of the primacy of the Holy See.

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The Crusade Against Simony The Law of Celibacy
Simony refers to the purchase of positions within the The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife.
Church. (It is so named after Simon Magus, assumed on the — I Corinthians 7:14
basis of a mistranslation of the Acts of the Apostles to have Canon law insists that priests be celibate — that is, that they
been the first to attempt to buy a place in the Church.) The should not marry. In most of Dark Medieval Europe, however,
problem with simony is not, as modern churchgoers might this law is ignored. Married priests are common at low levels of
expect, that the purchase of positions is considered corrupt the Church, and even monks often have mistresses. As part of
— Dark Medieval society sees nothing wrong with using their drive to reinstate the law of the Church, reformers seek to
money to buy authority. The problem is that with a position eradicate clerical marriage and other sexual activity.
in the Church comes the right to perform holy offices — and Marriage is particularly common among the secular clergy,
during the performance of these offices a priest is believed to especially those who serve in parishes. Parish priests are often
be infused with the Holy Ghost. Simony therefore equates to ignorant men, without the high moral standards of those more
the sale of the Holy Ghost. It is a sin against God rather than committed to the Church. Poorly educated in canon law,
against any temporal mores. remote from their masters in the Church and having little
The eradication of simony has returned a great deal of commitment to the religious life, they frequently marry, either
control over its own hierarchy to the Church. Freed from its because they do not know that it is forbidden or because they
self-imposed greed, the Church has become the master of its do not much care.
own appointments. Furthermore, simoniac bishops and priests As with a great deal of the papal reform, the eradication of
frequently serve themselves or their local lords only (and clerical marriage is not without its symbolic element. Reformers
sometimes through them, Cainite masters), rather than the fear the assimilation of the clergy and the laity, thinking that
Church. Priests honestly appointed by the Pope or another as churchmen become drawn into the world they learn to
Church official, however, owe their loyalty to those above them. accept the world’s abominable moral and spiritual standards.
Symbolically, the reformers’ crusade against simony has A lay woman in a churchman’s house, with him constantly,
given the Church a renewed spiritual authority. No longer is can hardly help but draw his thoughts away from God and
it something to be bought and sold, just another chattel in down to the mud and flesh of the world.
the marketplace of power. It is a self-governing body, above In addition, many reformers fear and loathe women,
worldly cares, and bearer of the purity of God. A dramatic regarding them as voices of corruption and temptation. The
example of how faith drives out simony is the ordeal of Saint reformers’ view, summed up by Peter Damian in his attack on
Peter Igneus. In 1068, the bishopric of Florence was bought humanity, The Book of Gomorra, is that the grip of the world
for a substantial sum, and the citizens rioted in anger at this on a man is especially symbolized by the influence of money
blatant simony. To quell the rioting, a local abbot arranged and by the other sex.
an ordeal by fire –in which one of his monks walked through This aspect of the reform has not been entirely successful. Despite
a 10-foot corridor of flame, and he came out unsinged. The the reformers’ enforcement of celibacy, many lay clergymen, even
simoniac bishop was deposed and the monk later canonized. in the late 12th century, keep concubines or regularly seek the com-
The Lasombra faction within the Church exploited this panionship of women. This can be an easy way for an unscrupulous
aspect of the papal reform to flush out their enemies in the female Cainite to gain access to a clergyman at almost any level in
hierarchy, especially the Ventrue. With their influence in the Church. The stricture of celibacy means that clergymen
the higher positions of the Church, and even in Rome itself, associating with women are eager to keep their liaisons secret.
they were well placed to direct accusations of simony against Consequently, it is hard for the clergyman’s colleagues, or for
Ventrue agents. Since those agents were generally guilty, their the Cainite’s rivals, to detect the vampire’s influence. The Blood
purge was devastatingly effective. (Admittedly, the Lasombra Oath can be easily administered and reinforced. Perhaps best
agents were just as guilty as the people they removed. The of all, there will be no embarrassing questions about why the
Ventrue, however, lacked the influence to have their count- man’s mistress is seen only during the day.…
er-accusations heard.)
It was not until later that the victorious Lasombra discovered The Primacy of Rome
to their chagrin that the removal of the simoniacs was helping to Prior to the papal reform, local patrons regarded churches
foster an atmosphere of faith and holiness that threatened their and abbeys as extensions of their own properties. The priest
own power. It was the error of Rome all over again. was a vassal like any other, and the lord could do what he liked
Despite the reformers’ efforts, simony is still practiced, with priest, position and altar. Many positions even became
especially far from Rome — the simoniacs are merely subtler hereditary, passing from father to son like any vassal holding.
about their behavior. In areas of heavy Cainite influence, of Reformers have unified the Church under the control of
course, money and land are not the only currencies of simo- Rome. Kings, princes and local lords have lost the right to appoint
ny: Vampires can use feeding rights, ghouls or boons to buy Church officials in their own lands. Rome has been remolded
positions for their favored candidates. from a local bishopric into a government that can rule the world.
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53
 The Pope has also taken back many powers once regard- Cainites and the New Papacy
ed as the province of local officials. Only the Pope now has When Leo IX ascended the papal throne, Cainites had
the right of canonization (that is, the right to acknowledge clawed their way to a tenuous grip on most of the many
someone as a saint), and before long he will also be the only national Church hierarchies. In Northern Europe, Ventrue
person permitted to authenticate relics. and Toreador nominees predominated; elsewhere, and in the
Prelates awaiting election are obliged to visit Rome in highest Church offices, the Lasombra had been more successful.
order to be approved by the Pope. The Pope has the right to The monasteries were havens to Brujah, Cappadocians and
scrutinize and overrule elections, imposing his own candidates Toreador, though they appeared to take little interest in the
over the wishes of the local clergy — and any lay authorities power politics of the Church.
who might attempt to sway them. For Cainites who are used The papal reform and other events of the late 11th
to being able to perpetuate a regional clergy under their own
century upset this picture and set the tone for the changed
control, each generation electing its successors according to
landscape of the 12th century. Cainites, slow-moving
the vampire’s instructions, this is a disaster. Cainites living
creatures to whom a century may pass in a blink, have been
amongst the palaces and manors of bishops may at any time
disoriented by the speed of the reform, and they adjust poorly
find themselves confronted with new, unknown and potentially
to the inversion of the power structure they have worked
dangerous incumbents.
so hard to penetrate.
This reform does not have universal support. Many bish-
First, the reform has concentrated Church power in the
ops have spoken out against increasing central control, and
papacy instead of at the national level. Prior to this period, vam-
especially against the seemingly endless greed of Rome. Peter
pire factions had not made control of Rome a great priority — it
Cantor attacks papal greed as making “my house, the house of
was not worth the effort required to influence a truly faithful
prayer, into a den of thieves and a house of commerce,” and John
Pope. As a result, the papacy had been allowed to remain largely
of Salisbury describes Rome not as the mother of the Church,
free of Cainite influence. The papacy was a much greater prize
but as its plundering stepmother. The Bishop of Chartres has
after the reform, and the clans scrambled to take it. Initially, the
demanded that the Pope impose no new laws on the rest of the
Ventrue seemed to have the greatest influence, since Leo IX was
Church. But because the Church’s excesses are compensated
an appointee of the Holy Roman Emperor; but in truth, they
for by its thriving success, their pleas go unheard for the time
had little control over him, and they had badly underestimated
being. To date, Cainites have taken little advantage of this
the change Leo would work on the Church. After the death of
current of dissatisfaction — who would tie their fortunes to a
Stephen IX in A.D. 1058, the Lasombra seized their chance.
losing argument? — though a vampire may occasionally find
Working through the Roman nobility, they set up Benedict
it useful to foster local dissent. There is a delightful irony in
IX as Pope, who was immediately deposed by Nicholas II, the
letting a man’s own voice talk him into disgrace.
reformers’ candidate. In the year of Nicholas’ ascension (1059),
After Reform the right to select the Pope passed to what would become the
The papal reform has turned the traditional power structures college of cardinals, forever denying vampires the ability to
of the Church upside down. Where local bishops and archbish- choose the Pope. They could hope to influence the result, or
ops had previously been the supreme powers within their own to bend a weak-willed or faithless Pope to their desires, but the
regions, and their appointment had been in the hands of the struggle for power had once again been lost to the mortals. In
king, they are now answerable to the Pope. Where the Holy the few short years that had made the papacy worth controlling,
Roman Emperor’s “protection” of the papacy had previously the Cainites had managed to surrender it.
been a gentlemanly euphemism for setting a favored candidate This picture persists in 1197. Some Popes have been
on the Throne of Peter and keeping him there, it now means puppets of one clan or another, but these tended to be short-
that the Pope regards the emperor as a bodyguard, valuable for lived, contested or forgettable. Perhaps this is due to rivals
his muscle, but at root, as just another subject. attempting to thwart any clan that gains the upper hand in the
Everyday folk are largely unaware of the vast historical chang- contest for ultimate power. The current Pope, Celestine III, is
es that have occurred around them, but they see the effects of the a pawn of the Toreador, having been prepared by them long
reform even at the lowest level. On the positive side, the clergy before he ascended the Throne of Peter, and being surround-
are less overtly corrupt, and on the whole adhere more strictly ed by advisers and sycophants under the clan’s domination.
to their vows — at least in public. On the negative side, priests Celestine’s successor, Innocent III, however, will be a very
are more aloof, more concerned with spiritual things than with different matter: Strong and independent, he will throw off
the issues of the world. This is a deliberate aim of the reformers, all Toreador attempts to rein him in. Celestine, always the
who want to keep the clergy apart from the debasing influence minion, achieves little of record; Innocent will become the
of the laity as far as possible; but it leaves people feeling cut off greatest monarch Europe has ever seen.
from the Church and thus, opens the door to heretical preachers Secondly, by reminding the Church that it was the instrument
in many areas. Wrapped up in its own success, the Church has of God rather than just another arm of the temporal authority, the
not realized how distanced its flock has become. reform has increased the level of faith in the Church. To vampires
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54
attempting to make their havens within Church walls, this is a
particularly uncomfortable change. As the Lasombra discovered
in the days of Rome, even a little faith, if sincere enough, can
drive a vampire from the place or community she has made her
home. In some places, vampires who have dared to take Church
positions for their own rather than working through ghouls or
Dominated servants have been forced to give them up by the
renewed faith of those around them.
By 1197, Rome is a veritable hotbed of faith — not only
from Church officials, who are scarcely less corrupt here than
anywhere else, but also from the many pilgrims who visit the
Holy City. This makes it dangerous and very difficult for
Cainites to even approach the City of Peter. Some, especially
Lasombra and Toreador, take the risk. The former because of
what they hope to gain and the latter because they must risk
it in order to preserve the control of the Pope.
Thirdly, reform has subtly shifted the Church’s realm of
interest. Although the Church continues to take a great deal of
interest in temporal politics, and it has increasingly asserted its
control over lay authorities, the Church is now closer to its spiritual
ideals than it ever was during the dark years when mere survival
was everything. The Church has rediscovered the exaltation of
God — and for Cainites, the expression of that exaltation has
been the sudden and unexpected ascendance of the Toreador.
The rise of the Toreador began with the rise of the
monasteries. Many members of the clan had taken refuge in
monasteries in earlier centuries and had helped shape the
spiritual attitude of the monks around them. Consequently, as
the monasteries gained in importance, the ideas of the Toreador
became increasingly prevalent in the Church at large. The hand
of the clan can be indirectly seen in much of the greatest art
and architecture of the era. This created the environment in
which clerics favored by the Toreador could flourish.
The success of the Toreador in influencing the English
Church during the last two centuries, although closely tied to the
Ventrue invasion of England, has inspired the Toreador to test
their strength in other regions. In some places, they may have
been helped by the Ventrue, who see them as friendlier — or
more easily influenced — than their Lasombra rivals. In any
event, the See of Rome fell to the Toreador with surprising ease.
Many papal candidates are predisposed to Toreador ideals and can
be influenced even without the vampires’ supernatural abilities.
In 1197, then, the Toreador are supreme in Rome and
throughout many of the higher echelon of the Church. The
present Pope, Celestine III, is their pawn. The Lasombra
bitterly contest the Toreador influence, however, with their
centuries of entrenched power; and although Toreador philos-
ophies are in favor this year, the Lasombra are less vulnerable
to the whims of episcopal fashion and are more numerous in
the Church as a whole.
All of this changes in the next year, as Innocent III ascends
the Throne of Peter and, all unknowing, embarks on a reign
that defies the Cainite puppet masters inside and outside the
Church, from Castile to Constantinople.
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55
 Officials of the Church
The Church is, in effect, not only the largest but also the
best organized state in Western Europe. It has a vast bureau-
cracy, centered on Rome and stretching from Castile in the
West to Scandinavia in the north and Hungary in the East.
Although the only territories technically controlled by the
Pope himself are the papal lands in central Italy, individual
churches — and especially monasteries — hold a great deal
of land around Europe, and the papal reform has in any event
given the Church a great deal of authority over lay rulers.
Most importantly, though, the Church is an effective sys-
tem of government that runs parallel to the secular authorities.
The Church hierarchy divides up the whole of the West, and
its structure utterly disregards trifles such as whether it holds
land or the attitude of the local ruler. Through their religious
convictions, the Church governs the people as directly as any
king. It is organized with almost military precision, with a rigid
hierarchy and command structure.
Organization
At the top of the Church hierarchy is, of course, the Pope,
resident in Rome and surrounded by his court. If Christendom
is a kingdom (it is in all but name), then the Pope is high king.
The most influential priests after the Pope are the car-
dinals. The college of cardinals formed in 1059 as the body
that elected the Pope, though it has only recently (1181) been
officially incorporated. At first, the cardinals were the bishops,
deacons and priests of the churches and cathedrals of Rome,
though now other priests of all levels can be made cardinals.
The cardinals have not yet been raised above the rest of the
clergy, or acquired their distinctive red hats. (They have to
wait until 1245 for this.) Although cardinals are not directly
part of the Church’s hierarchical tree of rulership, their posi-
tion of proximity to the Pope gives them considerable power.
Outside Rome, the Church divides its territories into archi-
episcopal provinces (or archdioceses) and episcopal dioceses. A
province is headed by an archbishop, and a diocese by a bishop.
The size and number of provinces in a region varies wide-
ly. England, for instance, has only two archbishops, at York
and Canterbury, while Ireland has three; France, so similar
to England in size and influence, has five. The division of a
province into dioceses is carried out in different ways around
Europe: In Italy, dioceses are kept small and administered by
a tiny number of officials; in England and Germany, dioceses
are much larger, with quite elaborate bureaucracies. The
province of York, covering the whole of northern England,
contains only three dioceses.
Dioceses divide further into archdeaconates. When arch-
deacons were originally imposed between the bishops and their
clergy, there had been only one archdeacon per diocese, but by
the 12th century, there were usually several. (There are excep-
tions: The See of Canterbury still has only one archdeacon.)
By the end of the 12th century, the powers of the original,
singular archdeacon are being usurped by an episcopal judge
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56
known rather sinisterly as the Official. The Official answers risk alienating one Ventrue faction or another, which could
to the bishop and is not attached to a specific archdeaconate; ruin their cozy relationship with the Patricians (especially in
eventually, the Official becomes the second most important England and France). Celestine is therefore often allowed to
person in the diocese after the bishop himself. make such decisions by himself. When the Toreador do favor
Archdeaconates vary in size and wealth. In England, the one side, of course — for example, if a Lasombra challenger
archdeaconate of Stow contains only four rural deaneries, while has arisen to an allied Ventrue — Celestine is put back on
nearby Lincoln contains 23. Similarly, the archdeaconate of his leash.
Winchester has five times the revenue of Rochester. The power In addition, the Pope exercises political control over his
of the archdeacon varies correspondingly, though this also own lands, the Patrimonium Petri (Patrimony of Peter, or just
depends on the country. In England, archdeacons generally the Papal Lands). Across Europe he rules through kings, but
have limited rights (as always, there are exceptions: Within here he rules directly. The Patrimonium Petri currently covers
his see, for example, the Archdeacon of Richmond has all most of central Italy, and Rome is eyeing the neighboring
the jurisdictional powers usually reserved to the bishop). duchy of Spoleto. The land is mostly safe for Cainites, since
On mainland Europe, however, the archdeacon is a figure outside Rome, its inhabitants are the same as peasants and
of great influence — a serious rival to the bishop within his nobles everywhere else in Europe; nevertheless, most vampires
area. And although the archdeaconate is in the bishop’s gift, avoid the place, fearing to walk into the shadow of the Church.
it is a “benefice,” meaning that the bishop cannot remove an Even the least faithful Pope is dangerous to Cainites
incumbent archdeacon except with the latter’s consent (rarely because he embodies the faith of millions. Like a false relic
obtained save through bribes or threats). that gains power from belief, the Pope can wield the power
Archdeaconates are, in turn, divided up into rural deaner- of God even if he is entirely corrupt. This faith also makes
ies, areas placed under a senior priest. Beneath the rural deans the direct subversion of Popes using powers like Dominate or
are the local clergy, classified as rectors and vicars. (Rectors Presence difficult, even for vampires willing to risk the papal
and vicars both have pastoral duties in their parish; a parish presence. The Toreador work through ghoul bishops and
priest is a vicar if his church is the property of a monastic advisers, avoiding contact with Celestine himself.
house, and a rector if it is not.) Each parish consists of maybe Antipopes
1,000 individuals.
In the days when the papacy was essentially in the gift of
The clergy of a rural deanery meet in chapter once a lay powers, it was common for different factions to nominate
month, presided over by the archdeacon. But in other ways, different candidates — and for each to claim that theirs was
the archdeacon’s role in mediating between the bishop and the the true Pope. The false Popes were known as antipopes.
clergy is often bypassed. For example, the rural dean receives
The election of the Pope was placed in the hands of the
episcopal mandates directly from the bishop.
college of cardinals in 1059. Unfortunately, the votes of the
The local clergy are the only face of the Church that most different ranks of cardinals (cardinal bishops, cardinal deacons
people in Dark Medieval Europe ever see. To many Cainites, and cardinal priests) had different weights, but these were not
however, it is the upper echelon of the Church bureaucracy clearly defined. The results of elections were often ambiguous
that are of the greatest interest. and disputed by lay factions opposed to the winning candidate.
The Pope and Curia Sometimes even the Church was confused over who had been
The present Pope is Celestine III, a pawn of the Toreador elected. The 12th century, long after the election decree,
clan. Celestine is a weak man, shored up mainly by his Cainite nevertheless saw 10 antipopes.
masters, and close to the end of his reign. His papacy is undis- Since the election decree of 1179, which gives all cardi-
tinguished, and he has been forced to concentrate primarily nals an equal vote and requires a two-thirds majority to elect
on the resolution of minor political disputes. a candidate, the flood of antipopes has stopped. There is no
rival to the present Pope.
The Pope lives in Rome, ruling Europe from the Lateran
and the basilica of St. Peter. His lifestyle is that of the greatest Bishops and Archbishops
of kings, and he is surrounded by an extensive court called the A bishop is the chief cleric of a diocese, and an archbish-
curia. He travels frequently, either because he must address op of a province. They are the highest officers of a national
councils or reconcile quarreling kings, or in order to fortify church, and it is on their offices that Cainites tend to con-
his own position by making a personal intervention on the centrate their efforts. They are affluent, often as rich and
side of a senior cleric or some friendly king. powerful as princes, with great palaces and cathedrals paid
The Pope must concentrate as much on political affairs as for by the Church and by the incomes from their extensive
on those of the Church. It is not uncommon for the Pope to land holdings. A bishop’s income is derived principally from
have to arbitrate disputes between kings, and this gives him the manors granted to him as part of his office; these are
a great deal of influence. The Toreador monitor Celestine’s largely run by stewards, and thus, the manors have no need
use of this power, however, because they know they could for attention from the bishop himself.
THOSE WHO PRAY

57
 The bishop controls the admission of all clergy within incompetent or dissipated, or has failed to look after Church
his diocese, though this is now subject to increasing papal property, visitation is rarely a cause for concern, though it
interference. Even admission to hermitages requires the may result in continuing intervention in the priest’s affairs.
bishop’s approval. The bishop does not, however, propose From a storytelling point of view, visitation provides a means
candidates. These are put forward by private patrons, usually for encountering a high Church dignitary almost anywhere
local landowners, and the archdeacon decides whether they are instead of ensconced in his palace. Cunning Cainites could
acceptable are not. If the bishop is satisfied with the outcome also time mischief to coincide with a visitation, in order to rid
of the archdeacon’s investigations, he approves the candidate. themselves of a priest with dangerous amounts of knowledge,
Bishops and archbishops legislate Church matters in their faith, or both. Vampires posing as priests may wish to be wary
area through the diocesan or provincial synod. The synod, an in case their bishop has True Faith.
assembly of the clergy of the region including its priors and
abbots, meets for three days once or twice a year, and it con- Church and State
siders matters of diocesan or provincial business in addition The Dark Medieval mind does not recognize the division
to legislation, such as the payment of pensions to clergy. The of Church and state with which we are familiar in the 20th
consent of the synod is not required or requested, and no vote century. All authority, temporal or spiritual, descends from
is taken: The synod is simply a venue for the bishop to “read God. The kings of Europe claim a divine right to rule. The
and publish” his canons. The bishop can also issue edicts 20th-century nation-state does not exist; instead, every man
directly, without waiting for the synod to convene. has his feudal master, with his master over him; and so on up
A bishop has final liturgical authority within his diocese. to the king, and then to God. As an example, the right to
In theory, he can decide exactly what forms of worship apply to appoint clergy often belongs to the king, not the Church.
any given occasion. Bishops usually exercise this authority only This is beginning to change in the Dark Medieval world.
by ordering processions during which litanies are to be sung — Rivalries between the Church and lay authorities result in the
for example, at harvest time or when the nation goes to war. Church becoming more self-contained, while at the same time
Bishops and archbishops, almost without exception, come claiming a wider dominion than ever before. This separation
from noble families. They are closely involved in affairs of and superiority leads to the collapse of the Church’s political
state, spending as much time on secular as on spiritual matters. power in later, secular ages; but in the era of Vampire: The Dark
Archbishops are powerful figures in national governments, Ages, the Church becomes and remains the supreme power.
with seats on royal councils. One theologian of the period, Hostiensis, goes so far as
They are usually well-educated, though they are not to put a figure on the Church’s pre-eminence. Borrowing
always pious — to many, the office is simply a luxurious Ptolemy’s calculations of the relative brightness of the sun
sinecure, and their observance of Christian forms is a hollow and the moon, he claims that the sacerdotal (priestly) dignity
sham. Some are quite depraved: The Bishop of Durham once is precisely 7,644 times greater than the royal.
tried to seduce and then to rape the postulant Christina of The Church is not afraid to proclaim its own superiority
Markyate, who was forced to dress as a man and flee to a or demand the fealty of kings. The Pope, the Church asserts,
hermitage to escape his attentions. Men like these are easy is the true emperor, and the emperor is his vicar. This rhetoric
targets for Cainite manipulators, and the Followers of Set, in has been toned down over recent years, as the Toreador who
particular, flock to them in order to lure them further down control Celestine III do not wish to provoke the Ventrue, but
the path of corruption. the conflict between spiritual and temporal authority returns
A bishop has numerous ritual duties, the most important with a vengeance when Innocent III becomes Pope in 1198.
being the dedication of churches and the consecration of altars.
These must be done by the bishop himself, rather than by The Age of Innocent
one of his subordinates. If a church or altar is “polluted” (by We do not deny that the emperor is superior in temporal
bloodshed, for example) it must be re-consecrated — usually matters to those who receive temporal things from him, but the
at considerable expense to parishioners. Pope is superior in spiritual matters, which, as the soul is superi-
Another bishop responsibility is visitation, which the- or to the body, are more worthy than temporal ones.
oretically takes place once every three years, but in practice — Innocent III
is much less frequent because of his other duties. During a In years to come, Innocent III (1198-1216) adopts the
visitation, a bishop tours the diocese to make sure that his stance that the Pope is the representative of Christ on Earth
clergymen are doing their jobs. In addition to formalities (vicarius christi: the Vicar of Christ). Since the Earth is God’s
such as checking priests’ letters of order and institution and kingdom, worldly kings must be God’s feudal subjects, and their
inspecting the paraphernalia and property of the individual kingdoms fiefs granted by Him; and since the Pope represents
churches, the bishop calls in laymen in each parish and God, the domains of worldly rulers must be in the Pope’s gift.
questions them as to whether their priest has been fulfilling Effectively, Innocent claims that the Church — and specifi-
his obligations and leading a good life. Unless a priest is truly cally the Pope — has the right to appoint and remove kings.
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 Innocent uses his power on a grand scale. He excommu-
nicates the entire nation of England for eight years (1206-14),
forbidding the clergy from carrying out baptisms and marriage
or burial ceremonies, and eventually forcing the king to sur-
render his sovereignty to Rome.
This is the apex of Church power. Sicily, England and
Aragon become feudal dependencies of Rome, their rulers
effectively consenting to Innocent’s claim of dominion, and
the Church also intervenes in Germany, France and Norway.
Many influential Cainites suspect that Innocent’s
doctrine will rob them of their roles as kingmakers. The
Ventrue, whose power base is most threatened, go further.
They see the hand of the Lasombra behind Innocent’s claim
and worry about the power the Magisters now possess if they
have finally been able to bend a strong Pope to their will.
Their concerns are ill-founded: Innocent is free not only of
the Lasombra, but also of any vampiric manipulation. His
stance is directed at his fellow mortals, not at Cainites, and
it is based on theology (or greed) rather than on any super-
natural influence. Nevertheless, it is a threat that drives and
distracts the Ventrue during the early 13th century — to the
point where their frantic and clumsy attempts to identify and
intercept Lasombra within the papal staff actually end up
increasing the Church’s awareness of vampiric infiltration. It
is no accident that the Inquisition has its roots in the papacy
of Innocent — or that bungled Ventrue attempts to control
the Inquisition only inflame it further.…

Story Seeds
The Church presents Cainites with almost their only
systematic opposition, apart from other Cainites. It is a
foolish vampire who does not fear the power of faith, and
nowhere in Europe is that faith stronger than in Rome.
Stories that drive the characters toward Rome play upon the
theme of dilemma, especially if they are built up over the
course of a chronicle. For example, in one story the coterie
might need to travel to Rome and it finds the journey more
and more difficult as it approaches the Holy City — and
it is relieved to achieve the objective of its quest before it
is reached. In a subsequent story, the coteries might cross
the Patrimonium Petri and feel the baleful presence of the city
always on the horizon. Only in a third and final story would
the coterie need to enter Rome itself, and that could be a
true nightmare.
Sensible vampires prefer to work at the national level,
attempting to position their candidates as bishops and arch-
bishops. Political intrigue is a familiar theme in Vampire:
The Dark Ages, so try to make this something more than
just another factional dispute. Have your chronicle’s standard
feuding factions team up to ward off the threat of a candidate
with True Faith. Have a group of Setites secretly corrupt one
faction’s candidate. Tie the election in to one of your chron-
icle’s religious themes or to a heresy in which the characters
have previously shown an interest (for or against).
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The Church
Although it is not necessary for a priest to be educated, he
must be at least 25, with no mental deficiencies or physical

in Nightly Unlife
deformities. He may not be a soldier, a bastard, a prosecutor or
an executioner. Women and the unbaptized cannot, of course,
be priests. The priest must live a circumspect and honest life and
The Parish Priest may not hunt, war, gamble, or conduct surgery or commerce.
The majority of a priest’s small income comes from fees
Like most inhabitants of the Dark Medieval world, the par-
charged for baptisms, marriages and burial services. A church
ish priest has a hard life. Instead of the finery and palaces of the
also has a small amount of land in its village, called the glebe.
bishops, he receives only an ordinary house and garden, a small
Most priests farm the glebe themselves, though it is permitted
stipend, and a little land on which to grow food. Instead of being
to rent it out to others.
invited to participate in royal councils and grand processions, he
must look to his own welfare and tend to his parishioners. The Priest’s Duties
The hardship, social duties and heavy ritual of parish Whereas the work of higher Church officials is mainly
priesthood make it an unattractive vocation for Cainites. How administrative, that of the parish priest is more spiritual and
can one conduct masses, blessings and burial ceremonies when social. The priest combines the roles of spiritual guide, social
one cannot rise during the day? Only by retaining a ghoul to counselor, charity organizer and moral authority.
front the operation, or by finding some way to take over an The priest does have some administrative duties. He
entire village, can a vampire hope to get away with it. Even must see to the collection of tithes, and he can excommuni-
then, the bishop’s visitation may eventually find him out. cate anyone who fails to pay. He is responsible for keeping
the church in good repair, and he must see that no profane
The Priest activities — specific prohibitions include fairs and morris
Most parish priests are poor, uneducated men — some do dancing — go on in the churchyard.
not even understand the Latin that they read — picked out of In theory, the parish priest has the duty to give alms to
the ranks of the laity to serve their villages. Priests are appointed the poor and to strangers from his own income, but most
by the archdeacon or rural dean in most areas, though in parts priests’ stipends are so small that they cannot afford to do
of Italy and Germany, they are elected by the parishioners. so. Instead, he regularly exhorts parishioners to care for the

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poor, and encourages the dying to leave alms for this pur- Justice
pose. (The dying are particularly eager to seize any chance Clerics enjoy a measure of special protection under law.
of improving their spiritual chances, for they have no doubt For example, anyone who strikes a cleric is excommunicated
that after death they will be judged for their worthiness to — a daunting fate that spells an eternity of damnation. Clerics
enter the Kingdom of Heaven — and that if they fail they cannot be deprived of their home or money by a creditor, and
will be cast down to Hell.) Manuals for priests emphasize they are excused from performing any lay duty that interferes
the “seven works of mercy bodily” — feeding the hungry, with their vows.
giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering
They also have special rights when accused of crimes.
the homeless, visiting prisoners, visiting the sick and burying
Clerics have the right to be judged by their peers in a canonical
the dead. Charity is a regular topic for sermons, and those
court instead of by secular courts, and they may, in theory, carry
who practice it are praised and respected.
their appeals as far as the papal curia — though few except
Other important social roles include the reconciliation the highest in the Church can hope to reach this ultimate
of parishioners who have quarreled, acting as chaplain to the court. Clerical courts are supposedly independent, though
parish “gild” (a sort of burial club-cum-friendly society with they sometimes bow to popular opinion, even finding ways
a strongly devotional slant) and helping with the staging of to impose a verdict that they are technically not permitted
miracle and mystery plays (often organized by the gild, and to pronounce.
the only drama many Christians ever see).
For example, in Padua in 1301, a clerk was found guilty
The priest also has many ritual duties. At Rogation-tide of theft, murder and rape. Because of his clerical status, he was
(the three days before Ascension) he blesses the crops and exempt from execution. The canon court instead sentenced
leads his parishioners in a procession through the fields. When him to be put in a cage hung from the top of the Red Tower,
required, he also carries out rites for blessing sick children, and it denied him food and water. It took him two weeks to die.
animals, houses or anything else that seems to require divine
From 1215, clerics are prohibited from serving as law-
protection. At the same time, he is also responsible for warning
yers, judges and public notaries. This is another aspect of the
his flock against the use of spells or incantations!
Church’s general policy of putting itself and its officials above
Priestly blessings can prove a great inconvenience to the things of the world.
Cainites. A house which has been blessed severely discomforts
a vampire, and he may have difficulty feeding from a person
who has recently been blessed by a priest with True Faith. See
Education
Every word you write is a blow that smites the Devil.
page 238 of Vampire: The Dark Ages for systems.
— Bernard of Clairvaux
Revenue and Taxes Almost all education — such as it is — rests with the
As mentioned above, the main income of a local cler- Church. Religious houses teach their own oblates, and some
gyman comes from his ritual duties, and he also supports also teach brighter aristocratic children from outside the house.
himself from the glebe of the church. The tithe, a 10th of The university movement is just beginning, with a college in
a villager’s income (usually paid in kind in the low-cash Paris since 1180, and the Church runs religious, medical and
peasant economy), is also collected by the local priest, and law schools around Europe.
he has the right to excommunicate anyone who fails to pay. Church schools may be attached to monasteries or cathe-
Finally, some churches derive income from other property, drals, or sometimes to major parish churches. This practice
called temporalia, such as land or mills. is disappearing from the monasteries, with separate schools,
When the church is part of the property of a religious staffed with secular masters, being founded under the super-
house or community such as a large abbey, the priest does not vision of the religious house. Schools are supposedly founded
receive his incomes directly. They instead pass to the house, for the education of the poor, but most students come from
which grants him a stipend in return for performing pastoral affluent families. The chaplain usually educates the children
duties for the parish. of noble families.
Clerics are, in principle, exempt from lay taxes. In prac-
tice, however, senior clerics often hold baronies and counties; Church Holidays
they, therefore, owe service and taxes to their local (secular) The Dark Medieval world is a harsh place, and the com-
lord anyway. mon folk have it hardest of all. The year is an almost unbroken
If a see is left vacant, its revenues go to the local prince. round of work — from dawn until dusk, six days a week, every
These revenues are known as regalia. Curiously enough, when week of the year. The only relief that the peasantry receive
princes are given the opportunity to delay the process of ap- from their labors is provided by the Church.
pointing a new bishop or archbishop, they almost invariably Most days of the year commemorate at least one saint, but
do so. The income from a rich see is a tempting inducement only a few are holidays (holy days). Those few are therefore
to procrastinate. causes for great festivities. People — commoners and nobility
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alike — crowd the churches and cathedrals to hear special Vampires making a pilgrimage face special difficulties: Sleep-
masses and spend the rest of the day celebrating. Great trade ing during the day, they cannot take advantage of the hospitality
fairs are often held on saints’ feast days or to coincide with usually available to pilgrims and they can travel with only ghouls,
local religious celebrations. A fair takes place in Paris every retainers and other vampires; they must pass through the lands of
June to occur simultaneously with the arrival of thousands of many princes; and once at their objective, they may be repelled
pilgrims to visit a piece of the True Cross held at the cathe- by its holiness or by the faith of other pilgrims. Nevertheless, a
dral of Notre Dame. These fairs are also occasions for fun, devout vampire may need to become a pilgrim for the same rea-
with merchants coming from every part of Europe and with sons as a mortal does. Even a Cainite who is not a Christian may
musicians and acrobats to entertain the crowds. be ordered to make a pilgrimage in order to expiate some sin by a
Holidays vary from region to region. The two most more religiously inclined prince. A whole chronicle could be built
common are Christmas and Easter, as these are celebrated around a long pilgrimage, with many diverse stories along the way.
everywhere. Christmas even sees the Church surrendering
its dignity during the Feast of Fools, in which a “bishop,”
dressed up in fake vestments, leads the people into a church
The Monastic
and recites a service in gibberish while others play dice on
the altar and sing rude songs. May Day, Midsummer’s Eve Movements
We must form a school in the Lord’s service.
and Harvest Home are festivals inherited by the Church from
older pagan religions, and they are respected in most parts of — Benedict of Nursia
Dark Medieval Europe. After the papal reform, perhaps the most significant change
in the Dark Medieval Church is the rise of the monasteries. By
Pilgrimages 1197, the monastic revival is widespread and well-established
— the number of monks in England alone has risen from under
The closest that people in the Dark Medieval world come
to a “vacation” in the 20th-century sense is a pilgrimage –– a 1000 to over 5000 in 100 years — and it exerts an important
journey to a distant holy place. Most people hope to go on a influence over Church thinking.
pilgrimage at some point in their lives, to prove their devotion The history of Cainite involvement with the monasteries
to God; some have other reasons — as penance for their sins, parallels that of their involvement with the rest of the Church,
for example, or to be cured of an illness. though if anything, the dilemma is even more extreme. To a
Any holy shrine is often the object of a pilgrimage. Fa- vampire, a monastery — isolated and self-contained — is a
vorite destinations are the holy cities of Jerusalem and Rome, natural haven, safe from most enemies and well-stocked with
Canterbury Cathedral and the shrine of St. James at Santiago vessels. But the monastic lifestyle attracts and inspires faith far
de Compostela in Spain. Pilgrims often travel to visit relics greater than that encountered in the Church at large. They are
such as the bones of saints or the pieces of the True Cross. still rare, but even one truly faithful monk or nun can make
Each place of pilgrimage has an emblem — scallop shells a vampire’s monastic retreat intolerable.
are popular — which are worn by pilgrims to show that they In general, therefore, monasteries have been inhabited only
have visited it. Frequenting pilgrims may sport many such by those Cainites with some additional reason to go there: The
badges — vampires are recommended to avoid such people, as Toreador and Brujah, to whom monasteries are islands of civilization
they are very likely to have some small measure of True Faith in the barbarism of the Dark Medieval world, and the more pious
(alternatively, of course, they are sinners of so vile a hue that of the Nosferatu, who welcome the solitude and often share the
repeated journeys of penance are their only hope). Wearing inhabitants’ faith. As with so much of the Church, this situation is
an emblem on one’s hat shows that one is on a holy journey changing. The rise of the monasteries has attracted the traditional
and has the right to protection. power-mongers of the dark Church, the Lasombra and the Ventrue.
Pilgrims travel in groups, rich and poor together, for And, over the last 50 years or so, the monasteries of the West have
companionship and for protection against bandits. They travel been the victims of a new wave of predators — predators as interested
on foot to demonstrate their piety. Pilgrims’ passages are eased in the monasteries’ ancient and carefully guarded knowledge as in
on popular routes by special roads and bridges built by local the blood of their inhabitants: the sorcerous Tremere.
rulers to encourage visitors — pilgrims, like 20th-century
tourists, bring a good deal of money into the local economy. The Monastic Urge
With less mercenary motives, monastic orders set up hostels a For centuries, humanity has expressed its religious urge
day’s travel apart along these routes to shelter pious travelers. by forming communities dedicated specifically to worship.
Cainites sometimes insinuate themselves into such hostels over The monastic movement in Christendom was shaped largely
a summer, ensuring a regular supply of fresh blood (the supply, by Benedict of Nursia, who established the objectives and
of course, dries up as winter comes and travel becomes more obligations of monastic life in the Benedictine Rule. The rule
difficult). Because pilgrims travel in groups, such vampires dictated almost every aspect of a monk’s life, even down to
must take care not to kill. what to eat and what to wear.
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 Most monastic communities claim to model themselves on in the monk’s relationship with the outside world already exists,
Benedict’s Rule, and it has become known by heart by thousands which waits for a focus that will allow it to crystallize into a new
of monks and nuns over the centuries. Although Benedict pre- kind of monastic movement. In Italy, a young man named Francis
scribed that a monastery should look primarily inward, toward the has been born in Assisi, and he will present his own rule to Pope
salvation of its own members, they became, in practice, centers Innocent III in 1210. Following the Franciscan lead, the next
of Christian influence, culture, teaching and learning. generation of monastic revival concentrates on looking outward,
The duties of a monastic house, according to Benedict to the good that monks can achieve in the world.
and his successors, are to care for the sick; to help the poor
by giving bread in hard times; the education of children; to The Cluniac Revival
keep roads and bridges in good repair; to provide beds, food Benedict lived in the sixth century, and although his
and shelter for travelers; to keep learning and order alive; and, ideas had some success, the conditions were not yet right for
most importantly, the praise and exaltation of God. monasticism. It required a more settled European landscape
Benedict also insisted that a monastic house should be and a more mature tradition of royal patronage for the mon-
primarily cenobitic — that is, dedicated to the spiritual welfare asteries to truly prosper.
of its inhabitants as a whole — though he conceded that the The revival of the monasteries began early in the 10th
group might also provide a framework for the individual spir- century, with the founding of the abbey of Cluny in Burgundy
itual growth of the more advanced members. Anchorites and by Duke William of Aquitaine. This was the signal for a wave of
hermits can certainly exist within a Benedictine community similar endowments creating new monasteries or reviving existing
— it is not true that they spend all of their time in remote ones. The great monasteries of the late 12th century — Cluny,
solitude — but they are not its primary focus. Gorze (in the Franco-German border region of Lorraine) and
At the time of Vampire: The Dark Ages, the domination Glastonbury — all have their roots in this sudden impulse. The
of the Benedictine vision of religious houses as inward-looking popularity of the fashion for endowing monasteries grew for some
islands of devotion in a barbarous world, so appropriate to the 250 years, and, although past its watermark, is still strong in 1197.
sixth century, draws to a close. Europe has emerged from the chaos Fortunately for those desperate to improve their chances
that followed the fall of Rome, and such self-contained protectors of salvation by pouring money into monasteries, the number
of faith and knowledge are no longer needed. A renewed interest of recruits also grows continually over the period. (Previous

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 attempts to revive monasticism had foundered through a
lack of monks.) Most importantly for the continued success
of the monastic tradition, the new foundations attract monks
with the fervor and charisma to lead and inspire. These are
the men whose legacy continues to dominate monasticism:
Abbot Odilo of Cluny, Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Dunstan of
Glastonbury. (Although some nunneries are also founded or
revived by the new patronage, it is not until later that women
have a significant influence on the monastic tradition. At this
time, nunneries are usually mere appendages to monasteries
for males, though this will change.)
The most important of all these houses, because of its
reforming zeal and its independence from lay authority, was
Cluny. When Cluny was founded, monasteries were largely
under the control of the noble who founded them and owned
their land (or, of course, his heirs), either directly or through the
local bishop — who was an appointee of the landowner. (This
was long before the papal reform.) Cluny demanded and got
independence from its founder and from local church officials,
placing itself directly under the protection of the Pope. Worse
still, many monasteries had abandoned the ascetic ideals of Ben-
edict, with poverty and chastity being observed only in name,
not in deed. Cluny sought to return to Benedictine simplicity,
though with a new emphasis on liturgy.
Cluny increased the time allotted to the Opus Dei (the
Work of God; essentially liturgical worship). In the original
Benedictine monasteries, liturgy was balanced by manual labor,
but as monks had become decadent, this tradition atrophied.
In order to maximize the time available for worship, Cluny did
not revive manual labor, relying instead on the labor of laymen
and women. The monks taught their own oblates, but unlike
some monasteries they did not educate other children. A few
anchorites, living in nearby caves, were supported, but for the
most part Cluny emphasized communal worship, considered to
be the highest form of devotion; little time was available for
private study or prayer. The community was inward-looking,
more concerned with worship and liturgical development than
with contributing to the outside world.
Over the centuries, the Cluniac movement grew, and
Cluny itself began to reform and ultimately it took over other
monasteries. Cluniac houses were initially independent: The
Abbot of Cluny was asked to take over the reform, revival or
foundation of a monastic house, and maybe to lend it some
monks, and Cluny imported its customs and established bonds
of friendship in this way. Over the last century or so, however,
Cluny has acquired daughter houses, which are formally subject
to the abbot’s central authority. The Cluniac monasteries are
not a true monastic order like the Cistercians, but a group of
houses under a single head.
With Cluny’s success have come the seeds of decadence.
The abbey that was founded on the Benedictine ideal is now
one of the richest in Europe. Its new basilica is the largest
church in Christendom, greater even than the cathedrals
of Rome. Exaltation of God in His splendor has driven out
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simplicity and poverty. The unity of the daughter houses of new bloodlines, Infernalism, you name it), and also, that
under the Abbot of Cluny puts a tempting amount of power the regular meetings are a method of sharing results — and
into the hands of that one man. The monks continue their blood, for the rumor also insists that sect members have all
ceaseless round of worship, but it is tinged with complacency sworn the Blood Oath to each other.
and even arrogance. They read Benedict’s Rule daily in the Even more extreme than the Cistercians are the
chapter house, but they no longer keep it. Carthusians, founded in 1048 at the monastery of Grande
Chartreuse near Grenoble. The Carthusians live like hermits,
Gorze in separate cells, assembling only for communal worship.
Cluny has its rivals, of course, of which the main one
Each monk has his own garden, prepares his own food and
is Gorze. Gorze shares many of Cluny’s reforming aims, but
says his own daily offices. The order is highly ascetic, and
places a greater emphasis on literacy and learning than on
the monks live a lonely, austere and almost silent life. Its
pure liturgy. Gorze and its daughter houses often teach people
severity has prevented the order from becoming as popu-
from outside the monastery, and they have become centers of
lar as the Cistercian. The Carthusian Order is, however,
learning. Gorze’s influence is felt mostly in Germany, while
quite popular among Cainites who prefer unlives of quiet,
Cluniac ideals are prevalent in France and Burgundy.
uninterrupted contemplation.
Citeaux and the New Orders
I make up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ. The Monastic Life
— St. Paul The life of a monk or nun depends on the order to
Cluny’s slide toward decadence has not gone unnoticed, which he or she belongs. Different orders emphasize dif-
and other orders are springing up which, once again, seek to ferent activities, from missionary work and helping others
return to Benedict’s original asceticism. The most important of to work for the monastic community and the worship of
these orders is the Cistercian Order, or White Monks, founded God. What all of the orders have in common is dedication.
in 1098 in Cîteaux and formed into a true monastic order by Living in a monastery is not a soft option. When a monk
the charismatic and inspirational Bernard of Clairvaux, who is not working in the vegetable garden or the laundry, the
joined the house at Cîteaux in 1113. The Cistercian Rule community’s many daily observances keep him awake and
has also inspired other monastic orders, such as the recently busy at all hours of the day and night.
founded Order of St. Julian de Pereiro (or Alcantara), a Spanish A monastery typically has a substantial estate associated
military order, and the Calatrava, whose purpose is to defend with it. It is usually a gift from the landowner who founded
Calatrava from the Almohads. the monastery. The estate enables the monastery to survive
The Cistercians believe in the simplicity and poverty from day to day, and its management is an important respon-
that Cluny and Gorze have lost. They wear habits of undyed sibility of the monks.
wool, and they build their houses out of unfinished stone Monasteries also receive donations from the wealthy —
instead of finely carved marble. They do not have images and the guilt-ridden. Monks have become skilled at exploiting
or gold and silver crosses in their churches, but only the tax exemptions and trading privileges, and some monasteries
plainest vestments. They live in the remotest places and have become highly profitable commercial concerns. The great
spend the time that Benedict allotted to work in severe abbeys along the major rivers of Western Europe — the Rhône,
agricultural labor. the Loire, the Rhine — even run their own trading fleets.
Cistercian abbeys spring up on the very edges of civilization, Many monks and nuns have therefore become businessmen and
where the monks or nuns can be free from the distractions of the women despite their supposed spiritual concerns. Inevitably,
world. (This makes them very popular with noble patrons, as they this has bred arrogance, corruption and an abandonment of
actually prefer less valuable land.) In Britain, great Cistercian spiritual pursuits.
abbeys exist in north Yorkshire (Rievaulx and Fountains) and
in south Wales (Tintern). Cistercians would seem to be at risk Silence
from Lupines who resent their taming of the wildernesses, but for For most of the day, monks live under a rule of silence.
the most part, they are left alone. Perhaps the werewolves fear Daily tasks must be carried out without speaking. Of course,
the monks’ faith — or perhaps they fear retribution. there are readings from holy books and spoken and sung prayers,
Cîteaux remains the heart of the order: All Cistercian but everyday-chat is discouraged. While working, monks may
houses are subject to its abbot, and representatives of the recite the canon and the Psalter to themselves, and the rule
houses must meet in Cîteaux once a year. There is a persistent of silence may be broken in the cloister during the morning.
rumor that the White Monks have been systematically in- The Carthusians are more extreme: Their order empha-
filtrated by a conspiratorial sect of vampires or mages who sizes solitude and contemplation, and a Carthusian house is
use the isolated abbeys for their own purposes (what these almost totally silent except for services. Augustinian priories
purposes might be depends on the imagination of the Cainite are generally more moderate, though the Augustinian Rule
passing on the rumor: blood-magical experiments, the forging does not lay down any specific requirements.
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Appearance and Clothing The monks then work until midday, or Sext, when
Benedict’s Rule states that a monk’s clothes should be they offer up prayers for relatives and celebrate the High
plain but comfortable. Monks who follow the rule wear black Mass. At 1:30 p.m. comes Nones, followed by dinner, which
hooded habits, which emulate Roman clothing. The Benedic- consists of bread, cheese, vegetables, beans and cereal, with
tines are therefore sometimes known as the Black Monks. They fish or eggs on special occasions. Meat is permitted in some
are permitted to wear leather belts and shoes and are allowed houses and is often eaten at the abbot’s table where guests
warm cloaks and linen coifs in cold weather. (Apart from the are entertained. During dinner, monks listen to readings
infirmary, monasteries are not heated. The stone corridors and from the Bible or another holy book. Conversation is, of
bare cells are very cold and drafty in winter.) course, forbidden.
Cistercians wear habits of undyed wool, leading them to After dinner, the monks may read or work until the
be known as the White Monks, and they scorn the softness of bell rings again for Vespers (prayers before supper) at 4:30.
the Benedictine ways. Most go barefoot, and some even wear Vespers takes an hour, after which the monks have another
hair shirts against their skin to prove their devotion to God. opportunity to read privately. They also change into their
The most striking aspect of a monk’s personal appearance night shoes before Compline at 6:15. This is the briefest
is the tonsure. When a novice becomes a monk, the crown of office of the day, consisting of just six psalms and taking only
his head is shaved, though a fringe of hair remains all around. quarter of an hour. At 6:30, well after dark in an English
The crown is never allowed to grow back. Nuns also cut off winter, the monks retire to bed.
their hair as a sign of devotion at the end of their novitiate. The summer schedule is similar, but the monks wake
at 1:30 a.m. and do not go to bed until 8 p.m. More time is
A Day in the Life devoted to reading and work, but also to the liturgy. A brief
The monks of Benedict’s day led practical lives, spending period of rest is permitted around the middle of the day, and
much of their time on material tasks, working in the fields a second meal is taken after Vespers.
or gardens. While this is still true in Cistercian houses, life This is a far cry from the life laid down by Benedict
in a present day Benedictine monastery is very different, and still pursued in Cistercian houses. Earlier monasteries
emphasizing sedentary, liturgical duties far more than prac- observed only some of the many offices mentioned above,
tical ones. (“Sedentary” may not be the appropriate word and celebrated Mass only once per day. Religious rituals were
here. In at least one house, monks sing 55 psalms one after also a great deal shorter, usually taking about 10 minutes,
the other, all without sitting down.) More than half of a whereas in the new liturgical monasteries, they often take
monk’s time is spent on religious duties, with vocal prayer well over an hour. Early Benedictine monks spent much of
being the main element, and no more than three hours a their time at work, while the new monasticism devotes at
day occupied with work. least eight hours a day to vocal prayer, ritual and chanting.
Timetables differ from season to season — as the length With little opportunity for relaxation or physical exercise,
of daylight varies — and from monastery to monastery, but it is a wearing life.
the following pattern is typical of the greater Benedictine
Nevertheless, the ceaseless round of devotion inspires
monasteries.
some. Manuscripts, illuminations and original literary works
The monks rise at 2:30 a.m. to prepare for Nocturns, the demonstrate the artistic and scholarly achievements of the
night office later known as Matins. The preparation involves liturgical monasteries — though some attribute these works
the singing of psalms, and Nocturns includes prayers for the to the influence of the monasteries’ Toreador and Brujah
royal family and for the dead. This takes some two-and-a-half inhabitants or patrons, creating around themselves a little
hours, after which, an hour is set aside for reading. world that suits their desires. Many monks advance to bish-
At 6 a.m. — daybreak — the bell rings for Lauds, with oprics and even higher posts, showing that the liturgical
more psalms and prayers, particularly for the royal house. round does not crush the pastoral ability or urge — though
Immediately afterward at 6:45 comes Prime, when the monks once again there are those Cainites to whom this is merely
read seven penitential psalms and chant the litany of the saints. evidence that monasteries are nothing but a breeding ground
Breakfast, if it takes place at all (and in many monasteries it for the pawns of their enemies.
does not), consists of bread and wine or ale.
From 7:30 until 8 a.m., more time is given for reading, The Monastic Haven
and then comes Terce, another two hours or so of religious As mentioned, many monasteries harbor vampires, who
services, including the first mass of the day, the Morrow Mass. take advantage of the community’s isolation and inward
During this time the monks also meet in the chapter house, orientation to prey upon its inhabitants in safety. The sched-
where house business is discussed, confession takes place and ule described above shows how risky a proposition this is.
the abbot hands out duties and punishments. The chapter Because the monastery is an insular community, and monks
meeting is often lively, with monks making the most of their are expected to be active all day, every day, it is practically
temporary release from the rule of silence. impossible for a vampire to pass himself off as a monk. Vam-
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pires must instead insinuate themselves into the dark recesses
of the monastery, appearing only to those over whom they
have absolute control. Such vampires are known as monachi
or monachae (singular monachus and monacha), from the Latin
for “monk” and “nun.”
A wise Cainite therefore makes sure that at least one or
two officials, who can keep her haven secure, are under her
control before she begins to feed extensively on the other
inhabitants. The hospitaller, responsible for the greeting of
strangers, is usually an early victim. The cellarer follows quickly:
The wine cellar, because it is below ground, is a favorite first
stop for many Cainites entering monasteries. (The cellarer’s
function is to ensure that monks have food and drink. It is
a cruel irony that the cellarer quickly becomes the vampire’s
food and drink.)
Once the vampire is established, she sets about forming
a herd. This does not usually include the whole monastery,
just enough people to protect her while she sleeps. She can
then rise while the mortal inhabitants are asleep and take her
pick of her captive flock.
A monastic haven is, on the surface, indistinguish-
able from a normal monastery or nunnery. It would be a
foolish Cainite who destroyed her own herd, and since
monastic vampires rarely need to spend vitae on healing,
physical prowess or Disciplines, they require relatively little
blood anyway. Often, the only way to determine whether
a house has been turned into a feeding ground is to see
whether the work of its inhabitants seems significantly
influenced in a particular direction. If scholarly learning
seems overemphasized, the house may be in the hands of
a Brujah or Tremere; if it produces works of great artistry
or philosophical novelty, it may harbor a Toreador mo-
nachus; if its inhabitants tend toward pastoral ambition and
frequently enter the Church bureaucracy, it may have been
turned to the purposes of a Lasombra or Ventrue. Of course,
the same symptoms may equally well denote an abbot of a
particular inclination…
It is rare for a house to be a haven for more than one
vampire. This can happen only if the house is large and the
two vampires are close allies. A small monastery contains
barely enough blood for one vampire, let alone two; even in a
large abbey, the supply is tight enough that multiple vampires
would have to cooperate in their feeding habits. Add to this
the different directions in which they are likely to want to
take the monastery, the limited amount of safe resting space
and the violently territorial nature of the average Cainite,
and it is clear why two monachi in a house will usually end
up fighting to the death.
It is not unknown for a monachus to take holy orders and
become a monk. Of course, it is not possible for vampires to
work in the fields or take part in daytime offices, and to avoid
awkward questions, vampire monks usually remain as well
concealed as their more sinister counterparts. Nevertheless,
their piety can be as genuine as any mortal’s.
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Positions provisioned, though he usually delegates this duty to his officials.
When guests are to be entertained, the abbot receives them;
The small community of a monastic house has its own the abbot of a great house therefore mixes frequently with the
simple hierarchy, with leaders, followers and servants. Some influential and powerful. Monachi of a political bent, such as
monks also receive special duties. Depending on a particular the Lasombra, encourage their abbots to hold such receptions
Cainite’s reasons for coming to a monastery, he may wish to after dark, for even these fleeting contacts are useful.
seek out particular individuals or members of particular groups The abbot also has a number of external duties, which fre-
for his attentions. A Tremere might make a point of forcing quently take him away from the monastery for long periods of time.
the librarian to take the Blood Oath, while a Lasombra would He corresponds with his bishop and monarch and attends them
likely be more interested in the abbot or prior — or, if he when required. He is likely to be involved in government and may
proves too difficult to control directly, those who have his ear. even act as a royal emissary. The abbot oversees dependent priories
and outlying areas of land, and he visits them regularly. When
The Abbot the monastery becomes involved in a dispute — as monasteries,
The abbot or abbess is the ruler and leader of an abbey. with their extensive land interests, often do — the abbot must
(Houses smaller than abbeys do not have abbots.) He is the fight the legal battle. Because of the importance of monasteries
supreme spiritual authority of the monastery — and conse- to the Church, abbots also participate in synods.
quently, acquires all the functions of a lay ruler in a normal
The abbot’s lodgings are far more luxurious than those of the
community. The abbot is elected by a committee of senior
other monks. The Abbot of la Trinité, for example, has a suite of
monks, usually for life, though an abbot may retire if he is too
six rooms, with his own courtyard, garden, dovecote and stables.
weak and infirm to continue his duties. Such elections often
attract royal attention because of the economic and political The Prior
power of the position (though this is not a problem in the The prior or prioress runs the day-to-day affairs of the
poorer Cistercian houses). monastery and takes the abbot’s place in his absence.
The abbot is responsible for appointing and overseeing the Monachi usually make a point of bringing an abbey’s prior
other officials and for the discipline of monks. He presides at quickly under their influence. Because of his very general
the daily chapter house meetings, writes sermons and leads the duties, the prior can help keep the vampire away from the
liturgy. In theory, he also ensures that the monastery is properly attention of the monks. By contrast, if the prior is left alone
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and comes to suspect an alien influence, he can make unlife The librarian is, of course, in charge of the library.
very difficult for the vampire. Even the abbot, because he is The rule requires monks to read, and they therefore amass
frequently away, is less important to a vampire’s safe existence. collections of books through donations and the copying of
The sub-prior is an assistant to the prior. Larger houses books lent by other houses. Most books are sacred — litur-
have more than one sub-prior. In such houses, the prior gical texts or lives of the saints — but some are classical or
may concentrate on external affairs and the economics of vernacular. The monasteries of Wales, for example, preserve
the monastery, delegating internal matters and discipline the ancient poetry of that country. Collections can be huge
to his appointed deans. — some large houses have over 100 books, and Durham
In monastic houses smaller than an abbey, there is no has over 500. Cistercian houses do not emphasize reading
abbot, and the prior is the head of the house. as much as Benedictine ones, so they tend to have smaller
collections. Tremere and Brujah monachi, to whom scholarship
Other Officials is the most important element of the monastery, frequently
Ten other officials assist he abbot and prior, making up the cultivate librarians as ghouls or allies.
apostolic number of 12. Officials sometimes benefit by being The cellarer or cellaress is in charge of the house’s
given specific lodgings, though this depends on the monastery. supplies of food and drink, and the bursar in charge of the
(The Abbey of la Trinité, for example, reserves lodgings for house’s money. These two positions, although vital, are
the sacrist and almoner, but not for the other officials.) These often handed over to suitably trained servants, for they
lodgings consist only of a few small rooms — a long way from lack the spiritual element of the other offices. They are
the abbot’s luxurious dwellings. sometimes combined into a single position that oversees all
The sacrist attends to the care of the church and the altars. rents, revenues and expenditures. Because vampires often
In the greatest abbeys, these can rival the finest of cathedrals. gravitate to the deepest, darkest parts of a house that they
The Basilica of Cluny, for example, is the largest church in intend to make their home, the cellaress is usually an early
the world — and will remain so well into the 16th century. victim of any infestation.
The sacrist works closely with the precentor, who oversees Finally, the chamberlain provides clothing, shoes and
the organization of ceremonies. bedding, and he cleans the dormitories, and the doorkeeper
The hospitaller or hosteler looks after visitors. A monastery is responsible for the security of the abbey gate.
has a small amount of guest accommodations, the size and
quality befitting the guests it must receive. A Cistercian priory Choir Monks
can offer visitors only cells much like the monks,’ whereas a Choir monks comprise the heart of a monastery. These
grand abbey like Cluny has well-appointed guest houses suitable are the men or women who have waited out their novitiate
for a bishop or lord. In addition to accommodating guests, the and have taken full monastic vows; they have chosen to put
hospitaller performs the monastery’s duty of providing food aside the world and dedicate their lives to the worship of God.
and shelter to travelers. The burden of the abbey’s liturgical duties falls on them. They
The infirmarian cares for the sick, both within the also work the monastery’s land, though much of this manual
monastery and outside it. A monastery room is set aside as labor falls to lay brothers or sisters in some houses.
the infirmary, and the monks maintain a small infirmary gar- Monks are mostly upper or upper-middle class, and may
den. The infirmary is the one room in the monastery that is have been educated in the monastery from a very young age.
heated. Wealthy abbeys may have two — one for the rich and (The Cistercians admit only adults, and other orders now
one for the poor — the latter possibly doubling as travelers’ follow suit.) They will usually spend their entire lives in re-
accommodations. In monasteries with good libraries, monks ligious houses, though they may be “lent” to other houses at
may have access to considerable medical knowledge. the discretion of the abbot.
The almoner bears the responsibility for the monastery’s To the less devout, monks seem fanatical in their devotion.
duty of helping the poor. The extent of the almoner’s duties Their daily schedule is punishing and obsessive, and the prev-
varies greatly from monastery to monastery. Cistercian alence of self-flagellation as a means of penitence makes their
houses, run-down and remote, have little use for an almo- lot even worse. Only the genuinely religious — or those with
ner, while larger abbeys can disburse substantial amounts long-term ambitions in the Church — take vows voluntarily,
of food, and even money. Charity is often woven into the though noble families frequently consign unwanted sons or
liturgy, with lengthy ceremonies culminating in a Mass in daughters to the monastic life.
which selected impoverished people participate. Maundy One special class of monks, although it has little formal
Thursday and All Saints’ Day are common dates for such status, is that of monks ad succurrendum. These are old or ill
ceremonies. In some monasteries, on the first Sunday of laymen who expect to die soon and want to end their days as
Lent, monks go without a portion of food, donating it in- professed monks, thus ensuring the salvation of their souls.
stead to the poor via the almoner. The almoner also visits Because these monks do not actually wish to lead a monas-
the poor and the sick in their homes. tic life, they typically wait until the very last moment to be
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69
professed — one man was professed one day and died the A conversus may hold an important position in the
next. Relatives often resist the dying person’s request to be monastery, up to and including that of prior. This is, in fact,
professed, because they stand to lose a great deal of property, eminently practical, since conversi from the middle and upper
given to the monastery either in the postulant’s will or as classes often have valuable administrative experience that
an entry gift. For the same reason, monasteries are often “career” monks and nuns lack. This is less common than it
eager to persuade rich but sick individuals to be professed used to be, because the status of the conversi has been eroded
before they die, promising salvation at the unspoken cost by the Cistercian attitude to lay brothers, and it is now beneath
of one’s heirs’ lands. the dignity of most great lords.
Monks ad succurrendum are not a large class in mon- In some monasteries, conversi significantly outnumber
asteries, for obvious reasons. This is probably just as well, monks. For example, at the great abbey of Rievaulx in northern
since they lack the strength to contribute anything to the England, there are 500 conversi to the 150 monks.
community, and yet must be fed and cared for like any
other monk. Novices
Of course, there are occasions when young people, Before a postulant may take holy orders, she must spend
falling gravely ill, hurriedly take vows, but then recover. at least a year as a novice. This period is called the novitiate.
Such people typically remain in the monastery, either from Novices may be children or adults, though the Cistercians and
piety or because the outside world may not welcome them Carthusians refuse to accept children under the age of 15 — as
back. Some monachi are not above dosing such young people much because children can be disruptive to contemplation as
with their vitae to help them recover, out of a cruel sense of out of any concern that the child might not take to the reli-
humor or because the sufferer would make a welcome addition gious life — and the Benedictines are beginning to uphold this
to their herd. The Tremere sorcerer Adriensis, who pursues practice as well. Most novices are literate adults, both clerical
his Thaumaturgical studies in the library of the Abbey of la and lay; during the course of their novitiate, they continue their
Trinité, regularly uses this tactic, sometimes assisted by a judi- education, studying grammar, rhetoric and music.
cious magical affliction or a series of nocturnal visits, to build The number of novices an abbey admits is limited by the
up the abbey’s lands and “recruit” like-minded companions abbey’s means. A poorly endowed house cannot maintain a
at the same time. large convent, and often only two or three novices may be
Large abbeys, such as Rievaulx and Christ Church, accepted each year. Demand for places usually exceeds supply.
have about 150 professed monks at their peak, with half The Benedictine Rule prescribes that an intending novice be
that number being more usual. Even great Cluny peaks at kept waiting at the gate for four days to test her purpose before
300 monks. Smaller houses may have closer to 30. The being admitted. Houses often expect “gifts” of land or money
minimum complement of a priory or nunnery is the apos- from a postulant or her family.
tolic 12, plus a prior.
Servants
Lay Brothers and Conversi Houses that emphasize liturgy over work rely on servants
In addition to the choir monks, who have taken to attend to daily necessities. Servants, unlike lay brothers,
holy orders, a religious house contains a large number have no clerical role at all. They include free men and women
of lay brothers or sisters. These are men or women who training at the monastery, thus gaining education, protection
have been accepted into the house, but they have not and a livelihood without losing their freedom; people who have
dedicated themselves to God in the same way as the given land to the monastery in return for a pension of food
monks or nuns. In Cistercian monasteries, lay brothers and clothes; servants working for pay, such as smiths, bakers or
are illiterate manual laborers, who belong to the com- carpenters; and, most common, people who have given up their
munity but whose position is clearly inferior to that of freedom and accepted the status of servants in return for support
the choir monks. In monasteries inhabited by monachi, as members of the monastic community. (They may do this for
the resident Cainite often takes a particular interest in the many reasons: to pay a debt, because of the security offered by
lay brothers, regarding them as a safer source of sustenance the monastery, or even to improve their status.)
than the choir monks. Servants range from administrators, who could have consid-
In some monasteries, particularly those least touched erable responsibilities, to body servants and serfs. Depending on
by the Cistercian ideals, the lay brothers are fully monastic, the monastery, servants might administer justice, collect tithes
though they are illiterate and have not taken holy orders. and other revenues and even oversee monastic affairs in outlying
Brothers of this type are called conversi. They can become choir parts of the monastery’s lands. Servants can remain landholders,
monks as they learn to read and become able to participate and they may become as rich and powerful as any monk.
in the liturgy; indeed, even while they are still conversi, they In fact, servants can become so powerful that they usurp
may be permitted to take part in major celebrations, such as control over whole areas of monastic life. Specifically, while
those for Christmas Eve or Good Friday. the officials of the monastery are supposed to be monks, these

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officials often delegate their duties to their personal servants
— to the point where the servants effectively become the Story Seeds
officials. This is particularly common in houses that harbor Ever since The Name of the Rose, monastery murder plots
monachi, as Cainites usually prefer to concentrate power in have been wildly popular. A monastery or convent is a classic
the hands of laymen rather than in those with faith. “locked room,” and has a magnificently religious atmosphere
that makes such a story exceptional. Eco’s masterstroke was
Women to relate both the story and the way in which it was told to
the setting — the murders and investigation were tied in with
Monasticism is one of the few areas of Christianity where
women may participate, and the profession of nun is almost the religious debates within the monastery (and the larger Church),
only respectable one open to a woman other than marriage. the monastery had a bearing on those debates and the hero’s
Their opportunities, however, are shrinking: Compared to arguments were an important part of the story. When you tell
the number of monks, there are fewer nuns now than there your vampire monastery murder story, try to bear this in mind.
were 100 years ago. (It is estimated that there is one nun for See the discussion of heresies, and read the original book or
every five monks; roughly 1000 nuns in England.) It is more see the movie for a few ideas.
profitable to marry off an unwanted daughter than to place Encounters with monachi can be ambiguous occasions.
her in a convent, so few new nunneries are being built. In a sense, the monachus shows the vampire breed at its most
Female houses may be independent, run by an abbess or parasitic, thus ensconcing itself at the heart of a community
prioress, but sometimes a male guardian (the master or custos) and slowly consuming its host for food. But monachi can also
is imposed to look after the house’s finances and other temporal give a great deal back to the monastery, encouraging art and
matters, thus keeping the women secluded from the outside scholarship, and even recruiting the finest young monks to
world. Such a master is higher in status than the prioress. In inspire the community to even greater works. Such encounters
the Gilbertine order, which has many houses in England, a illustrate and explore the delicate balance between dispas-
nunnery is usually part of a double house, and the master of sionate predation and benevolent guardianship inherent in
such a double house is always male. the vampiric condition.

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The Treasure
The cathedral is the seat of the bishop, and the greatest
of cathedrals — the seats of archbishops — are magnificent

House
buildings unlike anything seen before in Europe. Their vault-
ing buttresses not only give cathedrals an upward-thrusting
look, they also carry enough weight to allow the walls to be
The Church is more than just the human beings who much thinner than in previous large buildings. Architects can
make it up. Just as its attitudes, bureaucracy and influence therefore provide large numbers of windows, making the new
have changed and grown, so have its paraphernalia: its cathedrals light, glorious places instead of dark and gloomy
buildings, its art, its rituals, and so on. as previous designs had been, and great, vaulting roofs that
The rise of the Toreador within the Church has been a draw the eye heavenward.
major factor in this. The exaltation of their gods has always The Toreador, of course, enthusiastically espouse this
inspired mortal artists to do their finest, and the Toreador magnificent new style. Even the most philistine of their enemies
take great delight in directing the Church’s new affluence concede the breathtaking glory of the cathedrals. Toreador
to similar exaltation. Art and architecture now spread and communities in many cities compete to build the greatest
reinforce the Christian message. They have also proved cathedrals, which explains why so many are built so quickly.
attractive to rich sponsors eager to make a tangible demon- Some Toreador have become so obsessed that they have even
stration of their Christianity. given their blood to workmen so that they may work harder

Architecture and finish the building more quickly. In addition, devout Nos-
feratu sometimes send their ghouls to cathedral sites at night,
In the 12th century, practical knowledge, growing popula- so that when workmen arrive the next morning they find the
tions and rampant religious urge combine to give birth to the day’s tasks already begun. Christians tend to accept this as
great cathedrals that are the greatest architectural achievement God’s miraculous intervention in His work; if the Toreador
of the era. The Church seeks to build to the greater glory of knew that the Nosferatu were involved, they might consider
God, and new craft techniques make it possible for this to the project tainted and ruined.
happen. Great cathedrals spring up all over Dark Medieval That said, the cathedrals are a honeyed trap for the
Europe with extraordinary speed. This is the true heyday of Toreador. On one horrible occasion, a whole coterie of To-
Gothic architecture. reador, standing in the nave of its new cathedral for the first

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time, was so mesmerized by its strange new beauty that the Technically, an altar is defined as a sepulchre containing
coterie was caught by the first rays of the sun through the the relics of a saint, though most parish altars do not. It is
stained glass windows. Their ashes made a macabre reflection a poor cathedral, though, that does not have at least a few
of the window’s pictures, telling the story of Christ’s death bones to show. Competition for relics is fierce, and clergymen
and resurrection. are not above kidnapping them from others. Bishop Hugh
of Lincoln, visiting the arm of Mary Magdalene at Fécamp,
Art tried to break off part of it; when he failed, he bit off part
I am a poor old woman who knows nothing, who cannot of the index finger to the horror of the watching monks.
read. But in the Church I see Paradise painted, and Hell One Benedictine monk lay low in a rival community before
where the Damned broil. managing to steal the head of St. Foy in a sack of vegetables.
— unidentified woman, 15th century Given the difficulty of authentication, con men have
Art is, in a sense, the written language of Dark Medieval plied trade in false relics for centuries. There are far more
Europe. Most people can neither read nor write, but they false relics than true ones, and the number of splinters of
easily understand stories told in pictures. Popular religious the True Cross in circulation is enough to make 10 or 100
art, such as stained glass windows and altarpieces, exists crosses. Cainites are often rightly contemptuous of those who
to reinforce the stories told in churches — stained glass, threaten them with relics, knowing that they are probably
in particular, is used as a sort of pictorial narrative to tell false; once in a while, though, a vampire gets a very nasty
stories of Christ, stories of good works rewarded and sto- surprise. Worse still, even a false relic may gain power if
ries of sinners cast down to Hell. To the illiterate masses enough people believe in it.
of Europe, cathedrals are not just places of worship, but Systems for relics can be found on page 237 of Vampire:
picture books. The Dark Ages.
Fine art, such as painting and sculpture, is inspired by
subjects and stories from the Bible and from the lives of the
saints, but there is little around, and even that is found only Rivals to Rome
The Roman Church is the supreme spiritual authority
in the palaces of the mighty — the Dark Medieval world is
not yet ready to support the type and scale of fine art that of Western Europe and of Christendom as a whole, but it is
will flourish during the Renaissance. Even the Toreador not without its rivals. Within the Kingdom of Christ, it has
are more interested in popular art and architecture. The an uneasy relationship with the Eastern Church, centered
sacred art of the Byzantine Church is considerably more in Constantinople, from which it was divided when the
refined, but the Toreador of the West barely acknowledge Roman Empire split in two. It also faces internal dissent
even the existence of their rivals’ works. in the form of heretical sects great and small.
Some of the finest art in the Church is to be found in In the far north and the Eastern lands of the Tzimisce,
the form of reliquaries, containers for sacred relics. These pagan gods still hold sway. These, however, no longer offer
caskets are finely crafted, with decorations picked out in any serious challenge to the Church. Christianity takes
gold. The artwork usually tells the story of the relics held hold in these regions, and while the old religions still grip
within — for example, a casket containing a splinter of the the hearts of many, they do not attract new worshippers.
True Cross might show a scene of the Crucifixion, while Paganism is not organized, lacking both Christianity’s clear
the one that holds the bones of Thomas Becket tells the doctrinal focus and the Church’s missionary zeal, and it
story of his murder. relies on tradition to retain its adherents. Christianity has
long since learned to assimilate those traditions and thereby
Relics to deprive the pagan gods of their last hold on the world.
The pagan lands may take a little time to fall, but even
Holy relics are believed to have magical powers, for
example to heal disease or to bring victory in battle, and while they resist they will certainly never challenge Rome.
reliquaries are often exhibited at shrines as the objects of The Jews do not preach their religion. In Dark Medieval
pilgrimage. Examples of relics include the bones of saints, Europe, they are a despised underclass, the murderers of
splinters and nails from the True Cross, thorns from the Jesus Christ, and Christian folk avoid contact with them
Crown of Thorns, pieces of stone from the manger in Beth- whenever possible.
lehem, the tunic worn by the Virgin Mary when she gave The only other religion that poses a threat to Christianity
birth to Jesus — and so on. The basilica of Santa Croce is Islam, which has conquered most of the Near East and
in Rome has the finest selection of relics in Christendom, north Africa, and it has even forged a European kingdom in
with its star exhibit being the very finger that Doubting southern Iberia. Christian and Muslim soldiers clash in the
Thomas put into Jesus’s side after the Resurrection. Holy Land, though Europe itself is peaceful enough.

THOSE WHO PRAY

73
The Legacy of Byzantium preachers’ lynching or burning at the hands of angry
crowds. While the 20th-century mind can understand the
Like so much Church history, Rome’s uneasy relation- Church’s need to protect its position as the sole arbiter
ship with Constantinople stretches back to the days of the of revealed truth, it is less easy to imagine why seemingly
Roman Empire. As the empire disintegrated under waves of abstract points of theology should inspire the passions of
barbarian attack, it split in two, the Eastern and Western mobs. The answer is that, to the Dark Medieval mind, the
Empires, centered on Byzantium and Rome respectively. divine is real. It is universally accepted that truth is in the
Two distinct strains of Christianity evolved in the two cities’ possession of the Church, its divinely appointed guardian.
spheres of influence, and they never fully reconciled. The Two contradictory religious beliefs cannot both be true,
Eastern Church, although it has in the past acknowledged and the untrue belief must be purged. On a more political
the primacy of Rome, has been sundered from its Western level, people see Christendom as a single kingdom, the
counterpart since the liturgical schism of 1054 (initiated kingdom of God; heresy is therefore an antisocial menace,
by the Eastern pontiff as part of a political conflict with tantamount to civil disorder.
Leo IX, and ending with both patriarchs excommunicating
Except in Provençe, where heresy has taken a deep root
each other).
in the land, heretics are objects of hatred to mobs across
The Eastern Church has developed its own doctrines Europe. Ordinary people take great pleasure in seizing
and liturgy, far more intricate and ritualistic than those of and burning heretics even though this punishment is not
the West. In converting the East, it has absorbed a great authorized by the Church.
deal of Greek and Slavic mysticism, and its influence is
felt in the more mystical currents of Western monasticism. The Dualist Heresies
Like Rome, Constantinople has preserved the heritage of “God is perfect; nothing in the world is perfect; there-
antiquity over the centuries; if anything, it is even more fore, nothing in the world was made by God.”
steeped in history than the Roman Church. Dualism is an ancient philosophy, dating back long
Although both pontiffs are in the hands of the Tore- before the time of Christ, and elements of dualism have
ador, the two branches do not get along well, and there made their way into Christian theology. At its most basic,
is little hope of the schism being repaired. The Western dualism attempts to answer the age-old question “Why is
Toreador, giddy with the power of the papacy in their own there evil in the world?” It concludes that not one, but
lands, demand that Constantinople submit to the primacy two, supreme divine powers exist, one good and one evil.
of Rome. The Eastern Toreador regard the West as not yet This might seem to be an accurate description of the God
emerged from barbarism, and they refuse to submit to their and Devil of Christianity, but there is a vital difference:
Roman clanmates and their crude liturgy. In dualism, the good and evil gods are equal and coeval.
Down through the centuries, many people have turned
Heresies of the West to dualism in an effort to understand the existence and
The late 12th century is a rich time for heresy, perhaps apparent prevalence of evil in the world.
the richest since the early theological battles from which The most important dualist philosophy for Christian
Christian orthodoxy emerged. The triumph of Christianity heresies was Manichaeism, whose founder, Mani, preached
means that the era’s strong religious urge concentrates on that the material world was a creation of the evil god, not
the life, work and thoughts of Jesus; while the Church’s the good one, and that salvation could therefore be achieved
growing aloofness means that it leaves intellectuals and only by rejecting the physical body.
other free-thinkers to find their own unsanctioned answers Although Manichaeism was vigorously suppressed by
to religious questions. the Church, its doctrines continued to form an important
The best known and most dramatic of the Western part of the early mystical Christian tradition in Eastern
heresies is the Albigensian or Cathar heresy, which domi- Europe. They resurfaced in a particularly virulent form
nates the Languedoc (southern France), and continues to in the Bogomil sect of Bulgaria in the mid-10th century,
do so into the early 13th century until it is wiped out in from where they spread to the West. The Cathar heresy
a bloody crusade. The Albigensian Cathars are actually was born in the early 11th century, with the Albigensian
the last stage in a chain of dualist sects stretching across branch arising some 50 years later.
Europe and back to the earliest Christian times. In addi- The Cathars (pure ones) are the most extreme dualists
tion to these sects, Dark Medieval Europe in 1197 plays — and among the most extreme members of any Western
host to a large number of less widespread — and less easily religion — of the era. They preach a radical dualism,
classified — heresies. believing that the world is the creation of the Rex Mundi,
Heresy is a matter for the people as well as the the Devil — and that the Roman Church, worshipping the
Church. Heresies lead not just to theological con- creator, is therefore a tool of the Rex Mundi. To a Cathar,
demnations, but to rioting and murder, and to their the material world is a distraction for the soul — but God
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has given humanity the consciousness of good, enabling
men and women to save themselves. Only by renouncing
the material and concentrating on heavenly things can the
soul pass on to the Kingdom of God.
Because of their abhorrence of the material, some
Cathars deny the incarnation of Christ and claim that
the humanity of Christ must have been an illusion. As a
corollary, they also reject the Resurrection and Ascension.
Catharism does, however, accept Christ as an emissary of
the good God. (The only prayer the sect recognizes is the
Lord’s Prayer, because Christ Himself taught it.) Other
Cathars identify the tyrannical and unjust God of the Old
Testament with Satan. It is scarcely surprising that the
Church reacts so strongly to the heresy.
Cathars refuse to perform any secular activities and
practice a severe asceticism: For example, they are celibate
and vegetarian. Their structure is based on a network of
perfecti (perfected ones). The perfecti are those who have
renounced the material world. Lay members, known as
credentes, are not so tightly bound by the Cathar asceticism.
They may marry, eat meat and indulge in luxuries.
Most believers take the consolamentum, the Cathar oath,
only on their deathbeds; the perfecti take it earlier in life, after a
period of preparation lasting at least a year, and remain bound
by it. Perfecti, who can be women or men (another major
bone of contention with the Church), are similar to priests,
and as with priests some stay with their communities while
others become itinerant teachers. However, perfecti, unlike
Church priests, are not intermediaries between humanity and
God; they are merely teachers and holy men and women.
By the last years of the 12th century, the Albigen-
sian heresy is widespread throughout the Languedoc
and has taken on the apparatus of an organized church.
Cathar bishops reside in Albi, Toulouse, Carcassonne
and Agen, and deacons preach regularly under the pro-
tection of their aristocratic sponsors. Rich, peaceful,
civilized and with strongly independent cultural tradi-
tions, including a uniquely prominent role for women
in society, the Languedoc has proved fertile ground
for the intellectual challenge of Catharism, and the
region is undergoing its own renaissance. Commoners
and nobles alike support Cathar doctrines and reject
the authority of the Church.
The Cathars are sometimes confused by outsiders with
the Waldensians, another heretical sect of the Languedoc,
who preach the holiness of poverty. While Catharism does
reject material luxury, this is merely as the consequence of
a larger doctrine, not as a primary guiding principle. The
Waldensians also reject many Roman traditions, such as
the authority of the Pope, prayers for the dead and the
veneration of saints, but they are not dualists.
Other information on Manichaeism, Albigenses and
Waldenses may be found in Chapter Five of the Dark Ages
Companion.
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The Nature of Jesus can be achieved through purely human powers, without the
Many heresies revolve around controversies over the intervention of the divine. Needless to say, his doctrine was
nature of Jesus Christ himself. According to Orthodox quickly condemned by the Church.
Church doctrine, Jesus was the son of God on the Virgin Pelagianism is of particular interest to religiously
Mary, a man-God in whom the human and the divine were inclined vampires because many of them feel abandoned
fused: He was, paradoxically, both God and man at the same by God. Vampires, according to their reasoning, are the
time. Although dualists have their own idiosyncratic inter- unliving, the Damned; they are soulless, cut off forever from
pretations of this, many do not dispute it in essence. Others, the divine. If they are to achieve salvation, it cannot be
however, do. These heresies are not generally preached in through divine mercy, but only through their own actions
the same way as dualism, but they may be remembered by and abilities.
older Cainites, and perhaps used to upset the Church or For these Cainites, traditional Church doctrine offers
to inspire a protégé. little or no hope. Those who remember or learn the teach-
Adoptionism has been condemned by one Church ings of Pelagius are often attracted to it, and have helped
council after another, but it continues to be debated, even to keep the heresy alive.
by respected Church elders. Adoptionists believe that
Christ was a true man, born of man and woman, but one Story Seeds
who was, uniquely, without sin, and that He was adopted
by God — probably at the time of his baptism — and East and West
appointed to serve His purpose on Earth. Their belief Political tensions between the Eastern and Western
that Christ was not of a fully divine nature is contrary to Churches are an excellent source for stories, opening up
repeatedly established doctrine. opportunities for plenty of exotic scenery, doctrinal disputes,
Arianism is named for the fourth-century theologian obscure heresies and magical cults, and vast, slow currents
Arius, who taught that Jesus, although supernatural in origin, of political and religious history that affect both Cainites
was not created from the same substance as God. He was, and mortals.
Arius believed, merely the first and the highest of all finite The characters could be messengers between the To-
beings — not infinite like the other two members of the reador masters of Celestine III and their rival clanmates
Trinity. Arianism was condemned by the Council of Nicaea in the Orthodox Church, or spies sent to stir up trouble
in A.D. 325, which established and affirmed the doctrine of between the two branches of Toreador Christianity. They
the unity of the divine essence and the equality of the Trinity, could even begin as ignorant, but sweet-tasting mortals,
but it continued to flourish in Eastern Europe. sent by Rome as goodwill gifts or as poisoned chalices.
Nestorianism was another early heresy. It was first An advanced chronicle could begin with the division of
reported in A.D. 429 and was condemned not only by the the Roman Empire and span the centuries of conflict and
Third Ecumenical Council two years later, but repeatedly rapprochement.
over the next 200 years. Nestorians accept the Church’s For more information about playing in the East, see
teaching that Christ possessed two natures, the human Constantinople by Night.
and the divine, but they believe that these cannot be
combined within a single person or personality. Christ Heresy
must therefore, they say, have two distinct aspects. They The conflict between Church and heretics is an easy
also conclude that Mary cannot be the Mother of God source of good-guy-bad-guy stories. A pious and humanitarian
because she could have given birth only to the human heretic speaks his mind; the oppressive forces of the Church
aspect of Jesus, not the divine aspect. try to suppress him; our heroes must decide whether to stand
The beliefs of the Monophysites and Monothelites are up for the honest fellow or to join the baddies. This sort of
quite opposite to those of the Nestorians, but are equally story requires a bit of tweaking to make it original — orga-
heretical curiously, having been denounced regularly by nized-religion-as-bad-guy is too familiar.
Church councils from the fifth to the seventh century. Although simple good-guy-bad-guy stories about pious
The Monophysites believe that Christ had only one nature, heretics being oppressed by an evil Church are easy to think
any human element being utterly dominated by the divine. up, they need a twist to make them interesting. Perhaps
The Monothelites’ subtly different belief is that only one the heretic is not the good guy he seems to be. Perhaps
will — the divine will — guided Christ’s actions. he is an agent provocateur, trying to draw out heretics in order to
hand them over to the mob. Perhaps he is a werewolf, preaching
Pelagianism against the Church’s opulence because he fears all civilization. (In
Pelagianism is an odd and now obscure heresy, which this case, some rioters are in for a nasty surprise.) Perhaps he is a
nevertheless retains an attraction for some Cainites. Pelagius Ventrue who cannot feed on churchgoers.
came to Rome circa A.D. 400, where he taught that salvation
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76
 Stress the frenzy of the mob, perhaps goaded on by the bishop in a remote town permits only Pelagianism to be preached among
or priest, rather than organized Church punishment. Perhaps a priest Cainites or kine, and he finds himself in conflict with a resurgent
stands up for the heretic and is burned for his pains; such an action Rome backed by the Toreador. Heretical philosophies may drive
could easily divide the crowd, leading to internecine rioting through the Cainites to seek out magickal methods of testing or enforcing those
streets of the coterie’s previously quiet city. A Cainite with a fondness philosophies — imagine a conspiracy of powerful clerical mages who
for the Byzantine might deliberately instigate such strife (by Dominating had converted to Catharism and were trying to find some magickal
heretic, priest and mob leaders alike) in order to bring down the city’s way to transubstantiate mortal flesh into divine spirit, so that people
prince, or simply because she likes to watch things burn. could escape the material prison. What would be the results of their
Heresy stories are most interesting, though, when the heresy experiments? How would the Cappadocians be involved? What
itself has some bearing on the plot or characters. Old vampires would happen if the Tremere got a hold of their research and put it
may adhere to old heresies, thought long dead. An ancient prince to their own evil use?

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77
 The Cathar Convert
Quote: Look around you. Look at yourself; look at me. This is no work of God.
Prelude: You were born the youngest child of a noble, and enjoyed a fine education,
though you had many questions your tutor could not answer. Why is there evil in the
world? Why does God make so many suffer? As you grew up, you stopped worrying
about these problems. You became an admired poet and singer, and concentrated on
more immediate problems such as how to maintain two or three secret affairs
without your parents or any of your lovers finding out.
Your Embrace was gentle, even loving, like a kiss. You were talking
on a balcony with one of your father’s guests, who spoke of ages past; of
the search for God; of poetry, of the heart, and oh, of so many things. It
was a warm, clear night; there was a moment of unutterable pleasure,
then a moment of undeniable hunger. Your sire’s servant showed his
neck to you, and the sweet taste of his vitae moved you like nothing
you had experienced before.
Your sire stayed with you until he was content that you had learned
enough to survive in the society of the night, but he could not fill the void
that he had created in your soul. You would never again see the sun, never
again feel the breeze of a bright Autumn afternoon, never again enjoy
bathing in a warm summer river.
Now you needed to know the answers to those childhood questions.
Why had God done this to you?
You found the answer in the teachings of the Cathars. Only the
soul is the work of God; all flesh is the Devil’s craft. The extinguishing
of your soul could only have been the Devil’s work, for now you are
flesh and flesh alone, without even the redeeming spark of the divine.
But you will not concede the Devil’s victory: Soulless though you may
be, you will rise above him, and do God’s work as best you can. Your
clothes may be ragged and your body a hulk of dead flesh, but somehow,
almost impossibly, your unlife continues.
Concept: You know the evil of flesh more intimately than any mortal
can, and you want desperately to help the living understand their condi-
tion. Denied redemption for yourself, you try to achieve it through others.
You try to starve the Beast, but it only seems to become more ravenous.
Roleplaying Hints: You are an outsider, a self-imposed exile from
normal religion, unable to join fully in your new creed. You try to follow
the ascetic strictures of Catharism, but obviously you must drink blood
to live. You drink as little as possible, and are kind to your vessels. As
far as you can, you live as though you had received the consolamentum.
Equipment: Ragged clothing

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78
Name: Nature: Penitent Generation: 12th
Player: Demeanor: Loner Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Brujah Concept: Cathar Convert

Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength___________________
OOOOOO Charisma__________________
OOOOOO Perception_________________
OOOOOO
Dexterity___________________
OOOOOO Manipulation_______________
OOOOOO Intelligence_________________
OOOOOO
Stamina____________________
OOOOOO Appearance________________
OOOOOO Wits____________________
OOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting____________________
OOOOOO Animal Ken________________
OOOOOO Academics_________________
OOOOOO
Alertness__________________
OOOOOO Archery____________________
OOOOOO Hearth Wisdom_____________
OOOOOO
Athletics___________________
OOOOOO Crafts_____________________
OOOOOO Investigation________________
OOOOOO
Brawl______________________
OOOOOO Etiquette___________________
OOOOOO Law_______________________
OOOOOO
Dodge_____________________
OOOOOO Herbalism__________________
OOOOOO Linguistics__________________
OOOOOO
Empathy___________________
OOOOOO Melee_____________________
OOOOOO Medicine___________________
OOOOOO
Intimidation________________
OOOOOO Music_____________________
OOOOOO Occult_____________________
OOOOOO
Larceny____________________
OOOOOO Ride_______________________
OOOOOO Politics____________________
OOOOOO
Leadership_________________
OOOOOO Stealth____________________
OOOOOO Science____________________
OOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________
OOOOOO Survival___________________
OOOOOO Seneschal__________________
OOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
__________________________
Celerity OOOOOO __________________________
Contacts OOOOO Conscience___________
OOOOO
__________________________
Potence OOOOOO __________________________
Herd OOOOO
__________________________
Presence OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO Self-Control_________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO
Courage___________________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOO
__________________________ Heaven
__________________________ Bruised
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO

THOSE WHO PRAY

79
THREE PILLARS

80
 …These men had a stern,
savage, and wild aspect.
— Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

THOSE WHO TOIL

THOSE WHO TOIL

81
81
Humble The peasant cannot even own the land that he toils upon his
entire life. He merely “holds” it for his lord and, in return for this

Beginnings
In my father’s house there are many mansions. The first rests
privilege, he owes the noble a great number of services and fines.
It is a mistake, however, to jump to the conclusion that the
peasantry exists only to serve the nobility. True, the serfs feed and
securely upon thick walls of stone. The second rises in high support their lord, his family, his castle and his army. But the nobles
walls of colored glass. But there is also a third great manor — also have important duties that they must perform in return.
one of thatched roofs and daubed walls that whistle in the Foremost among these responsibilities is protecting the
wind. A great hall resounding with the commotion of pigs and peasants from encroaching wolves, bandits and armies. Nobles
chickens. A gallery decked in banners of onion and garlic.
also provide leadership, justice, and an important sense of
Crammed into every corner of this grand estate live the teeming security in a rather uncertain world. In times of want, nobles
masses of humanity — the peasantry. Over 70 million souls toil give generously to keep their serfs alive through the harsh
and die beneath this roof. More than 98% of the population of winters. In times of strife, the nobles shelter displaced peasants
Dark Medieval Europe calls these familiar confines home.
and refugees within the castle walls.
Life here is a daily physical struggle. Most people lose this
The nobles can, however, prove to be stern and demanding
struggle before the age of 40. Hard labor, famine, pestilence,
masters. Few would hesitate to strike an intractable servant or to
warfare and even darker predators dwell among the inhabitants,
punish a rebellious one. All too often, the peasants are viewed
preying upon them.
primarily as tools or assets and only secondarily as human beings.
These are the two inescapable truths for those who dwell
To the enlightened minority of nobles, however, the peas-
within — they labor and they die. The peasants carry the burden
of toil and impending death with them always. Haunting reminders antry are not chattel, but rather a solemn charge. These lords
assail their ears from each song, hymn and story. Unsettling images demonstrate an almost paternal responsibility over the peasants
leap from their paintings, sculpture and even the architecture itself. — each one is a Christian soul given over to his keeping. For
every one, he must give accounting at the final judgment.
It is impossible for the residents of this grim estate to even
conceive of a life without daily toil. It is, in fact, as unimaginable Fulfilling his duties to lead and protect often means going
to them as the thought of a life without death. to war, yet always means being ready for war. This single factor
But from beneath this patina of toil and mortality, something is the key to decoding all the mysteries of the noble pillar.
larger than life occasionally peeks through, catches the light. An A lord must secure himself a fighting force. The backbone
unshakable determination, an irrefutable practicality and even a of the Dark Medieval fighting force is the heavy cavalry — the
humble nobility dwells within these walls — strengths capable knight. The lord attracts, creates, or retains loyal knights by
of defying even diabolical designs. granting them some of his own lands. They swear fealty to
Getting down to this core of precious metal may take a bit him in return, becoming his vassals. They take responsibility
of work but, as any good wife can tell you, “Rub a penny long for the land and for the peasants who dwell there and pledge
enough and it will shine.” to fight for the lord whenever he should call.
It is expensive to maintain a single knight, much less a sig-
Pillar of Fire, Pillar of nificant fighting force. Thus, giving the knight his own land, or

Smoke, Pillar of Salt fief, is expedient — it grants him the means to support himself.
These newly granted lands are known as a “knight’s fee.” A
The Dark Medieval peasant is surrounded by powerful images fee in Dark Medieval Europe does not refer to a tax or fine, but
evoked by the words he hears and the symbols he sees. These rather to a parcel of land. The word shares the same linguistic root
symbols from art and scripture provide a spectacular window
as “fief.” Both come from the Germanic “foefum” (or chattel).
directly into the peasantry’s lives, thoughts and beliefs.
Even in fairytales, the words “fee,” “fief,” and “foefum” conjure
Dark Medieval society can be pictured as a mansion supported up thoughts of the noble blood of an Englishman.
by three great pillars — the nobility, the clergy and the peasantry.
A fief is not measured by its acreage, but rather by the
These three pillars lean noticeably together. Any crisis that weakens
value of the land. A knight’s fee provides enough revenue to
one threatens to bring the entire edifice crumbling to the ground.
equip and support one knight — about six Librum per year.
Those Who War The lords are not in the habit of parceling out any more land
Resist the temptation to rank these three pillars in order of than necessary until the knight has proved his worth.
importance. To the 20th-century reader, immersed in a culture When speaking of the noble pillar, it is traditional to cate-
of individual freedoms, it might well seem that the peasant exists gorize its denizens as “those who fight.” No other characteristic is
merely at the whim of her lord. as important. The noble’s first duty is not to rule, nor to lead, nor
Serf farmers are inherited with the land on which they toil. even to judge — although each of these is an important function
They are one of three significant assets — ranked right alongside land that he fulfills. The country depends on equal parts toil, prayer
and oxen — that determine the taxes each lord owes the Crown. and force of arms; and the nobles supply the force of arms.
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82
Those Who Pray In return for the peasant’s devotion, the clergy tends to his
Interdependence also exists between the peasantry and immortal soul. The monks and priests renounce all things worldly,
the clergy. Although it is true that a man of the cloth outranks denying themselves even the comfort of marriage and family in
any individual serf, it is unwise to assert that the clergy is this single-minded pursuit. The Church becomes their bride; their
collectively more important than the peasantry. community, their family. Clergymen dutifully tend to their adopted
Serfs often owe the same obligations to the clergy as they family. They administer the sacraments: baptism, Communion,
do to more secular authorities. The great cathedrals, abbeys confirmation, absolution, ordination, marriage and extreme unction.
and monasteries control sizable land holdings that must be They preserve learning, the law and the written word.
administered just like any other fief — with peasants tilling Although the peasants cannot read, it would be a mistake to
the soil and tending to the flocks. Thus, the serf’s lord might think that because of this they are simple. Their ingenuity is evi-
just as easily be a lord bishop as a lord knight. dent in their works of enduring artistry and craftsmanship. In the
Even outside church lands, the peasantry has important purely abstract, intellectual realm, most peasants have a firm grasp
responsibilities to maintain the Church. Everyone is expected to of some very complex theological issues, despite the fact that they
tithe — to donate a tenth of his income to the Church. This is will never in their lifetimes have the opportunity to read the Bible.
as solemn and legal a responsibility as paying taxes to one’s lord. A significant part of the serf’s knowledge of scripture is
In addition, every Christian is expected to give alms not only drawn from the rich iconography — the images and symbols
to feed the poor, but also to the mendicant monks of the region. depicting the lives of the saints and other Biblical figures —
Even the poorest serfs readily give what alms they can. They are that surrounds him. The walls and windows of the churches
aware that the line dividing them from the landless poor is not so are vibrant with these potent picture stories.
substantial that it cannot be erased by one unseasonable storm, In fact, the easiest way to grasp the concept of the three
poor harvest, long winter, drought, injury, famine, death, raid, etc. pillars is from within the mindset of the Dark Medieval serf.
All are required to attend Mass on Sunday and on holy To the peasant, any talk of symbolic pillars conjures up the
days. The peasants do not understand much of the Mass they Biblical images with which he is familiar.
hear each Sunday. The priest speaks entirely in Latin — the In the Book of Exodus, the Jews are led out of Egypt by
learned language of the day. The peasant, however, cannot a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night. Dark
even read or write his own language. Medieval society is also led by two pillars.

THOSE WHO TOIL

83
 The noble pillar is a pillar of fire. This pillar presides over
the destruction of Pharaoh’s army. In Dark Medieval Europe,
it is the all-too-familiar aurora in the night sky signifying that
a neighboring village has been pillaged and burned. This pillar
is characterized not only by wrath and destruction, but also
by justice and divine vengeance descending from Heaven.
In Exodus, the pillar of smoke guides the people out of
captivity and into the desert, the uncharted no-man’s land
between this world and the next. It is the smoke of incense,
the essence of prayer rising to Heaven and the outward sign of
divine presence descending upon the faithful. For the denizens
of Dark Medieval Europe, the smoke represents the clergy, who
offer prayers on behalf of the assembled and dispense divine
blessing within the community.
It is significant that the purpose of these two Biblical
pillars is to lead and guide the people. The pillar of fire goes
ahead to clear the way forward and to protect the people. It
leads in all matters temporal, earthly. The pillar of smoke is
man’s spiritual compass. It is the conduit of divine grace and
wisdom that guides the community.
Those Who Toil
To the Dark Medieval peasant, discussion of a third pillar
immediately calls to mind another Biblical pillar — the pillar of
salt. When the Lord destroys the city of Gomorra, the faithful
flee the city without looking back.
What starts off as another story of deliverance as in
Exodus, here takes on a tragic note. This time it is not the
pursuing army that is brought to ruin, but rather the fleeing
exile who takes one last look over her shoulder. Lot’s wife, who
has already lost her home, her history and her heritage, pays
an even dearer price and is transformed into a pillar of salt.
Here salt is directly associated with exile, grief and the
high price of disobedience — elements that closely link this
element with the peasantry. Salt has many other shades of
meaning in Dark Medieval society, all of which firmly tie it
to the third pillar. It conjures up images of sorrow (the salt of
tears) and toil (the salt of sweat) and loss (the salt of blood).
Besides these negative connotations, salt plays a critically
positive role in the life of the peasantry. Even in this time of
rare and wondrous seasonings flowing into Europe from the Far
East, salt remains the most important of spices. Its power goes
far beyond merely rendering food more palatable; salt is used to
cure and preserve meat — holding back the ravages of hunger.
These three pillars — the fire of the nobility, the smoke
of the clergy, and the salt of the peasantry — support the
structure of Dark Medieval society. They are interdependent
and as equally important as the next. The strength of each is
necessary for the stability of the whole.
Three Pillars of Vampiric Society
Just as mortal society is built upon three pillars, the Cainite
court also divides those who fight, those who pray and those
who toil. When dealing with the Damned, however, there is
a grave danger in outward appearances.
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84
 Clinging to mortal perceptions can prove to be fatally de- In order to unravel this dilemma, one must first realize that
ceiving. Few vampires will get a second chance after making the the stereotypical Dark Medieval peasant — the downtrodden
mistake of assuming, for instance, that a female vampire will be serf — represents only a small fraction of the peasantry. Con-
physically weaker than a male, or that a youthful vampire will be more sider for a moment, the vast range of peasant occupations: the
easily duped than one of more wizened visage. Similarly, assuming hosts of artisans, craftsmen, freeholders, millers, woodcutters,
that a vampire existing among the peasantry is less capable than, or woodsmen, domestic servants, peddlers, merchants, burghers,
subservient to, a vampire noble is a recipe for disaster. guildsmen, sergeants, yeomen, hermits, heretics, outcasts,
Take care not to confuse a vampire’s rank during his mortal outlaws and many, many others that make up the teeming
life with his role after death. Death is a great social equalizer. Here, ranks of the peasantry.
slaves and emperors meet on level ground. “A fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be.” In one sense,
The dramatic changes of the Embrace and the discovery of his all Cainites are lords over men. The vampire preys upon and
new powers often drive a vampire into a deathstyle very different manipulates mortal pawns at whim. In another very important
from his mortal lifestyle. sense, however, all Cainites belong to the peasantry. They are
Many neonates take up the trappings of mortal nobles, setting the outcasts and excommunicants forever shut off from the
themselves up as lords over men. For the mortal serf, who has lived society of mortals.
his entire life as a semi-free peasant, the Embrace is double-edged There is a very important realization hidden in this ap-
— the ultimate grant of freedom and the damnation of God’s parent dichotomy. When you describe a vampire as a noble
abandonment. For the cleric, the change often heralds an aban- or peasant, you are not making a claim about his status in
donment of his former vocation in the face of the blasphemous mortal society. Rather, you are asserting his ranking within
monstrosity he has become. Cainite society.
The change can just as easily herald a fledgling vampire into A vampire living on the fringe of Cainite society — per-
the arms of the clergy. Fired by a single-minded pursuit of the haps dwelling in an isolated locale far from the nerve-center
spiritual, the neophyte grapples with his personal dark angel, trying of the prince’s court — is a peasant. Cainite society is, in fact,
to grasp the supernatural change that has been wrought in him. so city-based that all rural vampires can be considered part
of the peasantry.
The Embrace also drives many into the peasant lifestyle as
they flee the familiar confines of the mortal community for the For some Cainite peasants, their remoteness from the court
wilder, untamed regions of Europe. For some it is a matter of exile; is not geographic, but rather political. Just like the mortal pa-
for others, penance; for others still, survival. riah or heretic, these Cainite outsiders belong to the peasantry
even when they gird themselves in the trappings of lords or
The Cainite Peasantry priests. A self-styled robber-baron for instance, whether rural
At first glance, the role of the peasant seems to have little to or urban, is still an outlaw and a peasant.
offer the power-craving Cainite. The image of the Dark Medieval Peasants are also found firmly entrenched within the
serf toiling in the dust and dung, laboring from dawn until dusk, is prince’s court. While princes, elders and courtiers are the nobles
not a romantic one. There are, however, very compelling reasons of Cainite society, the loyal retainers, sycophants, bodyguards,
to believe that the peasant vampire is the most deadly predator messengers, assassins, physicians, toadies, ambassadors, aides
in all of Cainite society. de camp, entertainers, concubines, etc. associated with these
First of all, it is worth noting that the most powerful vampires lords all belong to the peasantry.
in history are drawn directly from the ranks of the peasantry. “And Caine said unto the Lord, my punishment is greater
Caine himself, father and namesake of all vampires, hails from than I can bear.” A full 33% of all Cainites are peasants — an
peasant stock: “And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a astounding figure given that the peasantry accounts for over
tiller of the ground” (Genesis 4:2). 98% of mortal society.
Caine is subsequently cursed for killing his brother — a Clearly, only the most exceptional peasants are ever
heinous crime that is both the first murder and the first kinslay- selected to shake off their mortal coils. While a noble might
ing. According to the vampire creation myth, this curse damns be chosen on the basis of his wealth, influence, fighting skill
Caine to his eternal unlife. or family connections, a peasant has seemingly little to offer.
The curse also deprives Caine of the fruit of his labor. “When In fact, the only advantage the mortal peasant might bring
thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee.” to his immortal existence is his personal strength of character
While Adam is cursed to “eat the dust of the earth,” Caine is or, conversely, the intensity of his depravity.
denied even this meager fare. The only nourishment left to him Peasant vampires are fearful adversaries. They have been
is the blood of his victims. tempered, first in the crucible of mortal suffering, and then
The very fact that the Earth will not bend to the will of Caine in the furnace of their neonate vulnerability. While a noble
and his childer is significant. Since the time of Caine, no vampire might use his temporal resources to buy off the consequences
has made a successful living with the plow. However, a large portion of an early enmity or misstep, the Cainite peasant has little
— a full third — of Cainite society is made up of the peasantry. collateral to secure the loan of the early nights of his unlife.
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 The main advantage of the peasant neonate is his raw
potential. Remember, it is extremely rare for any mortal to The Rural Peasant
be selected for the Embrace. Dark Medieval Europe accom- When you picture the peasant, the image that the mind
modates roughly one vampire for every 1,000 mortals. This conjures up is that of the rural serf — a poor farmer toiling under
ratio is fairly fixed due to limited food supply. In addition, the back-breaking labor. Although the serfs make up the majority of
longevity of these predators ensures that there are very few the peasantry, they are certainly not the only members of this pillar.
new openings during any given century. A wide variety of burghers, artisans, craftsmen, peddlers
The mortal peasant is less likely to be Embraced than and traders are found within the burgeoning towns and cities.
a nobleman or clergyman. The peasant neonate invariably Even in country villages one finds villeins, freemen, servants
possesses frightening reserves of raw strength, character, talent and slaves living side-by-side with the serfs.
or determination. The drawback here, of course, is that these The Serf
elite recruits are often earmarked for highly specialized and
The life of the rural serf is not as grimy and downtrodden
potentially fatal duties.
as one might imagine. Keep in mind that the serf is not at the
A Creature Divided Against Itself absolute bottom rung of the Dark Medieval social ladder. He
The vampire is a deceptive and perverse creature. In is still a fair cut above the slave, and as long as he manages to
mortal society, a person’s lifestyle and his pillar of life are bring in his harvest while paying his tithes and taxes, he can
one and the same. One who toils is indubitably found among keep his head above the level of the landless poor.
the peasantry. Those who pray wear the robes of the clergy. Serfs are considered semi-free. They enjoy some personal
Fighting is the domain of the nobility. rights, prominent among them is the right of access to the courts
The Cainite, however, is a duplicitous being — a creature of justice. Although a serf cannot bring case against any nobleman
divided against itself. For the vampire, the guise he wears does or clergyman, he does have recourse against his neighbors. Own-
not always correspond to his function within Cainite society. ership of livestock and the position of boundary stones between
Among those who toil, many still surround themselves neighboring fields are always popular points of contention.
with the trappings of mortal serfs. Others, however, require Another important right that sets the serf apart from the
all the resources of the nobility or the Church to carry out slave is inheritance. Although a serf does not own land, he can
their intricate projects. pass his tenantship agreement on to his heirs. The lord cannot
For many Dark Medieval Cainites, the main purpose uproot serfs on a whim and shuffle them around between his
of their unlives seldom rise above night-to-night survival. various estates as he might with slaves. He cannot chase them
Limitations of food supply and the need for secrecy can drive from his land as he is apt to do with the idle poor.
a vampire far from the familiar confines of the court and out With these basic rights, the serf acquires some important
into the wilds of Europe — regions untouched by mortal hands responsibilities. The foremost of these duties is corvee — the
since the dawn of time. These beings seldom interact in any obligation of labor. Each lord possesses land that he reserves
way with the society of the Damned. They are the hermits, solely for his private use. These untenanted lands are referred
drop-outs and outcasts of Cainite society. to as the lord’s demesne. Each serf must spend three days each
Many Cainite peasants, however, still play an important week working his lord’s demesne.
role within that society, supporting it by works. Some, for The work consists of the same type of labor the serf per-
example, cultivate vast mortal herds. While providing sus- forms for himself the rest of the week — planting, reaping and
tenance for their brethren, they develop powerful networks sowing in season. It sometimes means tending the vineyards
of mortal pawns. and orchards or caring for herds of sheep, swine or cattle.
Others are the society’s procurers, catering to the varied Other times, it means fencing, ditching or even doing odd jobs.
and insatiable desires of the Damned. A Cainite peasant might Corvee does not, in itself, fulfill the serf’s responsibility
specialize in a particular rare commodity. Artwork, coffee, to his lord. The serf also pays a variety of taxes either to the
musicians, poppies, youth and above all, secrets invariably Crown or to the local nobility. Most often, these taxes are
bring high prices among Cainite patrons. paid in kind — that is, paid with goods rather than money.
Still other Cainite peasants are terrifying in their Any emergency — a war, a disaster, a captured lord’s ran-
single-minded pursuit of one specific task, geas or duty. som — results in the levying of a new tax. Many of these taxes
The solemn charge of such a Cainite peasant might be continue to be collected annually, even when the emergency
maintaining an ancient cemetery, bearing a fabled weapon that sparked them has faded into dim memory. In England, for
or preserving a calamitous secret. He might be the self-ap- instance, the peasants have long paid the yearly Danegeld (or
pointed guardian angel of a mortal or of an entire line of Dane’s tax). Originally, this tax was a means for raising money
mortals. These Cainite peasants are closely tied with quests, to fight off the invading Danes. Later it became a tribute to
relics, ancient lore, haunts and curses. They are those who pacify the Danes and, finally, a tax paid to the Danish kings
strive beyond death. who sat on the throne of England.
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 The serf is also expected to make use of certain services
his lord provides. The peasant must pay to use the lord’s mill
to grind grain and his ovens to bake bread. The lord also owns
the local wine press, the fish streams, the hunting woods, the
rabbit warrens, etc. The peasants, of course, must pay to use
these facilities. These payments are known as “banalities.”
Obviously, some peasants are somewhat irked by this
arrangement. It is not surprising that one of the most sinister
characters in the folklore of the time is the local miller. The
miller, and the others who provide these services, are them-
selves peasants attached to the lord’s manor. It is traditional
for them to hold out a share of the grain or wine as payment
to the lord. They also retain a share for themselves in return
for their services.
The Servant
Many younger siblings, who are not in line to inherit
their father’s plot of land, go into service at the manor. These
landless peasants in the service of a lord are referred to as
servants rather than serfs. They are members of the lord’s
household, exchanging their labor for room and board and
usually some small wage.
Scullerers, cooks, slaughterers, bakers, brewers, poulterers
and their assistants labor in the kitchens. Pantry maids and
butlers look after the provisions and wine cellars. Valets and
dressing maids see to the proper attire of the lord and lady,
while tailors and laundresses care for the clothes themselves.
Grooms and carters maintain the stables. Clerks, messengers,
heralds and men-at-arms run errands and do the lord’s bidding.
The number of servants a lord maintains is a reflection of
his status. Thirty servants might be required to run an average
village manor house. A staff of 60 is not unusual for a more
influential lord to run a household of similar size. A more
ambitious or aggressive lord maintains a sizable household
guard in addition to the domestic staff.
The Slave
Even the most menial household servant enjoys many
advantages over the slave. A slave is considered the property
of his owner. He can be bought or sold at will. Entire families
can be uprooted, split apart and redistributed according to their
master’s judgment. A slave enjoys no rights, personal, legal or
otherwise, except at the whim of his owner.
The word “slave” derives from the Slavic people of Eastern
Europe who were frequent victims of the slave trade. In the
north, Viking raiders played a large part in the spread of slavery,
taking many prisoners and selling them at foreign ports of call.
Although by 20th-century sensibilities, the concept of slav-
ery is clearly at odds with basic Christian values, the universal
condemnation of slavery is a very late development. The Dark
Medieval Church is quite firm that Christians cannot have
other Christians as slaves. The Church is less stalwart about
the practice of enslaving the infidel who, during most of this
period, is in open conflict with the Christian nations.

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 The Serf
Hierarchy
Dark Medieval society is riddled with hierarchies. Even
among the very poor, there is a clear pecking order. The very
lowest tier of serf is the cottager. The cottager typically has a roof
over his head, a yard with a vegetable garden (a “croft”) and a
tiny strip of land behind his cottage for growing grain (a “toft”).
Given a bountiful harvest, the cottager can aspire to
subsistence living. During hard times, he depends on the
generosity of the parish church and the lord of the manor to
feed his family.
The next step in the serf hierarchy is the small holder
who works between 10 to 20 acres of land in various parcels
about the manor. It is virtually unheard of for a small holder to
have one compact plot of land as a serf’s fields are frequently
divided between his heirs upon his death.
Marriage can add non-adjacent lands to his holding as
well. Given that it is impossible to marry outside of the lord’s
manor without his permission, the holdings soon take on a
scattered, patchwork look as individual fields change hands
time and time again.
The highest tier of the serf hierarchy is the villein. His
holding is typically double the size and value of that of the
small holder. However, this is not to imply that the villein
was a comfortable gentleman farmer.
The basic unit of land value is the “hide.” A hide averages
about 120 acres, although it can vary widely, from between
60 to 240 acres. This variance arises from the fact that land
is measured not in terms of size, but rather in terms of value.
Sixty acres of fertile ground might quite sensibly be considered
a match for 240 acres of bog. The hide has become the basic
tax unit for England and other feudal societies.
A hide is loosely defined as the amount of land you can cul-
tivate each year with an eight-ox plow. Of course, no individual
serf can afford to maintain a full team of eight oxen, but then
again, no serf can boast that he cultivates an entire hide.
The hide is subdivided into quarters. Each quarter is called
a virgate. A prosperous villein holds about one virgate of land.
The tax rolls also mention half-virgates that are about the total
of a small holder’s fields. Smaller units are so insignificant that
they are not even taxed directly.

Death and Taxes

Even in transcending death, the Cainite has yet to escape
the other certainty of mortal existence — taxes. The feudal
lords bring great ingenuity to bear in devising new taxes and
finding better ways to collect them.
When William the Conqueror seized the English throne
in 1066, he immediately set about taking stock of his new
kingdom. The culmination of this effort came 20 years later
with the commission of a project of incredible scope. This
project has become known as the Domesday Book.
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 The Domesday Book was intended to be a complete record The courts of the 12th century maintain that a free man
of all the land holdings in England. Its purpose was to deter- who takes up residence in a villeinage — a term for the holding
mine and record the value of each noble’s property with an of a villein that gives rise to the word “village” — has thus
eye toward taxing him accordingly. The result was something forfeited his free status.
greater still — a picture, frozen in time, of the feudal assets of This is an important point to grasp. In Dark Medieval
every lord of the realm. Europe, a person’s status is not simply a function of his birth.
Teams of clerks blanketed the countryside. In each re- Rank depends upon fulfilling certain expectations. Just as a
gion, they convened a local court where the inhabitants came free man can become a serf simply by taking on the lifestyle
forward to give testimony as to land ownership, feudal bonds of a villein, the operation can work in reverse, too.
and tenantship agreements. The clerks assessed land value, There are four major ways for a serf to win his freedom.
the capability of the local lords to harvest that wealth, and First, he can be granted his liberty by his lord. This formal
even whether the value of the land was rising or falling over grant of freedom is known as manumission. It is only given in
a 20-year period. After this detailed investigation, of course, return for some great service done on the lord’s behalf. A serf
they tallied up the bill. might win his freedom by saving his master’s life or the life of
There is a persistent, if perhaps apocryphal, rumor that his heir; protecting his wife or daughters from being ravaged;
following the success of William’s Domesday Book, a similar saving the manor from burning to the ground or even recov-
project was commissioned among England’s undying lords. ering a favorite mount or family heirloom.
Cainite agents of the Crown have a carefully cultivated Manumission is totally at the discretion of the lord. A harsh
reputation for pressing pointed and indelicate questions. There lord might deny a serf his freedom under any circumstances,
is no denying that, of late, they have been abroad in force. The or even contrive to cheat a free man of his status.
rumored Roll of the Damned, however, should it exist even in A more generous lord allows a serf to purchase his freedom.
part, would be a very dangerous little grimoire indeed. This second path to freedom, however, is perhaps even more
First, there is the obvious danger that the work threat- difficult for the rural serf to attain. Seldom does he raise his
ens to shatter the Silence of the Blood concerning vampiric head above the level of subsistence living. When he does, it
activities. Should even a single manuscript page of this work is often a much greater priority to see his children apprenticed
fall into mortal hands, it might precipitate a concentrated to a good trade or favorably married. Although children born
mortal backlash. of free parents are themselves free, a grant of freedom to the
Secondly, if the rumors are to be believed, this volume parents does not retroactively free their children.
contains a complete list of all feudal obligations between the Marriage to a free man or woman, however, raises a serf to
English Cainites — the clan affiliations, the Oaths of the free status. This third path to freedom makes for some convoluted
Blood, the feudal ties, the pacts of coterie, the great pledges family dynamics. If a serf buys or is granted her freedom, her husband
and curses that are the sole raison d’être of certain exceptional instantly becomes free as well. Her existing children are still serfs,
Cainite peasants. Even an outcast vampire with this informa- but her future children, born of free parents, would be free, too.
tion at his disposal could penetrate the innermost workings The fourth and final way for a serf to become free is
of Cainite society. This work’s raw potential for blackmail escape to a town or city. There is a popular Dark Medieval
makes it an even more coveted prize. saying, “Town air is free air” — a powerful reminder of the
Furthermore, such a tome would contain a valued listing of fact that who you are in this society depends on what you do.
all the assets of each vampire lord — his ghouls, herds, retainers By tradition, if a serf (or even a slave) manages to earn his
and slaves. An in-depth knowledge of the pawns of any Cainite living in town for a period of a year and a day without his lord
is a significant lever that might be brought to bear against him. coming to claim him, then that peasant becomes a free man.
The most disturbing question to arise out of the maze of This miraculous opportunity is only one small part of the
speculation surrounding this Roll of the Damned hinges on its fascination that the burgeoning new towns hold for the rural
ultimate purpose. Little can be gleaned save that England’s peasantry. The new breed of town popping up all across the
Cainites are coming under exacting scrutiny. It would seem Europe during the 12th century woos the rural peasantry with
that they are being systematically evaluated with an eye toward the promises of freedom, culture, wealth and destiny.
some great reckoning. The rapid evolution of the town is the single most dy-
namic element of its era. Its importance eclipses even that of
The Road to Freedom the Crusades and the fiery nobles and clergymen who sustain
Taxes fall especially heavy on the peasantry. Excessive the holy wars.
debt can drive even a free man back into the fold of the serfs. In these towns, those who toil are producing something
The title “villein” originally referred to a free farmer who rare and wondrous — crafting themselves into new leaders more
paid rents to the local lord in return for his holding. By the wealthy than nobles, more influential than clergymen. Soon
end of the first millennium, however, the villein had become they will shake the three pillars themselves and threaten to
a serf, bound to the land and its lord. overturn the delicate balance of Dark Medieval society.
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The Hearth runs until dark. He spends three days a week tending his own
lands. He spends an additional three days each week fulfilling
The Hamlet corvee. Sunday is set aside as a day of rest and worship throughout
The roots of Dark Medieval society are firmly planted in Christendom. In practice, however, there are always chores,
the hamlet, the smallest of rural settlements. Although lone repairs and odd jobs to be addressed on the Sabbath.
villas and homesteads are common in the more remote and Of the small fraction of villagers who are not serfs, most
inaccessible regions, the hamlet dominates the Dark European are still peasants. Each village boasts a blacksmith who is a free
countryside right up until the turn of the first millennium. villager. The miller is also free and in wine country, there will
The hamlet consists of as few as six peasant houses clus- be a vintner, who maintains the lord’s wine press.
tered around a central social hall. If the settlement falls along It is usually unprofitable (and hence, rare) for any other
a busy road, the central building might be an inn or hostel that specialized craftsman to reside in any settlement smaller than a
caters to passersby as well as to the local populace. town or city. Such artisans reside in villages that are usually free,
although a valued artisan might be kept very closely by his lord.
The hamlet is not meant to be a self-sufficient unit. It is
strictly dependent on a nearby market town, both for acquiring Each village might house a few free men who pay rents
supplies and for bartering the season’s crop. to the local lord in exchange for his protection and the use
of his land. These rents are seldom in the form of money, but
Furthermore, the hamlet is strictly a peasant community.
rather they are paid in the produce of the land.
There are no representatives from either of the other two
A village also, on rare occasion, houses a freeholder. A
pillars present. There is no manor of the local lord to protect
freeholder is as close as a peasant can come to owning his own
or lead the community.
land. He owes no obligations to the local lord, but neither
The populace is largely left at the mercy of raiding war does he necessarily enjoy any protections in return. A freehold
bands, brigands and even wolf packs. The services associated often lies between lands claimed by two rival lords and is a
with the lord’s presence — such as the mill and communal point of heated contention. It is not unknown for a noble to
baking ovens — are absent altogether. Peasants make do with try to annex a freehold by guile, treachery or force of arms.
slow, laborious hand-held grinders and do their own baking
Other free peasants in the village include the reeve or bailiff.
on the hearth — an inexact art at best.
The reeve is a village leader, drawn from the ranks of the serfs, who
The inhabitants also lack a church of their own. The locals is responsible to the lord for the overall prosperity of the villagers.
do not receive the sacraments on a regular basis. Baptism is ad- He supervises the planting and harvest, making the rounds to assure
ministered almost exclusively by midwives. Given the number that each serf is performing his corvee duties. He can pronounce
of infants that perish within their first days on Earth, it is critical judgments in cases of common law on the lord’s behalf. The
that the sacrament not be delayed until the nearest parish priest reeve has his own lands to tend. He is assisted in his duties by
could arrive. The infant’s place in the next life often depends one or more hayward, also drawn from the village serfs.
on haste in its first and last moments in this life. A bailiff has similar duties to the reeve, but he is a member
In lieu of a church building, many hamlets have a standing of the lord’s household rather than a serf. His responsibilities
stone cross around which the inhabitants gather in prayer and center around the lord’s demesne, his woods, the mill, and the
worship. Many of these markers survive long after the surround- noble’s other business interests in the region. The lord sees
ing peasant homes that make up the community have vanished. to it that a competent reeve or bailiff lives quite comfortably.
The Village The only villagers who are not peasants are the parish
priest, the lord and his family — perhaps six people out of a
The 10th century witnessed the birth of the rural village.
village of a few hundred.
By the 12th century, over 90% of the population of Dark
Medieval Europe lives in the village communities. A thriving Peasant Homes
village consists of as many as 300 people, while the population The design of the buildings that make up the peasant
of the average settlement is about half that size. village has not changed significantly since the turning of
While large families are seen as the ideal, the average the millennium. The walls are constructed of wattle and
serf household contains only five members — two parents, daub. Wattle is a woven, wooden frame on which the daub is
two surviving children and a member of the extended family. spackled like plaster. The daub is a combination of mud and
The harsh reality is that a couple must have at least five or six straw, but local substitutions are common. Cob, for instance,
children to be reasonably sure that even one of their offspring is made of straw mixed with chalk and clay. An even more
will live to adulthood. ready-to-hand substitute is dung.
A typical village, then, consists of about 30 homes. With very The foundation of these houses are chalk blocks that
few exceptions, all of the inhabitants are serfs. These semi-free are often quarried right behind the house in the croft. These
peasants work the fields, maintain the herds and tend the vineyards blocks support the timber frame. The roof is usually thatched
and orchards. The serf’s typical workday starts about an hour before and the floor made of packed earth and covered with straw
sunrise, usually with a breakfast of black bread and beer, and it or rushes that can be swept out as needed.
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 A smoke hole in the center of the roof vents a fire pit
directly below. Smoke lingers among the rafters, creating dark,
smoke-filled interiors. Stone hearths are already commonplace
in many areas.
The peasant house usually measures no more than 15
feet wide by 30 feet long. This area can be separated into two
rooms by a wattle interior partition. The main room serves as
a living, dining and working area, while the secondary room
becomes a small bedroom.
This secondary room crouches beneath a lower ceiling
than the rest of the house. The loft formed above provides
storage space. The rafters fulfill the same duty and they hang
heavy with drying meat or strings of garlic and onion. Pots
and pans clatter above the cooking area.
The main room often opens directly into the barn, some-
times separated by a low wattle partition or, alternately, a food
trough. Pigs and chickens wander ever underfoot.
These dwellings are not well-constructed and each has to be
totally rebuilt about once every 35 years. A village can typically
build or rebuild only one house each year. Such a project takes
on the proportions of a communal effort, and it requires most of
the scant resources of the community to be completed.

The Village Layout

The center of the village, and of village life, is the parish
church. This edifice sometimes doubles as a town hall. Al-
though an abbot or bishop might hold extensive lands, rivaling
even wealthy lords, the village priest rarely has any land of
his own. The priest and the church building are supported by
the tithes of the villagers.
In a typical village, the residences form rough lines grouped
around a central green. The houses face inward toward the
common area, at the center is the village well.
Each house is surrounded by a croft, a rectangular yard that
contains the family’s vegetable garden. Stretching away behind
the house is the family’s toft. In this field the cottagers can grow
enough grains to eke out a subsistence living. Although the
tofts are generally rectangular in shape, their boundaries are
dictated by the lay of the land and thus, they vary widely in size.
Beyond the tofts stretches a patchwork of fields worked
by the various small holders, villeins and freeholders. Ditches
and marker stones divide the various fields. One of the most
common complaints heard by the village reeve is that someone
has shifted these marker stones in the dead of night — ex-
tending his fields at the expense of his neighbor.
If the Church is the heart of the village, the manor house is
its head. The manor is the residence of the local lord (usually a
knight) and the command center from which he administers his
fief. It occupies a position of prominence along one of the rows of
houses — preferably some strategic position, overlooking a hill,
river, bridge or ford. The manor is also surrounded by toft and croft,
although usually of much grander proportions. The majority of the
lord’s demesne lies beyond the toft. Unlike the scattered peasant
holdings, his lands cluster together in one contiguous whole.
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 Secrets from the Croft
The peasant’s garden is a treasure trove of vege- Lady’s Mantle: burns, bed sores
tables, herbs, flowers and berries. Each of these plants Lavender: perfume, herbal pillows
has its own quasi-mystical properties, many of which Lichen: dyes
can only be coaxed out by the secret lore of the village Lily: perfume
wise-woman, hedge wizard, herbalist, barber, storyteller
Madder: red dye
or midwife. The following list shows some of the plants
found in the peasant crofts of Dark Medieval Europe Mandrake: soothing ointment
along with some of their lesser known uses. Marjoram: seasoning
Adder’s Tongue: cleansing, astringent, ulcerated Marsh Mallow: soothes wounds
wounds Mint: seasoning, tea, sniffed after fainting
Almond: frostbite lotion Mistletoe: seizure
Archangel: wound salve Moneywort: cleansing, astringent, ulcerated
Barley: gruel wounds
Basil: seasoning Monk’s Hood: poison, oil for aching joints, wolfsbane
Bay: seasoning, remedy for coughs and colds Mulberry: burns
Beet: tops used as fodder Mullein: poison, syrup for coughs and colds
Betony: healing creams and waxes Mustard: seasoning, induces vomiting, hot
Blackthorn: internal disorders rub, ulcer paste
Borage: mulled wine, remedy for chest cold and Orpine: syrup for raging quinsy
sore throat Parsley: seasoning
Bryony: poisonous herb Pea: fodder
Centaury: wound salve Peony: seasoning
Cinquefoil: sore throat Poppy: syrup for pain and insomnia, poppyseed cakes
Clover: fodder, perfumed oils Ragwort: cleansing, astringent, ulcerated wounds
Colewort: edible plant Rose: perfume
Coltsfoot: cough syrup Rosemary: seasoning
Comfrey: lotion for cleansing wounds Rue: perfume
Daisy: ointment for cleansing wounds Saffron: rare seasoning
Dill: seasoning, cordial to soothe stomach Sage: seasoning, perfume
Dock: soothing ointment Saint John’s Wort: wound ointment
Fennel: seasoning, soothes stomach Sanicle: lotion for gashes
Flax: fibers made into linen Savory: seasoning
Garlic: seasoning, wards off evil Saxifrage: rheum
Ginger: seasoning Spikenard: anointed feet of Savior
Goose-Grass: knits open wounds Sweet Cicely: cough syrup
Hemlock: poisonous, painkiller Thyme: seasoning
Horehound: elixir for coughs and colds Trefoil: aids heart, seizure
Houseleek: aching joints Violet: perfume
Hyssop: distemper, jaundice Wintergreen: healing creams and waxes
Jasmine: perfume, tea Woad: blue dye
Juniper: flavors gin Wormwood: perfume

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And Miles to Go Typically, the only buildings in the village that are not
peasant residences are the church, the manor, the mill and
Before I Sleep perhaps an inn or social hall.
The village poses many dilemmas for the Cainite, not While the inn is the logical choice for a traveler to
the least of which is the problem of where to find a safe spend the night, it presents few opportunities for the Cainite
haven to wait out the daylight hours. Most peasant cottages to catch a good day’s rest. There are laws against innkeepers
are high-traffic areas with little or no privacy. They have sheltering anyone for more than a three-day period. Further-
no real attic as even the loft is open to the common room. more, the villagers, a suspicious lot by nature, are especially
Nor is there any basement in which to conceal oneself. wary of strangers — particularly the kind who hover around
There is a constant coming and going of people and animals for prolonged periods of time.
throughout the house. In the minds of the local peasants, the only good excuse
The rare vampire who makes his home within the peasant for remaining in the village is to tend to lands or family you
village might dwell within a more archaic “pit house.” This might have there. In this case, however, the visitor would
design was widespread as recently as the turn of the millennium. certainly have a place to stay and not be seen loitering about
The pit house is built over a rectangular pit, about four the inn. Although both the inn and social hall tend to be quiet
yards in length, which serves as a rough basement. The house during the day, they are still more frequented areas than the
features planked floors, a thatched roof and a clay hearth. A individual peasant homes.
bolted trapdoor in the floor provides a measure of security for The mill is an interesting haunt for a vampire. The vil-
the slumbering Cainite. lagers’ suspicions might be misdirected at the miller instead
Of course, there is nothing to prevent a vampire from dig- of the Cainite he knowingly or unknowingly shelters. Since
ging out a basement beneath the more popular timber-framed the miller’s person and property are an important part of the
house. A trapdoor into the packed earth floor would be con- lord’s business interests, the villagers would be loath to intrude
cealed beneath the ever-present layer of straw or rushes. This or act against him.
camouflage, however, might not bear up under scrutiny. The The difficulties of remaining hidden in a village can drive
sound of wood underfoot where the floor should be of packed the Cainite out into the wilds. The scarcity of prey within
earth would certainly arouse suspicion. any given village forces many vampires to take up residence

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 in a more heavily-traveled location. Some of these Cainite
peasants are truly homeless, wandering the countryside and
simply sinking into the earth each morning.
Others take refuge in long-abandoned roadside hostels or
inns. From this vantage point, they prey on passersby, and on
the residents of nearby villages. Rumors of nocturnal activity
in “haunted houses” help keep the curious at bay.
Similarly, the Cainite peasant can take up residence in a
woodcutter’s hut, deep within the untamed wilds. Any traveler
who ventures so far afield and discovers the “empty” cottage
will likely not think twice about the woodcutter being absent
during the daylight hours.

Lord and Peasant: The

Land Bond
The relationship between a peasant and his lord is just
as sacred and just as formalized as the bond between a lord
and his noble vassal. An entire vocabulary exists to define the
boundaries of this relationship.
One of the major points that elevates a serf above the status
of slave is the fact that he can pass on his holding — and thus,
his rights, his property, and his agreements with his lord and his
very place in feudal society — to his heirs. A serf’s first entrance
into feudal responsibilities comes at the point of inheritance.
Inheritance is a crucial rite of passage for the serf. Bear in
mind that in Dark Medieval society it is almost unheard of for
a serf to marry and start a family before he has inherited. Until
this point he has no income, no wealth and no means to support
a family of his own. Inheritance and marriage go hand in hand.
Younger sons, with no anticipated inheritance, often seek
to enter service in the lord’s manor. Still others opt to join the
military, apprentice to an artisan in a nearby town or enter
into lay service at the local abbey or monastery. Marriage and
family are even less of a possibility for these younger siblings.
Within this social context, it is no mystery that an unmarried
priesthood has become a prevalent option.
In order to inherit, the heir enters into a formal relationship
with his lord. The significant act is the heir’s paying the heriot, or
death tax, for his deceased relative. He thus demonstrates that
he has taken over the obligations of the departed — the most
significant of which is the tenantship agreement with the lord.
Heriot is analogous to “relief,” the sum paid by a noble heir
upon securing possession of a fief. The emphasis, however, is
slightly different. Heriot is owed by the deceased, and relief is
owed by the heir. The essential act, however, of picking up
the reigns of feudal obligation by paying a small sum to the
lord, is identical.
If a serf does not honor his newly acquired feudal rights
and obligations, the lord has the right to effectively cancel
the contract. Escheat is the term for the lord’s right to reclaim
his serf’s lands should the serf be outlawed or die without heir.
Forfeiture is his right to retake the serf’s lands should the serf fail
to serve corvee, pay his taxes or fulfill other feudal obligations.
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 It is important to note the legal overtones in these terms. towns that spread like flames across Europe. The growth of
Once a formal agreement is entered into with a serf, the lord is towns led directly to the creation of local markets, which, in
bound to respect that serf’s (and his heirs’) claim to the land. turn, led to the establishment of permanent inter-town trade
Other instances of invoking the feudal bonds between the routes. This flurry of new commerce gave rise to the creation
serf and his lord are handled in a similar way as inheritance. A of guilds and the rise of merchants. All of these wondrous new
serf may sometimes ask his lord to forego some feudal privilege developments eventually strain the boundaries of the very
in return for a small monetary consideration. model of Dark Medieval society.

The Old School

If a serf wishes for his daughter to marry outside of the
village, for example, he first secures his lord’s permission and
then pays him a small sum called merchet.
Europe is firmly entrenched in the “old school” of govern-
Even the blatantly antagonistic practice of Jus Primae
mental thought at the end of the 12th century. A nobleman’s
Noctis, the lord’s seldom-invoked right to spend the first night
home is, quite literally, his castle — a towering reminder of
with a serf’s new bride, is often settled with a small fine.
the extent of his wealth and power. To take the true measure
In each of these cases, it is important to note which way of a man’s influence and wealth, however, you do not look to
the money flows. Although we associate wealth with the his house, but rather to his fields.
nobility, the real wealth in a feudal society is in the land. It is
In Dark Medieval Europe, money does, in fact, grow on
extracted by the serfs and funneled to the nobility through the
trees. Each orchard, field and vineyard yields a crop of silver
extension of protection, rights and privileges to the peasantry.
coin just waiting to be harvested by deploying, and then taxing,
The measure of a man’s wealth is the measure of his land.
the local peasantry.
The Reclamation Nobles do not engage in crafts, business or trade. These
pursuits are the exclusive, God-given domain of the peasantry.
The 12th century is the beginning of a time of dynamic The noble who actively seeks to usurp this role and profit from
change in Europe. Peasants flock to the new towns springing trade is met with social censure just as surely as if he had stood
up across the continent. International trade routes carry exotic up in the middle of Mass to interpret the Scriptures.
spices, fabrics and luxury goods into even the humblest of house-
In order to become richer in this agrarian society, a man
holds. An entirely new social class, the burgher, is carving out
needs to increase his land holdings. There are only a limited
a place for himself in the shadow of the three pillars.
number of ways to accomplish this goal. Perhaps the most
As with many other periods of sweeping historical change, popular method is wresting territory away from a rival. Nobles
this one has rather humble beginnings — it sprouts directly spend a great deal of their time, effort and blood in the attempt
from the serf’s toft. to conquer new territory through war, marriage or intrigue. For
It is an old truism that an army marches on its stomach. the landless peasant, the only way to get his hands on any of this
In Dark Medieval Europe, the entire society depends on rather wealth is to earn a grant of land in return for service to his lord.
tentative supply lines. Even in prosperous years, most people In most cases of rewarding exceptional service, the lord
barely achieve a subsistence living. Peasants starve every winter. grants his vassal some lands from his demesne. Sometimes,
In times of flood, drought or famine, entire villages fall victim however, he extends to the vassal the right to clear and cul-
to hunger, leaving behind only the abandoned buildings. tivate new lands — such as a strip of forest along the edge of
Without a surplus of food, both the army and society as a the lord’s woods.
whole are severely restricted in their maneuvers. An army low Turning woodlands into croplands is known as assarting. To
on supplies cannot exert its control very far afield. Similarly, assart without the permission of the local lord is a grave offense
a society scraping out a subsistence living cannot impose its — the Dark Medieval equivalent of printing one’s own money.
will on its surroundings.
During the 12th century, assarting achieves manic
The spark that ignites the sweeping changes of the 12th proportions. With the boom in population, it is possible to
century starts rather simply. A gradual climate change through- cultivate much more land than could be worked previously. In
out most of the preceding century had culminated in a longer fact, providing land for the new population makes extensive
growing season across most of Europe. The extended season assarting something of a necessity.
produced a slight food surplus. The marginal surplus provided
The boom in peasant population spurs the reclamation
a small, but significant, buffer between most of the population
of land in other ways as well. Landless younger siblings are
and subsistence living. Winters came and went with little or no
swelling the ranks of the religious orders. Entire new monastic
attrition due to hunger. The population grew slowly but steadily.
societies are being chartered. Newcomers like the Cistercians,
With a good meal in its belly, society soon began to march Premonstratensians and others need to create a source of wealth
— expanding its sphere of influence. A population boom was for themselves. Their abbeys, and the lands to support them,
soon in full swing. Second sons with no land to inherit and are carved directly out of the most forbidding, inhospitable, and
others seeking their fortunes were drawn to the myriad of hence, unclaimed regions of the Dark European countryside.
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 It is no coincidence that the 12th century witnesses the overcrowded conditions often comes to a swift and unpleasant
first systematic efforts to reclaim Europe’s “haunts” — its demise. The Cainite in an Italian city can find himself in a
previously uninhabitable swamps, moors and woodlands. position similar to dying of thirst in the middle of the ocean.
Armed with a new iron plowshare, the European peas- One important corollary of the Rule of 1001 Nights is the
antry braves the wilderlands. They drain the marshes, plow Law of Displacement. The cities, preferred stalking ground of
the heaths, cut back the dark forests and gradually settle vast the Cainites since the dawn of time, will support only a finite
areas previously abandoned to nature, wolves and outlaws. number of vampires. All but the most ruthless or cunning speci-
As the peasants cut down trees, pull roots, cart away mens will be displaced and forced to make their lairs elsewhere.
rock, burn undergrowth, dig ditches and level land with little The Displaced gravitate to the fringes of civilization. They are
more than spades, they are also taming the regions of their the outcasts, outlaws, and heretics of the society of the Damned.
childhood nightmares. The most obvious place to search out the Displaced (was
one foolish enough to undertake such a quest) would be in the
The Staking towns. Towns offer many of the familiar “comforts of home”
This ambitious undertaking is known in Cainite circles as on a smaller scale. The average town, however, can only safely
the Staking. The waves of advancing peasants measure their support a lone Cainite master.
advance by driving wooden stakes to mark the boundaries of Towns are really just beginning to come into their own.
the newly claimed fields. As the peasants push back the wilds Soon they will flood the Dark European countryside carrying
with axe, plow, and torch, they inevitably come into conflict the Displaced with them on the crest of the wave. At the dawn
with powers of an older order. of the Staking, however, most Cainite outcasts are still in the
Desolate “haunts” are liberally scattered throughout remote countryside domains they have haunted since antiquity.
Dark Medieval Europe. Most large estates boast a neighboring
stretch of primeval forest left largely untouched by human
hands. The cultivated lands skirt these darker domains but Population of Europe’s Major Cities
do not intrude on them. Venice 100,000
Bogs, moors and broken terrain fill the empty stretches be- Genoa 75,000
tween each town and village. Wolves range freely across even Italy, Milan 75,000
France and Germany, the most populous countries. Outlaws and Bologna 50,000
highwaymen lay in wait along each stretch of road that extends Palermo 50,000
like a tenuous guiderope across the vast chasms of uncivilized wilds.
Paris 50,000
At the time the Staking begins, many vampires living
Ghent 40,000
on the fringe of Cainite society make their homes in these
Florence 25,000
haunts, the no-man’s land between places. The typical village
of 150 peasants cannot support and conceal the feeding of London 25,000
a single vampire. To maintain their secrecy, many Cainite Lille 25,000
outcasts must take to the wilds where they can choose their Marseilles 25,000
prey carefully from among travelers and make nocturnal forays Naples 25,000
into a number of nearby settlements. Rouen 25,000
The most lucrative hunting grounds, of course, are the Toulouse 25,000
thriving cities founded in antiquity: Paris, London, Rome, Venice, Barcelona 10,000
Constantinople, Jerusalem. Even the largest of cities, however, Cologne 10,000
can only support a limited number of Cainites. An area can only Montpelier 10,000
maintain or conceal the activities of one vampire for every 1001
Saint-Omer 10,000
mortals — a phenomenon referred to as the Rule of 1001 Nights.
Seville 10,000
Thus, one would expect only 50 Cainites in all of Paris
Strasbourg 10,000
— by far the largest city in Northern Europe. London might
house 25 vampires. The most prosperous cities boast a dozen Troyes 10,000
Cainites — a gathering hardly larger than a single coterie, York 10,000
but with all the fierce political infighting of a prince’s court. (Italian City) 10,000
The Dark Medieval city is certainly no place for the timid. (Other City) 3-5,000
This deadly competition rises to nearly insurmountable (Wealthy Town) 2-3,000
levels in the crowded Italian cities. In the average Italian (Average Town) 1,000
population center, twice the human population is packed into (Prosperous Village) 300
an area roughly half the size of its sister-cities elsewhere in Eu- (Average Village) 100
rope. The Cainite unfamiliar with the dangers unique to these
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Beyond the Hearth Cainites would far rather be hated than ignored. Vampires,
Outcast Cainites are not the only supernatural creatures like mortals, simply do not intrude into the fae awareness. (For
who call these inhospitable regions home. The deep woods more information on the fae, see the Dark Ages Companion.)
are, first and foremost, Lupine territory. The seething hatred The solitary vampire is understandably very apprehensive
that the Lupines hold for the Cainites is as dependable as it about any intrusion into his secluded domain. As the peas-
is deadly. Werewolf packs systematically seek out and destroy ants push back the edge of the wilds, they uncover ancient
any vampire who trespasses upon their domain. ruins, level burial mounds and fell the impenetrable canopy
Although a Cainite might be the match for any indi- of branches that keeps the deep forest in perpetual twilight.
vidual werewolf, the coordinated attacks of an entire pack Many dark things that have remained undisturbed for
easily bring down all but the most ancient and cunning of ages must suddenly take flight. Some of them exact a terrible
vampires. Unfortunately, any area untamed enough to support vengeance upon the intruders before retiring to regions of
a pack of Lupines usually has only enough mortals to support deeper shadow.
a lone Cainite. The Staking often spills over into open strife between
The patches of wilderland that have not yet fallen to the mortals and the Damned. As the peasants catch glimpses of
plow also conceal the traditional strongholds of the fae. Shying the creeping evil that presses in upon their settlements from
away from the ever-expanding sphere of mortal contact, the every side, mobs arm themselves with torch and spade. These
fae have withdrawn into the untamed lands — back to the hill initial skirmishes foreshadow the great war to come upon the
forts and toadstool circles deep within the primeval woods. Damned — the Inquisition.
The fae have no great love for the Cainites. This is not to The Staking decimates the ranks of rural Cainites. The
say that open antagonism exists between the two. Rather it would number of vampires actually caught and put to the torch by
be more precise to say that the fae show no apparent concern mortals is understandably quite low. Many vampires, however,
at all for the vampire. On the nights when the faerie host issues die the Final Death from exposure as their ancient lairs are
forth from its hill-fort, the wise vampire gives it a wide berth. unwittingly laid open to the sun. The greatest losses of all
The faerie host is just as likely to trample, confound or were inflicted by the Lupines who dogged the steps of the
abduct any Cainite they come across as they would any mortal. advancing peasants and fell upon any Cainite who was set to
Vampires, of course, find this lack of regard infuriating. Most flight by their bush-beating.
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 The New Order of Things
Throughout the 12th century, continual assarting brings
more and more of Europe’s wilds under the plow. The brunt
of this back-breaking work falls directly to the peasants. It is
unlikely that the serfs pause long enough in their toil to realize
just how much good they are doing themselves and their cause.
The success of the reclamation stuns the local lords. They
conquer vast stretches of land without the loss of a single
knight, without even the cost of maintaining a fighting force.
While some peasants storm nature’s strongholds, many more
flock to the burgeoning new towns. These two great ebb tides
combine to leave many lords with more land than they have
the manpower to cultivate. In effect, they have wealth simply
laying out in the fields that they cannot collect.
You might expect such a labor shortage to lead to increased
wages and benefits for the workers as local lords competed to
attract and retain personnel. In fact, this shortage leads to a
new valuation of the serfs and the creation of many unique
feudal relationships.
The dramatic nature of this change is easiest to see
within the noble pillar itself. Previously, the lord-knight
relationship was formulaic. In return for his knight’s fee
(lands), the vassal pledged his fealty — his loyalty and his
sword arm. In the wake of the newly assarted lands, we suddenly
see instances of lords giving out lands without demanding the
formal pledge of fealty.
Edward I, for example, went as far as to grant one Henry
de la Wade half a hide in Oxfordby on the condition that
Henry carry a gyrfalcon whenever Edward went hawking.
This is a far cry from the bootstrapped military necessity that
drove earlier feudal arrangements.
At the same time, the lords are making a multitude of
new and better offers to woo the peasantry. Preeminent among
these is the manumission, the formal grant of freedom. A free
peasant pays rents to his local lord for the use of his land, but
he is not required to serve corvee, nor is he bound by dozens of
other taxes and obligations that the serf owes his lord.
These free peasants share a relationship with their lord
similar to many of his newer noble vassals. One way the lords
convert their found lands into cash is by “farming” out land to
new vassals. The term “farm” does not refer to any agricultural
activity, but rather to taxation. These vassals pay rents or taxes
to their lord in return for their fiefs, much as a free peasant
might do for his holding.
The peasantry makes other incursions into areas tra-
ditionally reserved for the nobility as well. For example,
the role of the peasantry in the military is expanding. One
important newcomer to the battlefield is the sergeant — a
peasant whose duties and privileges very nearly mirror
those of the knight.
The sergeant rides at his lord’s side and is often afforded a
place of honor in his retinue. He might be a standard bearer, a
weapons master, a bowyer, a siege engineer or any of a number
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of other specialized military occupations. A sergeant is bound One might wonder what would drive a feudal lord to make
by the obligations of wardship, marriage and relief — three such a concession. A charter is not, in fact, granted lightly.
duties previously imposed upon only the knightly class. The factor that most often motivates a lord to grant franchise
Like the sergeant, the new yeoman farmer is a free peasant is the pressing need for local markets.
who holds his land in return for military service, instead of Every village or holding needs a nearby market. As the
labor (corvee) or rent. The English yeomanry soon becomes peasants make their weekly journey to market, they need to be
a renowned military force. To keep this new-found weapon able to get there and back again in a single day. Furthermore,
sharp, the English kings ban the yeoman from participating they need to be able to travel at a leisurely pace — leisurely
in any sport except for shooting the longbow. even for an ox-drawn cart. Practically, this means that even
In other areas, the yeomen have different names. In the most remote holding needs a market town within roughly
northern England, they are the dreng, and in France, they are a 10-mile radius.
functionally (if not overly creatively) referred to as helmets Without the support of a nearby market, all of the lands
and lances. that the lords have recently reclaimed from the wilds will
For the less military-minded peasant, other beneficial be unable to support themselves. They would soon revert to
relationships are becoming widespread. One such arrangement wilderness. All of the lord’s new-found wealth might evaporate
is the Lease for Three Lives. In it, the lord agrees to lease the before his eyes.
land to a free peasant at a fixed rate for the life of the holder, Thus, as the waves of assarting peasants advance, clearing
his son, and his grandson. fields before them, towns emerge in their wake.
Interestingly, the Lease for Three Lives also makes specific The basic market town is a simple, no-frills affair. Only
arrangements for the rights of women to inherit. The tenant a small percentage of the townsmen are specialized artisans
can, for example, pass the lease on to his wife should none or merchants. The vast majority of the new burghers still go
of his sons survive him. Previously, these lands would have out each day to tend their fields.
reverted to the lord under his right of escheat. Cultivated land for crops and herds surrounds the town.
Finally, a growing number of peasants are earning the title of For the average townsman, life is a little different than that
“lord’s man.” A lord’s man is a free servant. The distinction here of the rural villager.
is largely one of status and liberty. The lord’s man still trades his
For a significant minority, however, the towns are about
services for room, board and wages just as the domestic servant
to offer up an unprecedented opportunity.
does. He is, however, free to seek employment elsewhere and
his wage tends to be more than a token concession. The Villeneuve
Also, note that a lord’s man was often, in fact, a woman. The 12th century witnesses a veritable building boom.
This role is a groundbreaking instance of a formal feudal rela- Existing towns grow dramatically in size and new towns spring
tion directly between a lord and a female peasant. Even under up to service the “found” lands that the lords have assarted
the progressive Lease for Three Lives, the woman participates from the wilds.
in the contract only because of a previous agreement with In France, these towns are being born at such a frantic
her husband. rate that they have outstripped even the efforts to name them
The Town all. The legacy of this period of rapid growth can be seen in all
of the townships called simply “new town.” Villeneuve sur and
Just as the knights and peasantry reap the benefits of gen-
erous new feudal relations, towns also receive more favorable Villefranche sur place names dot the map, even after the towns
terms, which most often takes the form of the town charter. to which they refer have become well-established.
A charter is a document that establishes the rights and even Even at first glance, these New Towns (henceforth, vil-
the “freedom” of a town. Many chartered towns are in effect leneuve) are quite different from the existing model. The first
freeholds, having little or no accountability to any local lord. difference that strikes the visitor is the lack of town walls.
The 12th century is the heyday of the town. We see Most Dark Medieval towns boast impressive stone walls of
unprecedented growth in both the number and size of towns at least 10 feet in height. These intimidating barriers often
all across Europe. Peasants flock in by the droves, lured by the tower 60 feet into the air.
twin promises of freedom and opportunity. The villeneuve, however, is no border fortress, built to
A town, however, does not simply spring up wherever a withstand raid or siege. It is carved from interior, found lands.
sizable number of people gather together. A specific grant of This fact colors every aspect of its development.
freedom — a Charter of Franchise — has to be granted by the Here for the first time, there is some loosening in the Dark
local lord. This franchise frees the townsmen from any direct Medieval obsession with security. Certainly, solitary predators
feudal obligations to the lord. The town as a whole, howev- might emerge from the wilds by night. A wolf might brave the
er, is now responsible for certain rents and taxes, as if it had streets and carry off a sheep. No one, however, builds 60-foot
collectively entered into a feudal relationship with the lord. stone walls to guard against wolves.
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 The villeneuve is far less dense than the town as well. The The second innovation is the flying buttress, the jointed
houses are not packed so tightly together as if they huddled spanners extending outward from the walls like spider legs or
for protection. Nor is there any sense of the rough, frontier human ribs. They distribute the structure’s weight out and down
town about it. These are settled, civilized regions, as far from into the ground. Between these two revolutionary changes,
the uncertainty and violence of warfare as possible. startling things become possible.
The spirit that permeates the villeneuve is one of re- Dense stone walls are suddenly no longer necessary. Entire
finement: arts, learning and civilization. Like the goddess sections of dour stone give way to multi-colored glass. Where
Athena, whom the ancient Greeks honored as the patron once the interior of the church offered the security of darkened
of civilization, the villeneuve is not born in the conventional recesses, it now swims in the brilliance of divine light.
manner. Legend relates how Athena sprang full-grown from
the head of her father, Zeus. In an analogous way, the civilized Animals
villeneuve springs fully-developed into existence. The villeneuve is full of animals. The narrow streets are
For the first time since the Roman Empire, town planning literally clogged with them. Burghers must wade through
and design reemerge. Foresight dictates the shape and growth the press of horses, mules, and oxen bound for market. Draft
of the population centers, instead of rambling, need-driven animals loaded high with goods or pulling carts block each
expansion. Certain standard designs that can be implemented street leading to the town square.
quickly and efficiently become popular. Villagers keep a wide assortment of animals in their homes.
A veritable army of skilled craftsmen preside over the These house pets are usually cherished barnyard animals accorded
birth of a villeneuve. Quarrymen, stonecarvers and masons a place of honor indoors with the family. These animals roam
shape and fit stone blocks. Lumberers, sawyers and carpenters freely through the common living, eating and sleeping areas.
erect timber-framed walls. Boatmen and carters bring building In the villeneuve, burghers are reluctant to part with their
supplies over great distances. Smiths mend tools and provide decidedly rural companions. The courtyards of many townhouses
a seemingly never-ending stream of nails, hinges and fittings. resound with the commotion of pigs and chickens. The bulk of
Hordes of journeyman artisans travel from building site the town’s livestock, however, is kept outside the town proper.
to building site, scattering towns in their wake. There is little The streets teem with livestock on market days as the
need to fear shortage of work. inhabitants of the surrounding land drive their herds to mar-
The keystone of the villeneuve is the church. As in the ket. The streets ring with the bleating of goats and sheep and
village, the church is the literal, and figurative, center of things. the lowing of cattle.
Formerly, churches were low sturdy stone structures. Inside Cows range freely through the villeneuve on any day of the
they were cool, dark, serene. The little light that found its week. Fresh milk is a highly valued commodity to the towns-
way in came from small, high windows. men. Cheese graces the townsman’s table daily, and curds and
butter also play a significant role in his diet. He is willing to
As with all early Dark Medieval architecture, the design
give the cattle free run of the place in return for this bounty.
was dictated by a need for security. In times of strife, the church
became a shelter for a besieged populace. In an assault on the Any town also boasts a sizable population of pigs. The
town, it was often the last line of defense. The design need Dark Medieval pig is feral-looking beast that has an almost
was the same one that ringed the towns in walls of stone and prehistoric cast to its features. It is lean and wiry, standing
made fortresses of a lord’s private residence. about as high as a man’s knee. Its head is sharp and angular,
slanting straight down from the bony forehead ridge to the
Gothic Moonrise small, but functional, tusks.
These design assumptions are being challenged in the With few exceptions, these animals also roam freely
plans for the villeneuve. The traditional designs are coming through the streets. The city of Paris is a notable case. In 1131,
under attack from a spidery new form of architecture that the king’s son met with a fatal accident when his horse lost its
is just beginning to emerge in the great cathedral towns of footing amidst the press of swine that overran the boulevard.
Laon, Paris and Chartres. This is the dawn, or better still, the Consequently, the citizens of Paris are forbidden to keep the
moonrise of the Gothic. offending creatures. A special dispensation is made for the
Gothic architecture has a distinctly skeletal appearance. Abbey of St. Antoine that maintains exactly 12 pigs within
It is not surprising that the two innovations that make this the city. These animals wander freely, but wear bells around
new form possible are “skeletal” as well. Each provides a new their necks to warn of their approach.
framework to support the body of the church building. Ironically, the abundance of pigs roaming the streets
The first improvement is a new method of vaulting that significantly contributes to the cleanliness of the town. At a
supports more of the weight of the ceiling through arches and time when household rubbish is routinely dumped out into the
pillars. These new structures rely less on the exterior walls to lane, swine eat their way through a good deal of the cast-offs. In
bear the burden of the stone roof. other regions, goats serve an identical function. Herds of pigs
are driven through the streets at the beginning or close of day.
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 One of the most impressive sights the townsman might
witness is the coming of the crows at dawn. Just after sunrise,
great murders of crows descend in black clouds blanketing the
streets. If the mere sight of the feasting birds does not deter
early morning walks, the racket they create certainly does.
Some towns employ less traditional street cleaning
methods, some going as far as to employ peasants to shovel
out the lanes each day. It is certainly no more unpleasant a
task than mucking out a barnyard — a chore to which most
are well-accustomed.
Any sizable town also has an arrangement with one of the
nearby lords to have a few of his serfs cart away the “ordures,”
which are then used to fertilize his fields.

Creatures of
Urban Nightmare
During the 12th century, the total population of Dark
Medieval Europe is 75 million souls. Only 5% of these mortals
— around 3,750,000 people — live in the towns and cities.
Among the Cainites, this demographic is reversed — over
95% are city dwellers. Since the dawn of time, the vampire has
been an urban predator. The history of the Cainites reads like an
atlas of the mythic cities of the past. The rise and fall of Enoch,
Babel, Ninevah, Troy, Carthage and Rome are all intimately
linked with the trials and tribulations of the Damned.
Keeping in mind the Rule of 1001 Nights, it is possible
to make a good estimate of the total number of Cainites
that stalk Dark Medieval Europe. The 3.75 million mortal
city dwellers can support, at most, 3,750 urban Cainites.
This would place the logical upper limit of the vampiric
population at just under 4,000.
From the Cainite point of view, the mortal population
is not ideally distributed. While a ratio of 1001 mortals to 1
vampire is sufficient to maintain the Cainite populace, the
above estimate puts the actual numbers closer to 75 million
to 4,000, or just less than 20,000 mortals for each vampire.

Population (in millions)

of Western Europe
England/Wales 4
France 22
Germany 12
Greece/Balkans 6
Low Countries 4
Ireland 1
Italy 10
Scotland 0.5
Spain/Portugal 7
Switzerland 0.5
Total 67

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 The Town Home
Townhouses are very similar in design throughout Europe.
Generally, they follow one of two basic plans. In the south,
the Roman style predominates. Buildings make the most of
the local resources — rough stone, soft and porous. Stuccoed
walls, coated with a wash of ochre-colored paint, provide
insulation against the weather.
In the north, the Teutonic design is more widespread.
These “half-timbered” buildings employ wood-beam framing
and often woven-reed or wooden walls. The rustic, thatched
roof is common, and the exterior also features windows set in
pairs with red or black accent paint.
Only the most important houses rise above two stories
in height. Most artisans’ dwellings incorporate a ground floor
shop, or at least a front awning beneath which they can display
their wares and conduct business. The work area shares the
downstairs while the family room or rooms may be upstairs
in a two-story home.
Houses tend to be built around a courtyard that often
features a well and perhaps even a fountain. The fountains,
built according to the ancient Roman model, are cunningly
constructed so that gravity alone circulates the water.
A town home also invariably has one or more gardens.
Patches surround the house, much like peasant’s crofts, while
some gardening is done in the courtyard as well.
Towns are much smaller and less dense than one might
imagine. Overcrowding and the full gamut of urban problems,
however, already emerge by the early 13th century.
The towns provide communal facilities much as the feudal
lords do in the villages. A typical town, for instance, boasts a
number of mills for grinding flour. In a village, this service is
traditionally the domain of a local lord. The towns’ chartered
freedom from these local lords, however, means that they are
also responsible for providing these services for themselves.
Many towns turn this new responsibility into opportunity.
The French city of Troyes, for instance, established 11 mills
between the years of 1157 and 1191. These watermills go
beyond merely usurping traditional noble roles and profits.
They also press wine and oil, which are critical to the region’s
economy. In addition, they power the foundries and forges.
The towns provide other communal facilities tailored to the
specific needs of their urban environment. For example, great
stone tubs are set up along the river bank so that the inhabitants
can do their laundry. For the most part, however, these needs
generate entire new professions to provide the desired services.

The Merchants
The town, at its most basic, is a market. It provides a
place for the local farmers to exchange their produce for the
supplies they need. Such a marketplace soon attracts various
artisans to provide for these needs. Familiar faces include
cobblers (shoes) and tanners (leather); drapers and tailors
(clothes); coopers (barrels) and carpenters; wheelwrights
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and wainwrights (wagons); bakers and butchers; brewers and Any established town in Northern Europe boasts an office of
vintners (wines); ropemakers and masons. Each town has its the Hansa and the Hanse himself, the local agent of the League, is
own blacksmith and, depending on its size, might also house invariably one of the most envied and influential persons in town.
an armor- or weaponsmith, or even a gold- or silversmith.
While a single village cannot provide enough business to The Guilds
support these craftsmen, a town is insured a steady stream of Other craftsmen are more settled. In a large town, where
customers from nearby communities. Inns and taverns spring multiple individuals pursue the same trade, artisans are beginning
up to cater to those coming to market. Further townsmen — to band together into guilds. The guild may have its roots in simple
grocers, moneylenders, fishmongers, carters, etc. — arrive to cooperative agreements between two craftsmen sharing the same
support the craftsmen. trade — promises not to compete with or undersell each other. By
While most artisans make their homes in the towns, some the 12th century, however, the guilds have become more formal,
travel the countryside with their wares. Such peddlers usually base more widespread and much more powerful.
themselves in a market town and then tour the nearby manors Guilds fulfill a three-fold mission: They protect, educate
selling their wares. The peddler soon gains a reputation for nomadic and regulate the practitioners of their trade.
wandering second only to that of the Gypsies. He often has to Protection implies mainly a freedom from coercion or
contend with the same distrust that greets the arrival of the Rom. extortion. The guildsmen band together for strength. Together,
As towns grow in size and prosperity, an increasing number they can meet challenges that they could not surmount alone.
of merchants seize the opportunity to develop inter-town trade. Brigands can easily disrupt a craftsman’s trade by interrupt-
These travelers are more than just peddlers who operate between ing the supply of a crucial component — the supply of wool to
towns rather than manors. Instead of bringing a specific ware the clothiers, for instance. An unscrupulous local lord might
with them wherever they go, the merchants buy local goods and demand a crippling toll or tribute to pass through his lands.
transport them to markets where those items are in demand. In Thieves ply their own trade upon the individual guildsmen
the merchants, we have, for the first time, a class of free man within the town proper.
who is not tied directly to one craft or skill. In response, the guilds raise men-at-arms, bring political pres-
During the 12th century, international trade grows in- sure to bear or financially lubricate the scales of justice. In a very
creasingly popular and profitable. While bold merchants are short period of time, the guilds have come to wield great power.
just beginning to pioneer trade routes into the heart of Asia, The guilds have also assumed the duty of educating the town
the exchange of goods and ideas with the Near East reaches populace. While formal education has always been the domain of
a level unmatched since the fall of Rome. the Church, the guilds provide a very practical education in the arts
In the great market cities of Italy and Iberia, merchants and crafts. At this time, there is no widespread literacy and certainly
cry out their exotic wares: silks, spices, carpets, blown glass, no public education. What learning is commonly available is in the
oranges and ivory. The luxuries of the Islamic world evoke form of trade knowledge. The guilds administer the dissemination
not only an alien opulence, but also a deep sense of mystery of this knowledge through the apprenticeship system.
and hidden knowledge. The civilizations that confront the Guild education starts at about age seven when a child
crusaders have accumulated a vast body of law, medicine and leaves his home to apprentice himself to a master artisan or
scholarship far beyond anything that Europe has to offer. craftsman. A successful master might have as many as three or
European merchants grasp the unique opportunity pre- four apprentices whom he instructs in the secrets of his trade.
sented by these two cultures grinding together quickly. Many The apprentice is expected to provide unskilled labor in the
of these merchants grow staggeringly rich, more so even than workshop, as well as around the house, during this time. A typical
many members of the nobility. The old school of thought apprenticeship lasts seven years, although in some cases periods
that insists you can measure a man’s wealth by pacing off the as short as four, or as long as 12, years are observed.
boundaries of his fields is beginning to show signs of wear. The master has full parental responsibility over the
In northern Germany, the first true mercantile powerhouse apprentice. The master provides food and lodging, shoes and
— the Hanseatic League — extends a tentative finger over clothing. He might pay the apprentice a token wage (a few
the map of Europe. The mysterious and influential Hansa had pennies annually). He might also offer other assurances to the
a rather humble beginning — as an association of merchants prospective apprentice — for example, that only the master,
and towns selling, of all things, pickled herring. This food and not his wife, would beat the apprentice.
becomes a staple of the Dark Medieval diet. Its popularity and If at any time the apprentice fails to live up to the master’s
availability is due in no small part to the efforts of the Hansa. expectations, he can expect to be returned home to his family
The Hansa corner the herring market and soon become in disgrace. Such an expulsion severely limits a youth’s future
the sole provider for the entire Baltic region. Their efforts prospects. Apprenticed children are almost invariably younger
rapidly expand to other products and regions and they are soon siblings who cannot expect any inheritance (and thus, source
a force to be reckoned with — a mercantile league spanning of livelihood) at home. Most who fall into these straits are
over 100 trading cities. destined for the short and brutal life of a foot soldier.
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 Upon the successful completion of the apprenticeship,
The Guilds of Paris the newly trained craftsman becomes a journeyman. This
and Their Memberships term derives not from the extensive traveling expected of the
Shoemakers 366 journeyman, but from the French journee meaning “day” —
Furriers 214 journeymen are skilled daylaborers.
Maidservants 199 A journeyman does travel a great deal, going from town to
Tailors 197 town, plying his trade. This lifestyle gives him the opportunity
Barbers 151 to learn from many different masters. It also provides a mobile,
Jewelers 131 skilled labor pool that can be brought to bear constructing the
Restaurateurs 130 rash of villeneuve and cathedrals that spread across Europe.
Old-clothes dealers 121 There is no set length of time to the journeyman stage, although
Pastry cooks 106 this period is typically measured in years. There are five require-
Masons 104 ments that must be met before the journeyman becomes a master.
Carpenters 95 First, he needs an existing master to certify that the can-
Weavers 86 didate is “prudent and loyal.” In effect, what is required is a
Chandlers 71 recommendation from a full guild member.
Mercers 70 Second, the journeyman needs to have enough capital to
Coopers 70 set up shop on his own. Guilds tend to be very pragmatic in
Bakers 62 these matters. Capital is often measured in tools instead of cash.
Water carriers 58 A master’s tools are his major expense and subsequently, his
Scabbard makers 58 greatest asset. Some tools simply cannot be bought at any price.
Wine sellers 56 The master must construct and repair them himself. Those that
Hatmakers 54 he cannot produce are often prohibitively expensive to replace.
Saddlers 51 An apprentice who loses or damages one of the master’s tools is
Chicken butchers 51 in for a sound thrashing. A craftsman cannot typically afford to
Purse makers 45 acquire or replace more than one such tool each year.
Laundresses 43 The third and fourth requirements are by far the easiest
Oil merchants 43 to fulfill. The journeyman must take the guild oath, pledging
Porters 42 loyalty and service, and then pay a membership fee.
Meat butchers 42
The final and most significant requirement that distinguish-
Fish merchants 41
es the master is the production of the chef-d’oeuvre — literally,
Beer sellers 37
the “master piece.” Each guild has its own requirements for
Buckle makers 36
this masterpiece. A stone carver, for instance, must produce a
Plasterers 36 three-foot tall statuette for the review of the guildsmen. The
Spice merchants 35 journeyman’s style, expertise and technique are all subject to
Blacksmiths 34 critique and evaluation. A saddler has to produce both a palfrey
Painters 33 saddle and a mule saddle, demonstrating his adeptness with both
Doctors 29 the decorative and the functional. The cobblers have an even
Roofers 28 more practical examination that involves drawing three pairs
Locksmiths 27 at random from a bin of shoes in need of mending.
Bathers 26
The final function of the guilds is to regulate. Obviously,
Ropemakers 26
they regulate pricing to eliminate internal competition. Pricing is
Innkeepers 24
uniform not only within a given town, but between towns as well.
Tanners 24
Copyists 24 Hand in hand with this practice is the regulation of standards
Sculptors 24 of quality. Producing inferior goods is not only detrimental to
Rugmakers 24 the guild’s reputation, it undercuts the established system of fair
Harness makers 24 pricing. Using substandard materials, for instance, might result in
Bleachers 23 lowered costs and, hence, greater-than-regulated profits.
Hay merchants 22 Other improvements brought about by guild regulation
Cutlers 22 include widespread standardization of weights and measures
Glovemakers 21 and uniform observances of common working hours and wages.
Wood sellers 21 To insure that guild standards are observed, each crafts-
Woodcarvers 21 man affixes his maker’s mark to the completed product. Each
master craftsman has his own individual symbol that identifies
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him as surely as a coat-of-arms identifies a noble knight. The
guilds keep comprehensive records of these marks, much as
the heralds systematically register arms.
A craftsman takes great pride in his mark. It is the flourish
with which he signs his art. Using a master’s mark under false
pretenses is a grave offense. Professional reputations have
been ruined and forgeries foisted off on the unsuspecting. The
guilds also take a special protective interest in their members’
marks. They can use these tiny identifying features to trace
inferior goods back to their creator and then take appropriate
corrective actions.
The guilds impose stiff penalties on those who are suspected
of shortchanging their customers. A baker, for instance, who
sells underweight loaves is fined heavily and then thrown into
the pillory — one of the offending loaves tied around his neck
as a sign of his offense.
The guilds are quite zealous in their enforcement. Many
bakers, to avoid even accidentally short-weighing their cus-
tomers’ orders, have begun throwing in an extra roll or pastry
with every dozen. Thus the term “baker’s dozen,” which has
come to mean any set of 13, is a testimony to at least the
caution (if not the generosity) of that trade.
Soon many crafts had developed their own guilds. Orga-
nizations rapidly formed for the butchers, bakers, goldsmiths,
tanners, carpenters, cloth merchants and many other trades.
Much of the new-found wealth of the villeneuve passes through
the hands and coffers of the guilds.
Individually, guild members earn more money than their
unguilded counterparts. In areas where wages for an unguilded
worker are 2 Librum per year, a member of the guilded building
trades earns about 5 Librum — over twice as much. Members
of the leading guilds — spice merchants, apothecaries, drapers
and furriers — make around 20 Librum, nearly 10 times as
much. Guild leaders are among the wealthiest men in their
communities, often earning more than 150 Librum each year.
Collectively, the guilds wield an ever-increasing amount
of political, as well as economic, influence over the new
villeneuve. The various guilds compete for the upper hand
within a given city.
Most of this competition remains friendly. Inter-guild
clashes have become formalized, even stylized. Each guild
has its own associated patron saint and on its saint day holds
processions of great pageantry.
One famous example of these guild celebrations is the Pallio
in Siena. The week’s festivities culminate in a no-holds-barred
horse race around the town’s main square. Each guild enters a
contestant in the race and parades the streets wearing its “rega-
lia” and waving its own distinctive banner. Each of the guilds
represents one of the neighborhoods that make up the sprawling
township and loyal supporters from each “fief” fill the streets.
The assumption of noble trappings only emphasizes the
fact that the guildsmen are the most influential burghers.
Even when they do not officially hold the position of town
leadership, they are the real power in the villeneuve.
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 Patron Saints
The following list describes but a few of the important patron saints that are associated with the various guilds and
other urban groups:
St. Adrian: Patron Saint of soldiers and butchers.
St. Agatha: Patron Saint of nurses and bellfounders.
St. Alexis: Patron Saint of beggars.
St. Andrew the Apostle: Patron Saint of fishermen.
St. Anthony: Patron Saint of basket makers.
St. Anthony of Padua: Patron Saint of the poor. People pray for St. Anthony to help find lost articles.
St. Barbara: Patron Saint of miners and builders.
St. Barbe: Patron Saint of brushmakers.
St. Brendan: Patron Saint of sailors.
St. Brigid: Patron Saint of cowherds.
St. Catherine: Patron Saint of wheelwrights. Catherine is broken on the wheel.
St. Christopher: Patron Saint of pilgrims. Travelers pray for St. Christopher’s protections.
St. Clare: Patron Saint of mirrormakers.
St. Cloud: Patron Saint of nailmakers.
Sts. Cosmas and Damian: These twins are the Patron Saints of barbers/leeches.
St. Columcille: Patron Saint of exiles.
St. Crispin: Patron Saint of cobblers and leatherworkers.
St. Dismas: Patron Saint of thieves and condemned criminals. Dismas is the thief crucified with Christ.
St. Dominic: Patron Saint of astronomers. Founder of the Dominican monks.
St. Drogo: Patron Saint of shepherds.
St. Dunstan: Patron Saint of blacksmiths, locksmiths, metalworkers and armorers.
St. Dymphna: Patron Saint of the mentally ill. Dymphna is invoked to exorcise demons.
St. Eligius: Patron Saint of jewelers, silversmiths, goldsmiths.
St. Erasmus (a.k.a. Elmo): Patron Saint of sailors. Elmo is saved by an angel from being burned alive, hence the term
“St. Elmo’s fire.”
St. Eustace (alternately, St. Hubert): Patron Saint of hunters. Eustace sees a vision of the sign of the cross between
a stag’s horns.
St. Giles: Patron Saint of cripples.
St. Isidore: Patron Saint of farmers.
St. John, the evangelist: Patron saint of seers and mystics. Author of the Fourth Gospel.
St. Joseph: Patron Saint of carpenters and woodworkers. Joseph is the earthly father of Jesus.
St. Julian, Hospitaller: Patron Saint of hotel keepers. Julian is forgiven his sins after offering his bed to a leper.
St. Luke, the evangelist: Patron Saint of physicians and painters. Author of the Third Gospel.
St. Mark, the evangelist: Patron Saint of writers and notaries. Author of the Second Gospel.
St. Matthew, the evangelist: Patron Saint of bankers and bookkeepers. Author of the First Gospel.
St. Maurice: Patron Saint of swordsmiths.
St. Mary Magdalene: Patron Saint of perfumers. Mary Magdalene pours oil on Jesus’s feet.
St. Pantaleon: Patron Saint of apothecaries.
St. Peter, the apostle: Patron Saint of fishermen.
St. Reinold: Patron Saint of stonemasons. Reinold is murdered by those jealous of his work.
St. Sebastian: Patron Saint of needlemakers. Sebastian is martyred by arrows.
St. Vitus: Patron Saint of dancers, actors, comics.
St. Zita: Patron Saint of servants.

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Crime and
The burgher courts have a vested interest in matters of
debt and credit. In most cases, a debtor’s goods will be imme-

Punishment
diately seized and handed over to his creditor. If this amount
is insufficient, the debtor may be temporarily imprisoned to
encourage friends and family to raise the money. Failing that,
The regional nobility (henceforward, “counts,” although
the debtor will be banished from the city.
a wide variety of titles are in use across Europe) jealously guard
their right to hear cases and pass judgment. The last vestiges In many cities, the count also appoints a provost to pre-
of the older system of trial by combat or trial by ordeal have side over cases of high justice in his stead. This individual is
vanished. The count hears witnesses, weighs evidence and invariably a wealthy burgher who is firmly within the count’s
pronounces sentence. camp. The provost earns a commission on all fines and for-
feitures that he imposes. The wise provost fills the count’s
Justice is not only a solemn responsibility, it is also an im-
coffers. The count will shield an ambitious provost from any
portant source of income. Whenever a fine is levied, this money
repercussions. A less productive assistant is quickly dismissed
passes into the judge’s coffers. When a criminal is executed or
and thrown back among those he may have wronged.
banished, all of his goods are forfeited to the count.
This system produces swift and decisive sentencing. The counts are not the only major players in the lucrative
Lengthy imprisonments are virtually unheard of. Hanging is field of justice. Many crimes can only be tried by the king or his
the most common sentence for serious crimes — a particularly agent. In cases of treason, all of the traitor’s lands and goods revert
unpleasant fate as the drop technique is not widely practiced; to the Crown. The forests are also traditionally the king’s domain
the condemned suffers the slow death of strangulation. and charges of illegal poaching, assarting or timbering fall to the
king’s court. Such cases are tried by specially appointed circuit
Traitors, witches and heretics can expect to be burned
judges who travel the countryside dispensing the king’s justice.
at the stake for their offenses. Thieves can look forward to
some kind of disfigurement — branding, the loss of a hand Church bishops also have a hand in judicial matters and
or eye — in addition to having their ill-gotten gains seized. profits. Each bishop presides over an ecclesiastical court. These
Young cutpurses or pickpockets, however, might escape their bodies often contend with the secular authorities for the right
first offense with no more permanent reminder than the shame to try a particular case. The dividing line between Church and
of being publicly flogged and pilloried. civil jurisdiction can be difficult to distinguish.
When imprisonments do occur, there are usually strong Some cases that fall clearly within the domain of the
political and economic reasons. Enemies, whether knights ecclesiastic courts are crimes of heresy, crimes that take place
captured in battle, or important burghers fallen in more subtle on church property, or crimes that involve clergymen (even
conflicts, might be ransomed back to their families. The crypts the lay clergy) as the accused or victim.
or cellars beneath the count’s castle make a good improvised The Church courts have something of a reputation for
prison in times of need. lenience that makes trying a case in the bishop’s court much
The count cannot, however, be all places at once. The more attractive to the accused than facing the count or pro-
demands of justice are great and it has become necessary for vost. This is not simply a matter of the Church protecting its
him to farm out some of his responsibility. When delegating own — this reputation results in more trials being brought to
this solemn duty, the count reserves the privilege of hearing the ecclesiastic courts and, thus, greater revenues.
cases of high justice — murder, robbery, rape. These are, by During the great fairs and tournaments, another type of
far, the most lucrative cases. temporary court comes into existence to deal with the sudden
In the countryside, the count looks to the local lords, influx of people, commerce and of course, crime. The Court of
knights pledged to his service, to administer justice and to the Fair can hear cases of crimes of low justice that take place
forward him his due. Since the knight is often away from anytime during the month-long festivities. The mayor appoints
home, serving his lord on campaign or at court, the bailiff is a number of burghers (usually city councilmen) to act as judges.
allowed to settle minor infractions in the knight’s absence. One of the most important functions of the Court of the Fair
Most knights find it expedient to allow the bailiff to continue is to protect foreign merchants from the whims of local justice. The
doing so, even when the knight has returned to the manor. court spends most of its time, however, in matters of contract, debt
Burghers are especially eager to help lift the burden of and fraud. These judges are voracious in their pursuit of debtors. If
justice from the shoulders of the nobility. Many town charters the seizure of goods and imprisonment fail to produce the balance
grant the mayor the right to hear cases of low justice. The mayor due, the judges will demand payment from the debtor’s home city.
is authorized to judge cases of petty theft, fraud, minor assault Each community is held responsible for the debts of its members.
and routine matters of commerce and property. In return for It is something of a “gentleman’s agreement” between the burghers.
this privilege, the town pays a set amount to the count each Each mercantile city understands the value and necessity of a ster-
year. The count agrees to this arrangement because it not only ling business reputation. The town council will almost invariably
frees his hands, it also gives him a reliable income in return forward the demanded sum. They will then lean heavily on
for the variable fines and confiscations. the debtor’s family, or failing that, his guild, to recoup its loss.
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107
 The mainstay of the moneylenders, however, is the dis-
Cheating and Fraud tasteful practice of usury — charging interest on loans. Usury
The guild inspectors remain vigilant for a wide is traditionally prohibited to all Christians. Most often this
variety of common cheats and frauds: profession falls to the Jews, although some knightly orders
Clipping coins for the silver such as the Hospitallers and the Templars have been granted
Watering down wine, milk or oil special permission to practice usury. This new-found vocation
has made both of these orders extremely wealthy. In fact, the
Baking extra yeast into bread for extra volume
Templars have loaned such outrageous sums to the Crown of
Reddening old fish with pig’s blood France that debt-relief is a significant motivating factor in
Soaking cheese in broth to make it look richer that nation’s efforts to eliminate the order....
Mixing tallow in the lard
Mixing lard in the candles
The Dance
of Death
Selling cat, dog or horse flesh
Trimming bone knife handles with silver to make them
appear as ivory The Dark Medieval world is rich in folklore and super-
Pressing and hanging mended clothes as if they were new stition. Even routine acts are surrounded by a wealth of folk
Rigging scales, shaving weights custom. An entire body of lore deals solely with the omens
Substituting colored glass for gemstones that might be drawn from the first person or creature you meet
Cutting spices with common plants when leaving the house in the morning.
Making false peppercorns of clay, oil or mustard Any ill fortune during the day can be attributed to the
person encountered in that first meeting. Crossing the path of
Stretching cloth
a cripple, a priest, a monk or a raven is considered ill luck. A
Leaving flax out overnight to increase its weight toad is thought to bring money during the day and a prostitute
Falsely labeling wine is considered the most auspicious meeting of all.
Making pre-arranged sales to acquire a monopoly The logical thread behind such a list often evades even
Buying or selling before or after fair hours the most careful attempts to unravel it. The seemingly random
Even suspicion of these offenses results in guild inspectors litany of folk belief infiltrates all aspects of Dark Medieval life.
seizing all goods. Proof of fraud can result in heavy It is these incongruous elements, however, that jump out and
fines, public flogging and exclusion from the fair. add vividness to a Storyteller’s chronicle.
Even though the reason behind such a belief might
remain obscure, it can still have a profound effect on the
believer. In fact, it is often these unquestioned beliefs, the
The Court of the Fair also handles any cases of fraud that ones that are so “obvious” that they require no explanation at
escape the guilds’ watchful eye. Cases usually reach resolution all in the mind of the believer, that have the most dramatic
by banishing and levying heavy fines on the guilty party and effects of all.
even heavier ones on his guild. A reputation for fraud will The most popular image in Dark Medieval folk art is the
precede a dishonest merchant from fair to fair. Dance of Death. Death, wrapped in cloak and cowl and carrying
The shrewd customer is also wary of purchasing “a pig in aloft his scythe, leads the procession. Behind him, all men,
a poke” — a pig that is already wrapped in a tied sack. All too peasant and emperor alike, join hands as equals. They spin
often the squirming bundle turns out to be, in fact, not a pig and jerk as they are drawn along in his wake, like marionettes
but rather a somewhat indignant stray cat. The unscrupulous on invisible strings.
merchant must take special care not to “let the cat out of the These powerful images are a window into the fear and
bag” and thus be revealed as a fraud. uncertainty of this age — and a man’s fears are a potent
weapon to be wielded against him. A Cainite, surprised in the
Money midst of his nocturnal feasting, might hastily draw upon this
Others besides the merchants and guildsmen grow very imagery, using the semblance and trappings of the Reaper to
rich in this new atmosphere of economic prosperity. The strike terror into the mortal witness.
foremost of these groups is the moneylenders. Every market Each vampire is aware of the powerful truths inherent
town boasts its own moneylender who converts the wide in the Dance of Death. Even the least of the Cainites has
variety of foreign coins to local currency for a fee. This service broken free of the shackles of death. The vampire as reaper
is crucial to any market fair. A typical fair in Champagne, reigns over king, clergyman and peasant, visiting death upon
France, for instance, attracts merchants from Spain, Flanders, each in turn. All three dance, cavort and finally perish at
Germany, Italy and even North Africa. his command.
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Systems and Suggestions The same superstitious premise can be taken in a number
The Storyteller can use such powerful image-laden of entirely different directions. Perhaps the Storyteller has
beliefs, turning them into memorable antagonists or formi- decided that moonlight through glass poses a more overt threat
dable obstacles. For instance, one superstition — derived than simple melancholic reflection — that it burns with the
from the ancient association between the moon, reflection intensity of the sun. He might decide to limit this devastating
and deception — holds that it is extreme bad luck to view effect to moonlight falling through stained glass. This twist
the moon through glass. seems especially appropriate as it draws on the taboo against
Working from this premise, the Storyteller might ask the Damned entering the Lord’s house. The Storyteller can
himself what ill effect moonlight through glass could possi- add even more impact by limiting the instances of this super-
bly have on a Cainite. He might conclude that the danger stitious effect. Perhaps moonlight burns only in one specific
lies in reflection — especially reflection upon things lost. church — an ancient cathedral half-sunken into some desolate
Perhaps when a vampire gazes into a moonlit mirror, what moor. Or perhaps only the handiwork of one particularly gifted
he sees is not his reflection, but a reflection of the mortal artisan produces the lethal panes of glass.
that he was — of the future that is forever lost to him. This
interpretation takes on added impact in light of the folk Faith and Superstition
belief that Cainites cast no reflection in mirrors. For the residents of Dark Medieval Europe, superstition
The effects of superstitions do not have to be applied holds great power of conviction. Certain rare individuals,
universally. They are often more compelling if their effect through the single-mindedness of their beliefs, can manifest
is limited to certain conditions or unique instances. For this power.
example, perhaps the above reflective property only man- Superstition is modeled on the True Faith power. The
ifests outdoors, in moonlit pools of still water. Better still, easiest way to visualize the use of this ability is to assume that
the effect might be unique to one particular dark tarn that within the presence of the Superstitious individual, one par-
could become an important adventure setting, or perhaps ticular folk belief becomes literally true. An advancing Cainite
even a pilgrimage site for the Damned. An entire chronicle might be checked by a garlic-wielding peasant. He might be
could be built around the rather simple premise of the subtle deafened or driven to panic by the pealing of the churchbells.
and deadly intrigues that develop nightly between a party of The crowing of a cock, even in the dead of night, might be
rival Cainites on pilgrimage. used to banish the vampire back to his coffin.

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 Using Superstition
Superstition is an interesting tool, left deliberately
vague so that creative Storytellers may make use of it
as they see best. It is not quantified even as cursorily
as True Faith, as it is not something that should be
encountered with any degree of frequency. Needless
to say, none of the players’ characters should possess
the Superstition Trait. Ever. Nope. Well, if you really
want to, but then, you get what you deserve.
The exact function of Superstition-based effects
are entirely up to the Storyteller. This intentional
vagueness allows Storytellers to create effects suited
specifically to their chronicles and dramatic necessity.

As with the True Faith power, the Storyteller must take

pains not to overuse Superstition. Used in moderation, it
can provide unique and memorable adversaries. Any indi-
vidual should only be able to manifest a single folk belief.
Even if what is desired is a recurring antagonist of mythic
proportions, it is recommended that he only manifest one
particular superstition during each appearance — preferably
one specifically tailored to the locale or situation at hand.
The Superstition power should be used so rarely that the
unsuspecting Cainite should have no idea what he is up against
or what is truly occurring. This scene should be an absolutely
unnerving experience played for full dramatic effect.
A Storyteller should also keep in mind that there are
other interesting applications of Superstition besides directly
checking or foiling the Cainite. One interesting twist might
be a Superstitious peasant in whose eyes the Cainite takes on
even more epic proportions.
Not only can the superstitions of the peasantry provide
a significant obstacle to the Cainite, but the beliefs of the
Cainites themselves might also pose a challenge. For instance,
although garlic, a cross or running water have no inherent
power over the undying, a vampire might shy away from these
objects due to his own deeply rooted beliefs. This tendency is
heightened in a vampire with a strong mortal background in
folk customs, witchcraft or the occult.
Many superstitious beliefs have special relevance for the
Cainites. Crosses, traditionally used to fend off the Damned,
abound. Ornate crosses decorate rustic shrines and the more
civilized churches. As personal ornaments, crosses of wood,
reed and even precious metals commonly grace necklaces and
brooches. Standing stone crosses can be found scattered about the
countryside, in hamlets, on hilltops, at crossroads. The Damned
must be vigilant lest the shadow of the cross fall upon them.
The cross-piece of an inverted sword is often brandished
to ward off evil and, of course, the peasant is quick to make
the sign of the cross in the presence of temptation and dan-
ger. Even loaves of bread traditionally have the sign of the
cross cut into the top.
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 Drinking from church bells is thought to be a powerful
curative for many ills. But then again, so is drinking from The Four Horsemen of
a human skull — a remedy that might be more ready-to- the Apocalypse
hand for the Cainite. Mortality runs rampant through Dark Medieval Europe.
Another common healing practice, which harbors War, Plague, Famine, Death — the four dark riders — are
some threat for the Cainite, is that of bringing a fire into not mythic characters of some distant prophecy, but rather,
the house to protect a sick child. If the open flame cure permanent residents of the third pillar. They live among the
proved ineffective, the parents might subject the child to peasantry, preying on them daily.
a burial cure. To effect this remedy, the child is laid down The peasant firmly believes that the end is at hand,
in an open grave and then covered with rushes or branches. that the Apocalypse is upon him. What is more difficult
Only when the sun rises is the terrified child raised up again. to understand is that this belief is not seen as unusual, or
There is an entire host of graveyard remedies that often even fanatical. Unlike 20th-century Millennialism, the Dark
brings mortals into the reach of the waking dead. One common Medieval belief that all things are unraveling requires no great
graveside cure is sending a pregnant woman to tread upon the conviction to maintain.
graves to ease her pains or ailments of childbirth. Given the ravages sweeping Europe, this conclusion
Just as the burial grounds have a profound effect on the appears an obvious one. Man — the body, the physical, the
minds of the living, those who lay buried also have a dominant earthly — is wicked and corrupt. The Lord is punishing man
influence. There is a great variety of lore revolving around unto death.
corpse magic. Besides the wealth of information on how to
wake, question or beg favors of the dead, many strange pow- The Cainite Apocalypse
ers are attributed to the physical remains of those who have Cainites have their own legends of the end of the world.
passed away. While mortals look to the Revelation of St. John the Divine, the
It is a well-known “fact” that a corpse will bleed anew vampires have managed to rescue a number of other prophetic
in the presence of his murderer. Similarly, traditions might books from the ravages of time.
bind a neonate to give of his own blood or shed the blood of Perhaps the most famous of these works is the
others at the behest of his sire. much-maligned Book of Nod. Cainite scholars have attacked
House burglars use a peculiar death-magic charm to the cryptic manuscript fragments on many fronts. The most
ensure that the entire household remains asleep while damning criticism centers on the lack of continuity between
they go about their business. By placing a candle in a this document and any known poetic, mystic or prophetic
dead man’s hand, they give uninterrupted slumber for his tradition.
entire household. In defense of the Nod fragments, it must be pointed out
This charm most likely arises from the ghoulish prac- that given the academics’ lack of any detailed knowledge
tice of preying upon the families of the recently deceased. about the lost culture of the First City, it is possible that the
In these cases, the body is most often laid out in the main Nod verses are fine examples of some long-forgotten poetic
room of the house. This magic might also be effected by and prophetic forms.
murdering one of the inhabitants, or alternately, by pay- The dispute is further complicated by the fact that there
ing a visit to one of the household’s deceased relations are a number of known forgeries currently in circulation (the
in the churchyard. Metz Illuminated, the Ninevah tablets, etc.), which can bear
Candlelight and candle magic also have a rich tradition little or no resemblance to the original text.
that might be of concern to the Cainite. Both light and Besides these red herrings, many of the translations thought
flame work a powerful, and often lethal, effect upon the to be authentic have been purposefully obscured in order to
Damned. Likewise, the gemstone amber is thought to be a conceal certain secret traditions. Throughout the ages, many
great ward against evil, probably stemming from its power sects, cults and secret societies have formed around the Nod
to “draw light,” even in a darkened room. The magic of
lore. Each one has jealously guarded its sacred mysteries from
light and flame also call to mind the most menacing of all
the eyes of the uninitiated.
vampiric adversaries — the infamous torch-wielding mob.
The serious scholar of the Cainite Apocalypse has to sneak
Just as the folk beliefs of light and flame may work
up on the Book of Nod. The best way to gauge the value and
their powerful magics against the undying, the folklore of
authenticity of any particular fragment is by examining it in
darkness and night can prove to be a formidable ally. On
light of the other surviving prophetic works.
the night of the new moon, when all the world is in dark-
ness, mortal rulers can be petitioned to grant a boon — a The fragment below is taken from the Fall of Enoch. It
special gift or favor. Presumably, a Cainite prince might is not surprising that Caine, who is the protagonist in the
honor the same tradition. vampire creation myth, has a prominent part to play in this
story of the end of time as well.

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 To date, the main virtue that scholars have found in this By far, the most common reaction to this phenomenon
selection is its unique glimpse of Gehenna — the final Kinslaying. was the belief that a neighboring village was on fire. This
Perhaps more important in these delicate times, however, are the was quite an understandable impression given the number of
disturbing images of Caine as the peasant exalted — the sower and raiding armies ravaging the countryside. The wood-and-thatch
reaper of his own kind. Here all things are inverted. The peasant peasant homes also have a tendency to succumb to the open
has risen up and assumed the mantle of the vengeful master. It flames that were their only source of heat and light.
is not only his own childer who will fall beneath his wrath, but The aurora was commonly believed to be the harbinger
the very structure of our three-pillared society: of the great famine of 1197. War, plague, famine and death
“This is the Endtime. This is the Fading of the Bluid. are never far apart. For the peasant, mortality is a constant
“And in the last days the Master will once again take companion. It is not death that he has difficulty accepting.
up his Tools. The Firmament will tremble and the Erth itself The revelation capable of shaking him to the core is the mon-
will be split asunder. The secret places of the Erth will be cast strous, blasphemous discovery of life everlasting — undeath.
up into the air and the milky-white creatures of darkness will
shriek in the light of day. For it is written that Abel was a The Communion of the Damned
keeper of sheep but Caine was a tiller of the ground. The 12th century is not an easy time to be alive. It is
“The First-Born comes in fury. He harrows his children not surprising that it is a particularly challenging time to be
from their graves. His wrath is like unto a hammer, an unhewn among the undying.
cudgel wet with the Bluid of the Kinslaying. He drives the At first it may seem that the Cainites of this era have little
lighting before him. to fear. They can stand unflinchingly before the advance of
“His voice is a dark wind scouring the plain. At his word, the Four Horsemen who lay low all of mortal kind.
the sky opens raining Bluid upon the furrows he has prepared. The same act that takes a vampire beyond the reach of
His childer raise expectant faces to the Hevens, but they are death, however, severs him from the hope of the life to come.
choked and drowned in the torrent of spilling life. Such is the The Cainite is locked in a perpetual present. The greatest
price of their hungers. challenge of his continued existence is finding justification
“Only then shall Caine unyoke his red-eyed ox, whose for this lingering present.
name is called Gehenna for none may abide its countenance, The fledgling vampire soon discovers that his mortal past
and loose it to graze upon the Plain of Megiddo.” is completely beyond his grasp. He can never go back and,
as the years pass, even the reminders of those bygone days
The Comet Wormwood dwindle away. Old friends and relatives leave this world for
Evidence for the pending Apocalypse is ever close at
the next. The familiar trappings — the tools, the furnishings,
hand. The Revelation foretells the loosing of the Comet
the buildings, even the landscape itself — all undergo dramatic
Wormwood that will appear in the heavens during the final
transformations.
days. The comet is to be a harbinger of great and sweeping
calamities — of seven “plagues” that will devastate the Earth. The stream of time is, ironically, both sluggish and tur-
These disasters will eclipse even the seven plagues that Moses bulent as it passes before his eyes. The only constant amid
visited upon the land of Egypt. the crashing waters is the vampire himself. There is a real
danger that as the last vestiges of his human life slip away, his
In A.D. 1066, a fiery herald appeared in the night sky.
humanity will be lost as well.
It was Halley’s Comet come round for its regular once-every-
76th-year visit. As usual, it brought with it a great public outcry. With all the events of his past rendered irrelevant by the
Throughout Dark Medieval Europe, comets are associated with passing years, each Cainite must grapple with the question
changes of monarchs, plagues, wars, floods and famines. of whether or not his current actions will bear up under the
This visit proved to be no exception. Even the casual scrutiny of time.
student of history recognizes 1066 as the year that witnessed The Dark Medieval peasant is ill-equipped to wrestle
the Norman Conquest of England. This conquest was, in with these particular inner demons. The angst, doubt and
fact, the second major foreign invasion that the island nation existential dilemmas so characteristic of the 19th and 20th
suffered that year. century have little footing here.
Halley’s Comet was not the only fiery omen to appear in These people like order, tradition and hierarchy. Society
the night sky and give birth to widespread rumors that the end exists and works because God himself set it up that way for
was at hand. A great aurora was reported all across Northern man’s benefit. God provided the people with the nobility to
Europe in 1192. Regions as far-scattered as Flanders, Gaul, look after all of their worldly concerns: to make sure everyone
Germany, England and Bohemia reported seeing its manifes- was fed, sheltered and protected. To guide men spiritually and
tations. Some reported a flaming sword or spear standing in gather them closer to Himself, God provided the Catholic
the sky. Others saw ethereal armies clashing. Some perceived Church. The Church is a pivotal force in the life of every
fiery serpents in the display of lights. man, woman, and child in Darkest Europe. It is an anchor.
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Orders of Night The Cainite populations of these major cities are closely
The solitary Cainite peasant is keenly aware of being cast controlled by their princes. This measure allows the prince not
spiritually adrift. Isolation plays heavily on him. The burden only to maintain the delicately balanced predator/prey ratio, but it
is made even heavier by the fact that during his mortal life lets him preserve the political balance of power in his own court.
he has known little or no privacy. The right to create a childe is often a reward for performing some
His entire mortal life has been ordered, and in many ways great service to the Crown. This practice ensures that as the prince
given meaning by, complex interlocking social hierarchies. prospers, his faction multiplies, making the prince more powerful
It is not surprising then, that the Cainite peasant often tries still. A wise prince also uses this privilege to maintain the balance
to ease the pangs of exile by surrounding himself with other of power within his own camp, ensuring that none of his followers
outcasts and creating his own power structure. gains enough strength to make an effective bid for the throne.
The highest level of this structure is occupied by the vam- The second level of the Cainite’s power structure is composed
pire’s own brood. The Cainites of this age, however, are acutely of other Cainites who have sworn the prince fealty. The Cainite
aware that the scattered peasant villages of their domains can is often a being of greatly exaggerated self-importance. The power
barely support and conceal the feeding of a single vampire. This structure he creates around himself is almost exactly the same as
constant awareness of the limits of the available blood supply that of a mortal king. While the ruling vampire princes of Europe’s
makes the Cainite extremely reluctant to sire progeny. capital cities easily wield the power of a king or even an emperor,
This problem is compounded by the dynamics of the for most Cainites such a structure is rooted in pretense.
Cainite family. A wise Cainite never lets his childe wander The top level of the hierarchy, the brood, is analogous
far from his sight. “Keep your childer and your other enemies to Europe’s royal princes. These royal family members are the
well within your reach,” is a well-known Cainite proverb. In highest level of the nobility. The second level of the Cainite’s
practical terms, the only areas that can support two or more power structure is the other Cainites who have sworn the
vampires are the cities and towns. prince fealty, analogous to the lords of the land.
In effect, creating progeny becomes the almost exclusive The feudal oath among Cainites is a looser relationship
privilege of the aristocratic elite — the political infighters than that of its mortal counterpart. Rarely do two vampires
of Europe’s largest courts. This arrangement is expedient for meet outside the context of a city. The Cainite domains stretch
other reasons. These courtiers have the highest attrition rate over large geographic areas. Strong centralized control over
of any of the undying. such far-flung and willful creatures is an implausibility.

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 Furthermore, each scattered domain is recognized as that ants. No one prides himself more on placing a feast before his
Cainite’s sovereign territory. There is more than a touch of guest than the serf who struggles to feed his family each winter.
irony to this admission. The vampires of the countryside are, There is a certain nobility in giving generously — especially
by definition, living outside mainstream urban Cainite society. when the gift clearly exceeds the giver’s means.
They are the outcasts, the outlaws, the pariahs — in short, The relationship between host and guest is a solemn bond
the vampire peasantry. Even the Rottebrittie, the self-styled reminiscent of that between lord and vassal. The guestright is
robber-barons who surround themselves with every luxury only terminated upon the visitor leaving the lord’s domain,
of the noble lifestyle are members of the third pillar. They or upon the guest violating the hostright.
are no more “sovereigns” than the mortal highwaymen are. The visitor initiates the guestright by presenting himself
Intrusions within these rural domains are rare, and all promptly to the host upon entering his domain. The host
encounters tend to be governed by the highly formalized cannot refuse without loss of honor and status, except in cases
system of hostright and guestright. of a great wrong done him in the past by the Cainite on his
A host is expected to provide his guest victims for sus- doorstep. Even in these extreme cases, whether or not to honor
tenance and a secure place to wait out the daylight hours. the request for guestright is something of a moral quandary.
More importantly, the host is responsible to see that no Other serious dilemmas might arise during the visitor’s
insult or harm comes to his guest while the visitor remains stay. If the guest were a fugitive from a neighboring domain,
in the host’s domain. its lord might show up to demand that the offender be
The guest is expected to abide by the rules of his host’s handed over to him. A messenger might arrive from the
domain, to provide news of the lands beyond, and to join his host’s overlord instructing him that this guest should be
host in any entertainment he might devise for them. Further- cast out or detained. Two or more guests might come to
more, the guest must not overstay his welcome nor offer any blows, with the host responsible for seeing that no harm
insult or harm to the host or any other within his domain. come to either of them.
Although the conventions of hostright and guestright may These formalized codes of conduct tend to make most
seem rooted in the genteel and chivalrous, these practices are conflicts between the Cainite more of a battle of wits, politics
most staunchly defended in the cottages of the poorest peas- and manners rather than a bloodbath.

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 Rural vampires who are joined in the feudal bonds will An Oath Beyond Death
traditionally only see each other once each year, on one of the A feudal bond between two Cainites does not imply
four great festivals. The most significant Cainite holidays are the mystic Blood Oath. Although a vassal who is bound
Pentecost and All Saints. It is traditional for the Cainite to by the Oath is valued above all others, save progeny in the
celebrate one of these festivals at the court of his liege lord. A Cainite’s power structure, most feudal relations are of the
lord may alternately require his vassals to attend him for the more mundane variety.
Christmas or Easter feasts. These gatherings are an occasion Among the Cainites, feudal bonds are most often just
for great ceremony, feasting and revelry. an acknowledgment of the superior power of a neighboring
Pentecost is the celebration of the Holy Spirit descending Cainite. If a vampire bests another in personal combat, the
upon Christ’s apostles. The Spirit came to them in tongues of victor may demand that the vanquished immediately swear
flame and empowered them with the spiritual gifts that they fealty or lose his life.
would use to spread Christ’s teachings to the rest of the world. The voluntary method of swearing fealty occurs in a formal
Pentecost is a time for embarking on new projects. A lord ceremony, often coinciding with the culmination of one of
might set challenges and quests before his knights. Vassals the great feast days. The new vassal places his hands between
might request boons from their overlord. those of his lord, literally demonstrating that he has placed
Contemplating the fiery gifts of the Spirit, many Cainites himself in the lord’s hands. The lord then raises him up and
keep in mind the Dark Gift that courses like fire through their greets him as an equal, demonstrating to those assembled that
veins. Some are reminded of just how far from grace they have the vassal is not his servant, but his peer.
fallen and throw themselves into calculated evil and debauchery The vassal is now considered under the lord’s protection
with renewed abandon. Others are reminded that any supernat- and any that harm the servant risk the wrath of the master.
ural gifts carry with them grave responsibilities toward mankind. The vassal is expected to support his liege, to give him news
The Pentecost feasts of the Cainite are easily distinguish- and council and to come to his defense when summoned.
able from their mortal counterparts. Although images of the Fellow Cainites are by far the most dangerous pawns
holy flame are everywhere — tapestries, tablecloths, ornaments that a vampire works into his power structure. Keeping such
and garments display the pattern and colors of fire — woe to powerful and willful creatures in check is a constant struggle.
anyone who brings an open flame into a vampire’s hall. In Most of the immortal lords are relieved when their vassals
some regions, custom dictates that the candlesticks on the return to their own scattered holdings at the conclusion of
Cainite’s table stay empty and inverted as a symbol of this ban. the festival.
The feast of All Saints is a celebration of redemption from
darkness. It is significant that the revel of the Dark Medieval Dame Fortuna
Cainite is not All Hallows Eve, a festival marking the closest In translation, Dame Fortuna is most often rendered “Lady
point of proximity between the realms of the dead and the living. Luck.” In Dark Medieval Europe, we might use the literal “Miss
The cavorting witches, ghosts and goblins of All Hallows Fortune.” Fortuna holds aloft a great wheel. Representatives
Eve are not banished, but rather, transformed in the radiance of from each of the three pillars cling to its edge. Each rises and
All Saints. They are revealed to be mere discontented mortals falls in turn as the wheel spins.
who seek profit through bringing misery and misfortune to their The Wheel of Life is populated with a host of colorful
fellows. The light that reveals their crouched, twisted forms is the and subtly disturbing characters, each grand and tragic. The
juxtaposition to those who have transcended the mere mortal lifestyle of the rural serf might seem unromantic and somewhat
through selfless sacrifice and service— the company of the saints. limiting to the power-craving lords of the dead.
All Saints can be a very humbling occasion for the The burgeoning new urban areas provide many opportuni-
Damned. Some Cainites go out of their way to avoid these ties and viable character concepts for the Cainite. Journeyman
festivities altogether. The recrimination is all too clear: Vio- artisans and craftsmen enjoy a greater measure of freedom and
lence toward one’s fellow man is the Cainite’s only sustenance. mobility than their agrarian cousins. Traders and merchants,
The vampire is really nothing more than a corpse without although still seen as engaging in “dirty work,” are beginning
sense enough to lie still. to come into their own with the establishment of overland
Many vampires, however, are willing to suffer these and sea trade routes to the East and Near East.
unspoken accusations. It is a small penance for the atrocities The third pillar is also a veritable rogues’ gallery of the
they commit each night. Many take comfort in the example of dispossessed. Here reside the outcasts, freaks and scavengers
the saints, that through grace and good works even the most living on the fringe of society. Uncounted refugees, lepers
Damned might be redeemed. Even if the Cainite believes the and pariahs; heretics, outlaws and poltroons; usurers, cripples,
door of redemption is forever barred to him, he might aspire to hags, beggars, hermits, village idiots — all cling precariously
become an exemplar, a dark angel leading others toward the light. to the Great Wheel. Shrewd players will find among these
This kind of struggle beyond the threshold of hope is the colorful individuals not only a source of prey, but compelling
stuff of which saints are made. character concepts as well.
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 The Plague Cross
As plague and famine cast their shadows across Eu-
rope, a new and grisly realism creeps into even the most
transcendent spiritual art. The plague cross depicts a
skeletal Christ, each bone of his feet and ribs clearly vis-
ible. This symbol is a reminder that the harsh necessities
of the peasant lifestyle infiltrate every aspect of the Dark
Medieval European setting.
One of the most important factors to keep in mind when
running a chronicle in Darkest Europe is that the role of the
peasantry is far greater than just providing a host of memo-
rable characters. The peasantry is so pervasive that it can be
used as a tool to establish the entire tone of a specific locale.
Consider a group of characters entering a remote vil-
lage for the first time. It is shortly after nightfall, not a soul
is abroad. As they approach, a solitary horse gallops past,
dragging its unresisting rider behind it. It then vanishes
soundlessly into the wood.
This disturbing image will form the characters’ first
impression of the village. If the symbol is strong enough, it
will color all of their subsequent impressions.
Each location within a chronicle should feature a unique
and compelling central image. Many common sights that
would not have caused a traveler to bat an eye can be used
to haunting effect. The draping of a chapel for Lent, for
instance, can produce a powerful reaction as each of the
sculpted figures is covered in a shroud.
In the churchyard, one might come across a family
picnicking among the tombstones. At night, lights in the
churchyard might herald a mob gathering to exhume the
corpse of one suspected of being a vampire. Witnessing
the brutal ritual of decapitation and staking can be quite a
disturbing experience for the Cainite.
An abandoned village can also have an eerie effect.
Fields that sit untended with wheat rotting on the stalk can
be played for great dramatic effect. Nor are the characters
likely to forget the black-eyed child staring vacantly up at
them from the bottom of the village well.
In areas suffering from famine, human meat might be
found for sale in the marketplace. Flocks of dark children
descend like crows onto the fields of corn. The shepherd
dozing on the serene hillside might on closer inspection turn
out to be a rotting corpse.
Even innocuous daylight activities become sinister under
the cover of darkness. The farmer carting lye at midnight, two
men playing cards in the woods by lantern light, a man burying
a sealed jar — all give an air of uneasiness to the proceedings.
Common folk merely going about their business can take
on ominous overtones. A farmer sharpening a plowshare, or a
leper ringing a bell to warn of his approach, the servant setting
an extra place for Death at the table’s foot, can be as alarming as
the cross or stake that repeatedly peeks from beneath a certain
villager’s garment each time he bends or shifts.
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 Storytellers should not hesitate to occasionally push this Perhaps the characters can pursue and intercept the beast,
imagery into the realm of the surreal or fantastic. A farmer immediately involving them in the plot. Furthermore, that
at the edge of the Black Forest might be seen sowing a field horse, its rider, something in its saddlebags, or perhaps some-
with goblin’s teeth. An old man might whittle creatures that thing stolen from them, should be central to the adventure
scurry away as soon as he sets them down. A cat might speak that waits ahead in the village.
with the stolen voices of children. It is important to remember that in any Dark Medieval setting,
Each of these initial haunting glimpses can also pro- the scene is always set by the peasantry. The peasants are so pervasive
vide story hooks, embroiling the characters into the plot or that they are both backdrop and Greek chorus — simultaneously
foreshadowing later dramatic developments. The horse that setting the scene and interpreting it as well. The peasantry is a rich
rode through, dragging its rider, need not be merely a device source of material to develop a strong sense of character, setting, plot
thrown in for atmosphere. and even theme that will enrich any chronicle.

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 The Lord’s Man
Quote: Your wisdom is fair and just, my lord, but might I recommend a more…
final solution?
Prelude: Backbreaking labor — a great deal of it — monopolized your youth,
as it did with many of the other children in the castle’s village. You grew to despise
your lot at a very young age, and while working the fields you looked longingly
at the castle and imagined the marvelous life surely therein.
Time did not improve your toil. Rather, it added to the work and
responsibility you bore. Like any good man, you married and fathered
children of your own, and put them to work in the same fields you
tended as a youth, there at the very edge of town.
Fate had not finished with you yet, however; there were other
blights in store for you aside from the mundane grind of peasant
life. One night, you tarried too late in the field and failed to heed
the setting sun’s warning to retire indoors. As if forewarned of your
nocturnal dalliance, a feral monster lurked just beyond the copse
of trees at the end of your fields and in an instant, your menial
worries were over…
…or they would have been, were your attacker less careless.
In the struggle, you managed to wound the monster who slew you,
and as she left you lying in the field and walked away, the tiniest drop of
her blood found its way into your gaping mouth.
You arose from the site of your murder as a ravenous beast, and
slaked your thirst on pigs and cows. After you regained your senses, you
realized that someone would have to account for the animals’ slaughter
— and it certainly wasn’t going to be you. You found a suitable patsy,
turned him over to the lord that same night, and became a valued, loyal
member of the lord’s house for your efforts.
It is a position you keep to this very night.
Concept: Kings are always the first targets, but kingmakers never enter
the assassin’s list. Though you don’t pull the lord’s strings, you nonetheless
enjoy privileges untasted by others, and you operate with a degree of legal
autonomy. Of course, many other peasants loathe sycophants like you, and for
very good reason.… You are a vulture among wolves and sheep, and you love it.
Roleplaying Hints: Though you are thoroughly Damned by the curse
of Caine, there are others among the wretched flock of peasants who deserve
death and torment at your hands. As God has cursed you, so shall you plague
those who have escaped His notice — and make the best of your time doing it.
You are cunning, clever and insidious, and this reputation follows you, making
you unpopular among the other members of the third pillar. Perhaps it is best
that you are under the lord’s protection.
Equipment: Patched clothing cast-offs, shortsword, leather hauberk

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Name: Nature: Survivor Generation: 9th
Player: Demeanor: Rogue Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Gangrel Concept: Lord’s Man

Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength___________________
OOOOOO Charisma__________________
OOOOOO Perception_________________
OOOOOO
Dexterity___________________
OOOOOO Manipulation_______________
OOOOOO Intelligence_________________
OOOOOO
Stamina____________________
OOOOOO Appearance________________
OOOOOO Wits____________________
OOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting____________________
OOOOOO Animal Ken________________
OOOOOO Academics_________________
OOOOOO
Alertness__________________
OOOOOO Archery____________________
OOOOOO Hearth Wisdom_____________
OOOOOO
Athletics___________________
OOOOOO Crafts_____________________
OOOOOO Investigation________________
OOOOOO
Brawl______________________
OOOOOO Etiquette___________________
OOOOOO Law_______________________
OOOOOO
Dodge_____________________
OOOOOO Herbalism__________________
OOOOOO Linguistics__________________
OOOOOO
Empathy___________________
OOOOOO Melee_____________________
OOOOOO Medicine___________________
OOOOOO
Intimidation________________
OOOOOO Music_____________________
OOOOOO Occult_____________________
OOOOOO
Larceny____________________
OOOOOO Ride_______________________
OOOOOO Politics____________________
OOOOOO
Leadership_________________
OOOOOO Stealth____________________
OOOOOO Science____________________
OOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________
OOOOOO Survival___________________
OOOOOO Seneschal__________________
OOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
__________________________
Fortitude OOOOOO __________________________
Generation OOOOO Conscience___________
OOOOO
__________________________
Protean OOOOOO __________________________
Influence OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
Resources OOOOO Self-Control_________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO
Courage___________________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

__________________________
OOOOOO Humanity
__________________________ Bruised
__________________________
OOOOOO
O O O O O O O O O O Hurt -1
__________________________
OOOOOO
Injured -1
__________________________
OOOOOO
Wounded -2
Willpower
__________________________
OOOOOO
Mauled -2
__________________________
OOOOOO O O O O O O O O O O Crippled -5
__________________________
OOOOOO
Incapacitated
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO Weakness
Blood Pool
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO

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THREE PILLARS

120
 Full little he thinketh on my
coming.
His mind is on fleshly lusts
and his treasure…
— Anonymous, Everyman

THE ITALIAN CITY-STATES

THE ITALIAN CITY-STATES

121
121
Introduction: a bit like a government and a little like a club. There are both
urban and rural communes — but only the ones managing cit-

What Are the ies are important for our purposes. In the city-states, the term
usually indicates not only all the people in the city, but their

Italian City-States?
The Italian city-states are tiny nations. At the dawn of the
government as well. In fact, one might say the commune is
the city-state and vice versa, except for one crucial fact: Not
everyone in the city is a member of the commune. Usually
13th century, there are literally hundreds of city-states — some only the eligible males of the main city belong to one, and it
only a few miles across, a few respectably large — each a tiny, rules over not just the city itself, but the whole state, including
self-governing and fiercely patriotic republic, with its own sense the surrounding countryside and lesser towns.
of culture and history. They have town councils, administrative Over time, communes have experimented with various
podestà and open-air assemblies. While far from egalitarian, the organs of government. Until the 12th century, cities were rep-
cities are the closest thing to functioning democracies (or at resented by their bishops and a handful of the richer citizens.
least oligarchies) in Dark Medieval Europe. The city-states are Now there are a plethora of different kinds of secular officials
anomalies in a feudal world. Only the power vacuum between — from the more old-fashioned consuls to the newer podestàs
Imperial Germany and the Kingdom of Sicily makes their exis- and the lawyers and notaries who manage it all. Church bishops,
tence possible. Indeed, they thrive exclusively in the northern meanwhile, have diminished in secular power — although
and central areas of the Italian peninsula. Many cities have they remain and always will be people of great importance.
recently been absorbed in name, if not in fact, by the newly
ascendant Papal States. Vibrant, violent places, the Italian The Assembly & the Council
cities build marvelous cathedrals beside their town squares, In the earliest days of urban communes, when cities
elect councils, pass laws, wage wars — and fight to survive. were small, it was still practical to gather all the adult male
Powerful and quarrelsome magnates wrack the cities from citizens into some sufficiently large, open space and hold a
within. Families fight each other in the streets, using mobs of de- debate. Naturally, the more powerful citizens would sway
pendents like armies, retreating to private towers when battles go much of the opinion — sometimes they even made most of
the decisions by themselves. Such general assemblies, how-
badly. From without, the cities war with each other and countryside
ever, tended to be loud and fractious — imagine a thousand
alike. Potent neighbors to the north and south threaten to disband
angry people all shouting at the top of their lungs! — and a
their councils and return them to the shackles of feudal rule.
more refined form of representation, the council, soon took
It is an exciting time and place to be mortal or Cainite.
over the daily business of government. In 1197, general
The future unfolds more rapidly here than elsewhere — and
assemblies are only called for the ratification of important
is more pliant to the hands of those who would shape it. decisions and on special occasions.

The Mortal Life

Cainites rule by night, but by day humans govern them-
The makeup of the council varies significantly from city
to city. In some cities, the council has only a handful of mem-
bers; in others, several hundred. In some places, the council
selves. The achievements of the Italian city-states belong far is elected, either directly or through an elaborate process. In
more to mortals than to the children of Caine. Herein we others, the council selects its own successors. Members or
explore the world of the living, the cities they have made for electors are often chosen by lot. In some locales, a particular
themselves, their manner of life, government and the customs family or institution always has one or more councilors — or is
that separate them from one another. banned from the council altogether. Variations are practically
endless, and most communes change the rules of the game
Anatomy of a City-State every few years, searching for just the right constitution, or
to reflect changes in political influence.
Compared to you, Athens and Lacedaemon,
though civil cities, with their ancient laws, The council, in all its myriad of forms, is the true gov-
had merely sketched the life of righteousness; ernmental heart of any 13th-century commune. It decides
for you devise provisions so ingenious— everything. Most communes busily engage in the creation
whatever threads October sees you spin, of their own civil and criminal codes of law, passing statutes
when mid-November comes, will be unspun. as the need or the mood takes them. In cases where their
own local law has no precedent, they usually turn to ancient
— Dante addressing Florence, The Inferno VI, translated
Roman examples or to traditional customs. The council also
by Allen Mandelbaum.
regulates street plans, dictates the appearance of private
As a political institution, the city-state is a hodgepodge. No buildings, supervises the construction of public works (such
one designed the city-state; it grew into its present shape. At its as walls, cathedrals and aqueducts), conducts foreign policy,
heart is a peculiar institution known as a commune — a word hires the podestà and other officials, and decides on matters
that literally means “an association of people.” A commune is of war and peace.
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The Consuls
The earliest executive office that the city-states created
for themselves is the consul, so named after an ancient Roman
office. The consulate is a nebulously defined post and the
subject of constant tinkering in most communes. Sometimes
there is one consul, sometimes several dozen. (Old Republican
Rome had two consuls, so many communes flirt with that
number.) Consuls are either commonly elected directly, by
the acclimation of the people (this practice involves getting
the whole city in a square, to cheer or boo as the spirit moves
them) or indirectly, by the city’s councilmen. In the latter
case, the council selects the consuls and then presents them
for approval in the assembly. Unless the crowd is markedly
hostile, the consul will be proclaimed “elected” regardless of
the actual cheering. Certain cities elect them by class, with
a fixed number from each group. Because there are often
multiple consuls, drawn from the wealthiest and most fractious
classes, disputes between equal consuls are common, much to
the consternation of the commune itself.
Consuls manage the city’s finances, conduct negotiations
and act as judges. (By 1197, many cities also have judicial
consuls.) In times of war, they act as generals. Most city-states,
however, place limits on a consul’s freedom of action. The
assembly or council can often override a consul’s decision or
remove him from office altogether.
The Podesta
Many communes have grown tired of the office of consul
and its inevitable problems. These communes instead turn to
a new office — that of the podestà — to solve their woes. A
podestà is a single person, elected to serve as chief administrator
of a commune. He is always hired from outside the commune
himself. The podestà’s tenure is always short (six months to
a few years) and there is usually a review of his performance
before he leaves. The same person may never serve two terms
in a row. In this way, the podestà is supposed to be impartial and
incorruptible, even while control of the whole administrative
apparatus is invested in his single person. The institution
of the podestà becomes increasingly common in the latter
decades of the 12th century and has almost entirely replaced
the consulate by early in the 13th.
Communes usually invite podestà from other nearby cities.
The podestà-elect is frequently a noble and has probably worked
as an administrator or podestà elsewhere. (In fact, as this office
becomes more entrenched, certain nobles start to work as
professional administrators-for-hire.) Occasionally, another
member of the candidate’s family may be acceptable — “I can’t
work this month; will you take my son instead?” — as arranged
between the candidate and the commune. If the official performs
the job adequately, he might be hired again (once the waiting
period has elapsed), perhaps even several times. On the other
hand, incompetent or rebellious podestà can be summarily fired.
A podestà’s duties and powers are much the same as the
consul’s, but there is only one podestà, and he is unquestionably
the council’s inferior.
THE ITALIAN CITY-STATES

123
 The Popolo
Part trade union, part political party, part militia and part
revolution, the popolo is a state within a state. It is the organization
by which the “middle-class” guildsmen defend themselves from
the truly wealthy. At the turn of the 13th century, the popolo is
still relatively weak. In most city-states, a popolo comes about
when, fearing oppression from the magnates, the poor people
in the city and the countryside form a kind of militia. In joining
the popolo, an individual artisan or farmer agrees to fight (if need
be) in the popular infantry. This defensive league has gradually
accumulated peace-time functions. As the 13th century waxes,
the guilds dominate the politics increasingly within the popolo,
which meets in legislative bodies and passes regulations for its
members. (The truly poor are excluded from popolo politics;
it is run by the “middle class.”) In some cities, the popolo has
become so successful that it gets seats on the council by default.
Popoli take an extremely hostile view toward the rich. Their
statutes often dictate death (carried out by the popolo) against
any noble who kills a member. On the council, they often push
for greater numbers of popolo representatives, or even the total
expulsion of all non-popolo members from government office.
Thus, while the popolo protects the middle class (a rare thing in
Dark Medieval Europe), it is also a constant source of friction
(and violence) in communes where it is strong.

Siena: The Evolution of a Commune

Siena, a Tuscan hill-town, neatly illustrates the
evolution of Dark Medieval town government and the
nuances that Storytellers should be aware of as they
research their chronicle’s setting.
Until the 12th century, Siena was ruled by Carolingian
or Lombard lords, but these lords, being remote from the
city, gradually waned in power. The Sienese bishop, too,
owned much of the local land and had a strong say in early
town government. But by 1125, the most important local
men, with the aid of consuls, ruled the city. In 1170,
the consuls proved powerful enough to temporarily
expel the bishop. The final blow for the bishop came
in 1186: The Emperor Frederick Barbarossa tried and
failed to subdue Siena by force. The siege ended with
an official recognition of Siena’s independence and a
forfeiture of the bishop’s land rights. The Sienese also
took advantage of the occasion to replace their consul
with a podestà.
The constitution was again rewritten in 1233, this time
to accommodate the new power of the popolo. Its captain
became an official officer of the state, and the council’s
number set at 24, half of which were members of the popolo
and the other half grandi, or representatives of the rich.
By 1285, the popolo supplants the grandi altogeth-
er, removing them from government and creating a
self-appointing council of nine, an arrangement that
lasts until nearly the 11th century.

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The Contado Society in the City-States
Most city-states lay claim to the territory that surrounds
Within a commune, the three orders of Dark Medieval
them: fields, farmlands, castles, villages and even smaller towns.
society still exist, but the distinction between nobility and com-
The countryside is indispensable to a commune; it is a tax base,
moner is often blurred. In the communes, there exist nobles so
a source of recruits and the producer of food. The city-states are
poor that they must be given clothing suitable to their station,
currently engaged in a battle to expand the area they control.
commoners who equip themselves as knights and guilds whose
Most believe that they have a right to anything within the bounds
express purpose is to humble the mighty. Street corners bristle
of their bishop’s diocese — regardless of existing feudal claims.
with fortified towers, and violence is everywhere.
This zone of influence is called the contado. If a city-state can, it
forces existing counts, nobles and villages to voluntarily swear The Nobility
allegiance. Thus, the city itself becomes their feudal lord. Many Certain city-dwelling families come from noble lineages.
communes engage in warfare against smaller cities or landed Many hold extensive lands beyond the city walls and may pos-
nobles, trying to snatch away property and power. It is common sess their own castles or other traditional fortifications there.
to find smaller communes within the contado of a larger city; Some were once petty (or not so petty!) lords overtaken by the
these smaller cities have agreed to or been forced to give up expanding commune’s power. Many a lording has found that
their independence. They must often pay some tax or levy and alliance or submission to a city-state offers advantages — hardly
accept a podestà nominated by their master city. Eventually, the least of which is continued possession of their property.
however, the major cities will find they have nothing left to Others come from the lesser orders of nobility — knightships
subdue — and then they will be at each other’s throats. and the like. They can ply their trades like everyone else in
Inhabitants of the contado are at the mercy of the ruling town. the city, though they are often considerably richer. Noble
Only rarely are they granted citizenship or a voice in commune families of all orders have resided in the city for generations,
affairs, and their lives and property are ruthlessly manipulated if not centuries.
for the city’s benefit. Starving farmers must watch their grain In the period circa 1197, nobles make up the majority of
being hauled away for others to eat, while local artisans find most governing councils, and it is from their ranks that im-
themselves forced to trade exclusively with the mother town. portant offices such as consul and judge are most often filled.
Furthermore, nobles are currently the mainstay of a commune’s
cavalry. Horses and armor are expensive, and communes require
Guelphs or Ghibellines? the richer nobles to maintain a working set. However, the
Two terms are ubiquitous in histories of Italy — noble population is on the wane. The number of truly noble
Guelph and Ghibelline. They refer to succession crises of families appears to be shrinking; diminished, say the wags, by
the Holy Roman Empire. “Guelph” is a corruption of Welf, as much as a third or more.
a German family, and “Ghibelline” is a corruption of Italian nobles are unique in that they do not disdain
Waiblingen. Guelph and Ghibelline are labels, referring participation in trade. Many act as merchants or bankers, sup-
to a person’s political sentiments. Guelphs are roughly plementing the income from their land holdings. The stigma
pro-Papal, while Ghibellines are roughly pro-Imperial. for these un-noble activities is far lower in the communes than
While the words do not come into common use elsewhere in Europe, and, while many nobles deem trade as
until the mid-13th century, the sentiments they embody theoretically unworthy of their time, few abstain altogether.
are very much alive by 1197. It is easy to see why: The
Italian city-states are sandwiched between two strong The Wealthy
powers — the papacy and the empire. City factions A new class of persons has begun to usurp the traditional
favoring one power or the other arise quite naturally, prerogatives of the nobility — those who are wealthy but have
then they are perpetuated through family and national no formal title. In practice, they are noble in all but name.
rivalry. If a city’s ruling family is pro-Imperial, its op- They own land, engage in large-scale and long-distance trade,
position is likely to be pro-Papal. Likewise, if one city act as bankers, cultivate family reputations, and generally lord
in a province is pro-Papal, its rival city is likely to be it over poorer folks. They have gradually acquired seats on
pro-Imperial. Things get complex when you consider the councils and filled offices of state. The wealthy, however,
that every “Ghibelline” city’s opposition “Guelph” are often newcomers. The city-states have expanded rapidly
party probably has contacts or gets aid from other cities throughout the 12th century; each new influx includes humble
where “Guelphs” predominate. families that make their fortunes. The families are quickly, if
Cruel Storytellers take note! You can embroil your grudgingly, absorbed into the ruling elites. Most governments
players in rivalries — not just about local politics — admit all citizens of good reputation and a substantial income
but by what they casually say about an empire several into that privileged circle known as “leading men” or “good
hundred miles away. men of the people.” Such folk possess legal privileges above
those of ordinary commoners — and special obligations as well.
THE ITALIAN CITY-STATES

125
 In such an environment, the wealthy may easily gain noble themselves, allocating communal offices among themselves,
status. One way is to marry into an older family, but this is not or they may make war with each other, besieging their urban
common. Another is for a family to simply invent “noble” origins for fortresses and murdering each other in the streets.
themselves — a form of self-aggrandizement. Recently, communes
have knighted those commoners who can afford to maintain a The Humble
horse and harness, the better to bolster the state’s military might. The bulk of the populace consists of people of more vulgar
Naturally, the nobility detests wealthy commoners, but professions. Much of the population own land or are engaged
they usually cannot hinder the newcomers’ rise or prevent in agriculture; some, indeed, are little better than peasants,
their access to the organs of government. Besides, only a few commuting daily to their fields, while others live off the
generations need pass before the commoner family is accepted proceeds of the small plots they lease to even poorer families.
by the older blood of the city, and both can focus their hatred Others engage in crafts of one sort or another (smithing is
on the latest crop of newcomers. very popular) or shopkeeping. It is extremely common for
people to mix two or more of these activities. A man could,
Families and Their Powers for example, be both an artisan and a covert moneylender, or
Now one day, [Michele Scalza] was with some friends of his at a notary and a minor land-holder.
Montughi, and they happened to start an argument over which was While ordinary citizens do not wield the power of the
the most ancient and noble family in Florence. Some maintained it great, they nonetheless have many chances to participate in
was the Ubert, some of the Lamberti, and various other names were the political life of the city. Neighborhoods in the city offer
tossed into the discussion, more or less at random. posts as watchmen, supervisors of various public functions
Scalza listened to them for a while, then he started grinning, (“keeper of the streets!”), small advisory groups and the like.
and said: Most of the humble know everyone in the city by sight — in-
“Get along with you, you ignorant fools, you don’t know cluding the great — and often have the ears of the patrons or
what you’re talking about. The ancient and most noble family, not are used as makeshift infantry for street warfare. Furthermore,
only in Florence, but in the whole wide world, is the Baronci.… many cities still possess a general assembly, which all citizens
As you are aware, the older the family, the more noble it is, and may (or must) attend. The mood of the crowd, the strength
everyone agreed just now that this was so. Since the Baronci are of their acclamations or the harshness of their silence often
older than anyone else, they are ipso facto more noble…the fact of determines the course of public politics.
the matter is that when the Lord God created the Baronci, He was
still learning His craft, whereas He created the rest of mankind after The Clergy
He had mastered it. If you don’t believe me, picture the Baronci to The clergy of the Italian communes are not much differ-
yourselves and compare them to other people…” ent than clergy elsewhere. In Rome, of course, the presence
of Pope and curia means a higher proportion of clergy to laity
–– Boccaccio, The Decameron 6:6, translated by G. H.
and an increase in the clergy’s political power. In years gone
McWilliam
by, bishops played an important role as representatives of their
A commune’s leading families — whether noble or common;
respective communes. Now the podestà and consuls have mostly
whether there are four or 20, or only one, of them — dominate
usurped the position of city executive. In all cities not under
city life. A single wealthy family can own so much farmland interdict, however, life goes on, and the clergy, the educated,
and control so many jobs that supporters rally around them. A elite, undisputed spiritual guardians, go about their daily work
patron family is an employer, a guardian and a political party all of Mass and saving souls.
in one. Bread for the poor, support for the oppressed, offices for
the ambitious: These are all tangible rewards of service. And Family
when the carrot does not serve, the stick often suffices. When the Italian family is unabashedly patriarchal and patrilineal
commune is weak, the rich can murder the poor with impunity — the oldest living male is the head of the family. This pater-
and act without regard to law. When times are troubled or the familias controls all the money and family property. What is
commune strong, the rich can retreat to their urban towers and more, he rules over his wife, his children, his grandchildren and
call mobs of followers to their defense. The poor have little choice sometimes even his younger brothers and sisters. A husband
but to accept whatever fate the rich give them. controls his wife’s dowry and any property she brings into the
Around the turn of the 13th century, before the popolo family. A father manages his sons’ incomes and even decides
reaches full strength, the great families control the councils what professions they may or may not pursue. If they rebel,
and other offices of government unchecked. In these small he can have them thrown into prison. It does not matter
worlds, the network of extended family is a sure way to ad- how adult any of these people become — grown children and
vancement and a ready source of political allies. Who can grown grandsons are still subject to their patriarch’s authority.
one trust, if not one’s own father, brother or cousin? Politics The only escape is marry into some other family (if you are
within the commune are often marked by diplomacy or war woman), or to wait until the old man dies (if you are a man)
between the leading families. They may make peace among or to move far away (if you are either).

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 Bear in mind that not only do moralists consider this restrictive Work
arrangement right and proper, so do most “ordinary” people. Many Most work in the Dark Medieval city-states is done from the
hope that by behaving justly toward their elders, they may one home. Artisans tend to keep their workshops and storerooms in
day be treated well by their children (or at least, go to Heaven).
their house or in a series of rooms in the same building. Typical
In the meantime, the paterfamilias can manage the family’s
domestic activities such as spinning and weaving can easily slide
resources to help its members. He can use these resources to
over into commercial ventures. Bankers, moneylenders and the like
help a struggling cousin, pay for a grandson’s education or
keep their books and money in the house — where else would they
advance the family business. The converse, of course, is that
he can arbitrarily punish sons or daughters that he dislikes. be safe? The obvious exceptions are farmers, who must commute to
Few like to think about the possibilities. (Thus, the likelihood their farms (a peculiarity of the Italian city-states), and merchants
of patricide is probably higher than it would be otherwise.) with substantial, bulky stock to store and transport.
Family unity goes beyond the institution of the paterfamil- Friends
ias. Married sons often live with their wives in their father’s People of the city-states form other associations. Young folk
house. Even when the father is dead, young brothers often live gather with others of their own sex. Unmarried women go to church
together in the same household after marriage, so as to keep together (or partake in other reputable outings). Under-aged men
family wealth together. Even after they part ways, brothers have more freedom, often forming cliques or even violent gangs.
and cousins often pool their wealth, so as to keep the family (Such roving hoodlums are a danger day and night.) Older men
strong. Such measures are necessary in a hostile world. and women may have similar (if less formally organized) societies.
The Blood Feud Entire families may associate with each other, buying a fortified
Families protect their own. The blood feud is a living tradition house together or agreeing to support one another in all things.
in Italy. Harm one member of a family, especially an important Finally, dice games, illegal but tolerated, are a common way to
one, and you have gained a lasting enmity. Warring families may spend one’s few hours of spare time.
murder their enemies in the street or take other acts of vengeance.
And, of course, each blow is met...which leads to more violence.
The Guilds
When the combatants are rich, with many dependents, the results Guilds are just starting to come into power and prominence
can be particularly devastating — which is why most rich families’ in the communes. Most major crafts have guilds, as do the Judges
houses are fortified like urban castles. Violence is thus endemic and Notaries. Italian guilds engage in the same self-regulation and
to the city-states and murder is common. monopolistic practices as do guilds elsewhere in Europe.
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 Common Professions
Listed below are some of the more common profes- Moneylender: Yet another seemingly narrow category
sions in a city-state — just the kind of thing that’s handy that turns out to include a wide spectrum of people. Not
for a prelude, for fleshing out a favorite ghoul or even just everyone who lends money need be rich, or need to rely
spicing up the occasional encounter on the night streets. on the practice for their living. True, some wealthy fam-
Remember, too, that a person can have more than one ilies establish houses all over Europe, relying on the trust
“profession,” and people in communes often have more inherent in the familial bond to lend and loan money over
than a single source of income. wide distances, and often they also deal in letters of credit
Peasant: In Italy, many peasants live within the or other forms of assurance. Through the townhouses of
walls of the nearest city, commuting daily to their fields. a single family, travelers can deposit gold in Flanders and
Sometimes the walk can take an hour or more — a tedious exchange a certificate for gold with the same family in
arrangement, but the price is often worthwhile. In times of Tuscany, thereby alleviating themselves of the need to
war, city walls provide protection, and, as a citizen of the carry money with them. Such banking is one reason for
commune, a peasant can often escape feudal duties. For this the rise of the city-states. Yet, equally typical is the artisan
reason, and because its leaders are often landholders, the who occasionally lends a few silver coins every so often to
communes periodically restrict immigration. Conversely, peasants or to her neighbors. The Church frowns on such
in uncertain times, communes will forcibly import peasants practices, calling them usury, but most moneylenders have
to secure their own grain supplies. found ways of staying out of trouble. One popular method
Rentier: Basically a landlord, a rentier charges other is to figure the total price of the loan (with interest) into
people to use her property. Depending on the amount of a document of debt; no one may then check to see how
property she owns, the rentier might live like a queen or much money was actually lent, although they can witness
barely eke out a living. People of all classes and genders the amount due.
can be rentiers; a wealthy merchant might own several Notary: A notary witnesses and records legal and
buildings, a peasant a field and cottage; a noble, whole trade agreements. His records might then be called for by
swaths of countryside; a widow might mind her dead officials at some later date. Most Italian cities boast a host
husband’s property. of part-time notaries, few of whom are noble. Notaries tend
Artisan: The term artisan covers a wide range of to be inveterate politicians and often sit in as observers
crafts — pottery, smithing, tanning, etc. Each craft has and commentators at council meetings.
an attendant guild that organizes its members and fixes Judge: This term typically designates not an appointed
wages and prices. official, but a lawyer. “Judges” must master not only the
Merchant: A wealthy class, Italian merchants may be many (sometimes an absurd number) laws passed by their
found all over Dark Medieval Europe. Merchants typically own communes, but also old Roman law, which most cities
travel much, carrying their products with them. Most use to supplement local law. Judging is a rich person’s job
trade only in a well-defined area around their own town, — who else would have the time and education to carry it
and deal mostly in commodities (foodstuffs and the like). out? Judges are typically the sons of the nobility but trained
Others deal with the exotic Muslims, exchanging spices as secular clerks, rather than as knights or as clergymen,
and gold for European cloth. The overseas trade is risky, and this, combined with their work’s importance, makes
but extremely lucrative. them especially powerful.

The Physical Environment The Basics

Every city-state is different. Each has its own artistic tradi- Medieval Italian cities are, by 20th-century standards,
tions, its own landmarks, its own effect on the eye. Nevertheless, small.
city-states have a certain basic anatomy. All cities have places Most have under 20,000 people. Almost anybody of any
where people congregate: where they worship and where they consequence knows everybody else of consequence. People
live. These locations have an enormous influence on the lives see their leaders almost daily, passing them in the street and
of the local folk, shaping the way they think and talk. Just as the knowing them by sight. Patrons probably know all of their
mall and the interstate define 20th-century suburbia, so, too, do dependents personally. Anonymity is hard to come by. Within
the duomo and piazza define life in a commune. What follows one’s own class and city quarter, at the very least, people can
is the archetype of a medieval Italian city. Many cities differ put a name and family history to every face. It’s much like
from it in the particulars, but as a generalization, it allows one small-town life anywhere. Gossip travels unimpeded, rumors
to begin to understand what life in a commune is all about. circulate and rivalries flourish for generations.
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 All activity is crammed into a tiny space. A person can and its inhabitants as it wishes. Usually, this means three days
walk across even the largest commune, going from gate to gate, of raping and looting, the capture of important citizens for
in a half hour or so. City walls are extensive, and nobody really ransom and the murder of most other city-folk. In peacetime,
wants to be stuck outside if there is a siege, so the tendency is danger comes from fires (which can gut an entire city), disease,
to make existing buildings taller rather than expanding the city random violence and robbery.
horizontally. (There are exceptions, of course; some cities build
spacious walls, expecting a corresponding increase in popula- The Piazza
tion. They may then be stuck with idle land they cannot use A piazza is an open space or square in the city. Most cities
in upcoming years.) Such congestion leads to disease and filth. have a large piazza for the whole community, and maybe a few
Sewers disappeared with the Romans. The place for garbage smaller ones here and there. They are good places to meet
is the street; urine and feces rain down once the chamber-pot people, hold gatherings, sell wares or just escape the omnipres-
is full. Wild animals, like rats and dogs, make their living off ent claustrophobia of the streets for a time. Sometimes piazze
human waste. Lice and fleas spread sickness to the people, and are the scenes for festivals, assemblies or public tortures and
there’s often dysentery in the water. The stench is indescribable, executions. The piazza is usually swept free of garbage daily.
though (presumably) the inhabitants are used to it. The Councilhouse
Paradoxically, life in a city-state is still closely tied to the Communes love to flaunt their wealth. Many of them build
outlying countryside. Most cities are surrounded by farmland, huge, highly decorated councilhouses. Inside are rooms often
which residents work themselves. Only rarely do even the largest covered in murals for receiving visitors or for deliberating. The
cities have to import food from outside their own contado. Many outside is generally as fine and embellished as the city can afford.
of the rich maintain expensive country houses beyond the
walls. Regardless of class, the natural world is never far away. The Cathedral and Other Churches
City life has its own special dangers. In times of war, a Cities pride themselves on their cathedral (or duomo),
rich or populous city attracts armies like flies to offal, and even trying to outdo each other in the size and magnificence of
the highest and thickest walls cannot prevent the inevitable their main church. The idea of magnificence, however, var-
starvation that accompanies a siege. A conquered city can ies from place to place. Pisa has an enormous gray and white
expect little mercy; only if the city actually surrendered could Romanesque church at its center, while Venice’s San Marco
the inhabitants expect to escape with their lives or property. is a dazzling Byzantine mass of domes and colored stones.
In all other cases, an invading army is free to do with the city Nevertheless, Italian churches tend to be more colorful than

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 their French or German counterparts. Horizontal striping
and multi-colored marble are common in the Romanesque
churches; mosaics are popular in the older Byzantine-style
churches. Most cities have rebuilt their cathedral earlier in
the 12th century, are rebuilding it now, or plan to do so in
the near future. Cathedrals are ongoing projects, not finished
masterpieces, and the work often halts for months or years on
end. It almost never interferes with regular worship.
Still, a duomo, for all its grandeur, is rather impersonal.
While the duomo is the focus of important ceremonies and the
seat of the bishop, the average citizen more often worships in
a smaller, friendlier, local church. These, too, lie scattered
over most of the city, usually one for each neighborhood.
Such humble churches may be harder to find: Unlike the
great basilicas, their façades are often flush with nearby houses.

The Coming of
the Mendicant Orders
The mid-13th century also sees the raising of the
first Dominican and Franciscan churches. Each men-
dicant order builds huge, austere buildings. As befits
the mendicant orders, these plain churches have only a
modicum of decoration, a simpler interior and vaulting
scheme, and they tend to be of brick rather than stone.
Because of the rivalry between the Dominicans and
Franciscans, their churches tend to be on opposite sides
of the city — so that the rival orders will see each other
as little as possible — and close to the walls — so as
not to infringe on the territory of the bishop’s clergy.
The Dominican and Franciscan orders change
Dark Medieval city life forever. Both orders were
commissioned in the first few decades of the 13th
century and rapidly spread throughout Europe. The
Franciscans (wearing brown habits) tend to be gentle
types, primarily interested in helping the poor through
charity. Dominicans (who wear black and white) are
more militant, sent to combat the heresies filtering into
Italy from France. There’s even a pun in Latin calling
them the domini canes — Hounds of God. Members
of both orders are called friars.
While the Franciscans and Dominicans will not be
part of a chronicle taking place in 1197, a Storyteller
who wishes to run a game set at a later time or who wants
her chronicle to cover several decades should alter the
descriptions of an Italian city somewhat. For one thing,
there will be Franciscans and Dominicans in the streets
of most towns after 1230 or so. Many of them actually
live and beg there — others, especially later on, attend to
chapter houses and the like. Furthermore, the Franciscans
and Dominicans build churches — big ones — which
permanently alter the character of the commune.

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The Baptistery workshop, storeroom or study. Their furniture typically includes
Closely connected with a commune’s cathedral is its tables, chairs and various tools. Chests (rather than closets)
baptistery. Usually roundish buildings, baptisteries contain are the main means of storage and usually remain close to
fonts of water that are used to baptize children. Naturally, their owner’s bed, both for easy access and to keep anyone
each Christian need be baptized only once — but so will each from stealing her things during the night.
of their siblings, cousins, children and neighbor’s children. The houses of the rich are called palazzi. These buildings
For this reason, and especially because of the importance are almost always of brick or stone and are large enough to
attached to being a godparent, the baptistery is an important consume an entire block. They tend to be crenelated, gated or
part of everyday life. Godparents have easier entry into the otherwise defensible, and often have attached towers.
household — they become, as it were, surrogate family. Even It is sometimes difficult to determine exactly what
families of different status can become joined this way. Cities class of people are housed in the building you’re looking
often lavish money on their baptisteries: Florence’s and Pisa’s at or who’s living there. Some cities require that buildings
are particularly grand. meet certain criteria — or even conform to a standard
appearance. (“You must build out of brick, have no over-
Houses and Palazzi (or What’s in hangs greater than three feet in width, and always have
My House?) rounded-glass windows with two columns!”) Even when
The quality and comfort of the housing to be found in buildings are left entirely unregulated, the pressures of city
the communes varies greatly depending on what a person can life and overcrowding force buildings to take on the same
afford. The rich live in enormous three-story brick palaces square appearance. Even the richest houses often have shops
with adjoining towers. The poor live in tiny wooden hovels. along the ground floor. Furthermore, the same building can
Furthermore, in housing of all types, furniture is fairly sparse, house people of all stations. The front of the building gets
and the standard of living is crude — welcome to the Dark
the most light; if rented, these choice rooms fetch higher
Medieval world!
prices. Interior courtyards, however, are often dark (or smoky,
In the countryside, the poor live in tiny cottages (much if the courtyard doubles as a kitchen) — poorer rooms are
as peasants do everywhere). Most of these cottages are of cob, located here. Thus, both peasants and guildsmen may share
though more affluent peasants can afford wood, brick or even a building and barely notice each other.
stone. If the cottage has one room, then food, animals, beds
and firepit are all packed in together. If, however, there are Personal Towers
two rooms, the first is inevitably a common room (or sala), The skyline of any city or village bristles with chunky
while the second is almost always a bedroom (or camera). Third towers. These square, chimney-like buildings are not public
rooms are less common; sometimes they become storerooms, or defenses, but privately built fortifications. They tend to be
second bedrooms, or kitchens. Furniture for the poor usually quite tall, several stories higher than the highest house.
means a bed, a few cooking or farming tools, plus possibly a Certainly, most families try to build towers higher than
chest or a chair and table. those of their rivals. Most towers are rectangular-shaped,
In the city, the poor tend to cluster together in the “bad” and made of sturdy brick, capped with battlements or over-
part of town. Many dwellings are practically huts: very small hangs, and rise over the skyline like artificial mountains.
and made of wood or even cruder material. These buildings are They often have little holes in their sides, left over from
much like their counterparts in the country — only smaller construction, when wooden scaffolding was supported in
and more expensive to rent. Also, the tight streets mean the masonry. Such towers can often only be entered by a
less room to dispose of one’s garbage; so disease is even more second-story doorway. In times of urban war or blood feud,
prevalent than in the countryside. defenders can drop objects or fire arrows on their enemies.
Another form of housing is the apartment building. These Also, if rival towers are side by side, combatants may try to
tend to be large wooden structures, subdivided into smaller build bridges and cross over. The urban tower is a discom-
rooms. Usually a family can afford only one or two of these forting reminder of the dominance of the strong over the
chambers, which may not even be on the same floor. Even weak. They are symbols of family wealth and power — the
more than in the countryside, one finds ridiculous numbers city-states, knowing this, sometimes destroy the towers of
of people crammed into inadequate space — but usually for renegade families or restrict the height of buildings as a
a span of only a few months. Then the lease expires, and the sign of their own authority.
family moves on to some other building, replaced by someone
else equally unfortunate. The City by Night
A well-to-do guildsman may rent either a well-lighted The city-state presents a stark face to the night.
suite or floor of rooms along the front of a building, or lease Nocturnal wanderers meet few people abroad in the
an entire small house. Such persons usually maintain mul- streets. Most folk rise early in the morning and go to bed as
tiple bedrooms, a kitchen, a common room, and perhaps a early as the sun sets, so as to take maximum advantage of
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the daylight. Even night-owls do not venture out of houses
easily, for the communes enforce strict curfews after dark.
Territory
Thus, guardsmen are the only pedestrians one is likely to Vampiric unlife is spread unevenly throughout the con-
encounter, although the diligent searcher may also find tado, engaged in a vicious fight to survive in the face of its
an occasional crowd gathered to gamble by the light of a own overpopulation.
candle. The darkness, too, may present an obstacle, as there The city itself is both prime hunting ground, and the seat of
are few streetlamps, and moonlight often cannot reach the political power throughout the contado. The commune is the seat
high narrow streets. of the prince, the source of her power, and she often populates
Buildings of all sorts are closed at night. Even church it with childer and ghouls. Yet, it is also the home of other
doors are commonly closed and barred. Scrabbling at the elders, perhaps collectively more potent than the prince, even
sealed, leaden windows will only wake the priest inside if their power is often wasted in feuding amongst themselves.
or in the outbuildings. Houses most certainly will not They, too, have their flunkies and childer. Finally, there are the
be open: Locks are rare, but bars are common. Doors wretched hangers-on, the childer of childer, or Cainites who
and windows cannot be picked silently — only forced have wandered in from the countryside. A typical Italian city
open brutally. cannot support them all. Therefore, the lion’s share of territory
and food go to those in power: the prince, the elders and their
The only saving grace is that people pay so little attention
cronies. Princes (supported by the elders) typically try to keep
to screams....
the number of other Cainites low — through proclamation,

The Italian purge or exile. Most cities have a population of “floating”

Cainites, constantly on the edge of starvation and always in

Cainites
The urban centers of Italy hold a special attraction for
fear of a crackdown by the prince. The exception to this rule
is often the Nosferatu. They have their own ways of punishing
clan members who create neonates — and they keep the dark
Cainites. The city-states — strong, populous, autonomous alleys clear of interlopers. Princes usually leave them alone (and,
— hearken back to the first cities Cainites ever knew. The indeed, are often incapable of challenging them underground).
First and Second Cities resonate in the mythology of all Necessity forces most Italian Cainites to reside in other
Cainites, and the cities of the Roman Empire still loom tall locales. Most contados boast smaller towns of varying sizes, each
in the tales (and even the memories) of vampires. When subject to the main commune. Sometimes these towns have
Cainites, especially those who have known nothing but their own princes, sometimes not. Regardless, the hegemony
country living, first see the Italian cities, they often (and of power works in much the same manner as in the main city:
quite irrationally) feel that they have come home. Powerful Cainites have free run. Others must hide and make
The Italian communes are in truth hardly vampiric do. The many farming villages and suburbs of the countryside
paradises. The cities’ rapid rise to power has attracted also offer sustenance. The truly desperate can try living in the
more Cainites than the mundane population can support. wilderness and drinking the blood of beasts.
Havens and hunting grounds are hard to find. Old quarrels
threaten to tear Cainite society asunder, and even the The Ghoul Families
wiliest of elders find themselves lost in the face of rapidly The all-encompassing Italian family extends into unlife.
changing mortal society. Many powerful Cainites maintain close contact with a mortal
family, acting as its patron or even as its paterfamilias. Such
Cainites often select members of the family to reward with
Consiglieri their blood. A gift of vitae at precise moments can cure ailing
The office of consigliere is unique to the Cainite allies of diseases or wounds, prolong the life of a favored servant
culture of Italy and Sicily. Many cities and contados or give street soldiers an advantage in combat.
do not have actual vampire princes per se. Rather, the Italian Cainites often Embrace from within the family.
governing Cainite is often appointed by the prince of This can result in some problems, especially if the neonate was
a more powerful city as a reward for faithful service, well-known in life, but it also has its own advantages. The new
as a near-feudal endowment or just as a way to get a childe usually finds the transition to unlife exceptionally easy,
troublesome vampire out of the way. as devotion to sire and clan is an extension to family loyalty,
Cainites in these positions of “sub-princedom” are requiring no conflict of interest. The childe has simply moved
known as consiglieri, and they often rule their smaller on to serving his family in a new role. The greatest problems
establishments with the same policies as the princes with childer — confusion and divided loyalties — are, thus,
who put them there. After all, that which has been already solved. And although these childer tend to have a
granted may just as easily be taken away.... rather parochial view, they too will come to see subsequent
generations of their family as tools rather than associates.

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 The existence of ghoul families is a misunderstood “open ity in a pale stranger will likely be noticed immediately. In
secret” in most cities. Every humble artisan may know, for instance, the countryside, Cainites can usually find caves, abandoned
that the patriarch of the Induco family has lived for far too long, buildings, or isolated cottages, but a city has no wasted space.
that the weavers on the corner have the evil eye, that Pietro the Still, the concentration of blood makes a city irresistible,
monk never seems to get sick, or even that although Andreas and Cainites adopt a number of different strategies for hiding
is supposed to be dead, one sometimes sees his “ghost” walking themselves in the cramped urban environment.
the streets at night. What mortals cannot do is distinguish the Rich Cainites can always take the easy way out by building
ultimate source of these gifts — or tell fact from rumor. Often, themselves suitable havens from scratch. The average palazzo
people will think a person has “magic blood” when, in fact, she is luxurious enough to suit any vampire; one of its myriad of
is simply naturally long-lived, eccentric or perceptive. rooms can easily be bricked off, forming a completely lightless
Such tight relationships between Cainites, ghouls, and mortal chamber. Other Cainites prefer to put their bed in the cellar,
families, common in Dark Medieval Europe, survive in a few where it is less likely to be affected by fire or sunlight. For those
scattered lines such as the Giovanni, Grimaldis and Szantovich. who cannot afford an entire house, a suite of large contiguous
More information on the ghouls, families and ghoul rooms is often the wisest course, although, since there are
families may be found in Clanbook: Cappadocian, Libellus always neighbors, the risk of discovery is greater. Any house
Sanguinis I: Masters of the State and Ghouls: Fatal Addic- of substantial size needs to have a visible resident who carries
tion. More information may also be found in the following out normal daytime activities. Therefore, rich vampires often
book, the title of which does not bear a colon: the Storytellers allow a favorite ghoul (or family of ghouls) to assume nominal
Handbook to the Sabbat. We just like colons. ownership of the house and to keep their own Cainite pres-
ence as secret as possible. Cainites wealthy enough to pursue
The Urban Haven such lifestyles are likely to be old and paranoid — yet, able
It is difficult to find a good haven in the city. Mortal to maintain one or more emergency havens.
tenements are poor places to hide: Rooms are small, walls Poorer Cainites have fewer options. They can rent or
are flimsy, people love to gossip and the neighbors are in an own one of the numerous thin-walled shanties that huddle
excellent position to watch people come and go. The streets in the poorer areas of town, but since these usually have only
are narrow and usually crowded. Even the slightest peculiar- two rooms, both of which probably have windows, they may

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133
 be unsuitable. Furthermore, it is easy to count the number of
residents going in or out such a dwelling, or to overhear the
voices inside. If these do not tally, neighbors may catch on.
Suspicions and jealousy may also be aroused if only a single
renter moves in, as these buildings typically house entire fami-
lies. Cainites can also risk living in a tenement building, though
this foolhardiness is bordering on suicidal, even with the aid
of Dominate, Obfuscate and an entire family of retainers. The
truly destitute must live on the streets, hiding themselves in
a different place each night: in garbage, in warehouses, under
construction materials or in the earth itself.
Sometimes the countryside or an outlying village is a
safer choice. The wilder parts of the contado offer all the usual
hiding places — and they might even be safe from the Lupines.
Villages have greater space between buildings and uninhabited
sheds and outbuildings. Even the city walls might have their
refuse-pits, hollows in the masonry and underground culverts.
Affluent Cainites might find rural villas attractive havens. All
of these options have the same disadvantage — the hungry
vampire must find some way to enter the city each night or
accept slim pickings in the country.
Finally, the city may offer Nosferatu and other under-dwell-
ers a variety of labyrinths to choose from. Many communes build
networks of fountains and aqueducts to supply their city with
fresh water. (Siena, in particular, is rumored to be as miraculous
underground as above ground.) Unbeknownst to mortals, these
systems also often sport dry chambers, raised platforms and other
makeshift refuges (thanks largely to the Nosferatu who quickly
Dominate masons sent to modify the ducts). Surface fountains,
especially large and elaborate ones such as Siena’s Fontebrandi,
act as gateways into and out of the system, and the aqueducts
provide conduits to the remote wilderness. Unexplained deaths
and disappearances often take place near the fountains at night
at the claws of canny vampires.

Cainites and Politics

Cainite influence permeates all of communal society.
Exactly where Cainites ply their Disciplines and influence
depends on personality and opportunity as much as anything
else. If one has the money and connections, any class has its
own merits as a sphere of influence. The Cainite who controls
the city’s weaver may not have much prestige and live in some
pretty awful places, but she could bring the city’s lucrative
cloth industry to a grinding halt if she so chose.
The appeal of wealthy noble and non-noble magnates
is obvious. They control much of a city-state’s property and
commerce and are the driving force in politics. A Cainite
who hides among them receives the best of all worlds, or so it
seems: ready control over the mortal world, abundant material
possessions, and a luxurious unlife. However, so desirable is
this position that weak Cainites often find themselves unable
to maintain it. There are only so many noble families to go
around — and if both an elder and a neonate wish to control
one, the elder surely wins out.
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 A group of artisans does not have the prestige of noble
family, but it offers its own subtle rewards to the Cainite who Princedom and the
takes the time to assume control of it. A single industry may
make up the mainstay of a commune’s trade. Cainites who
Contado
The rapid growth of their cities has taken the Italian
have leverage over industry production always have a ready princes by surprise. Where before, a typical prince ruled a small
supply of money and political capital. The money comes from area in and around her own city, she may now control wide
Dominated or ghoul servants; the political power arises from sweeps of land, often including other, smaller cities — some
threatening to use the industry against some other Cainite. with their own princes. While weak and ineffectual princes
Even a small but essential group, potters for instance, can have found it impossible to extend their own authority into a
be worth controlling. The prince might never come begging newly conquered contado, most have used their control over
for a favor — but every once in a while, there will be some the commune’s mortal military more ruthlessly.
money skimmed from ceramic sales, and maybe, just maybe,
In effect, the prince of a strong city-state controls
some elder may wish to use certain contacts in a scheme.
unlife throughout the contado — either directly or by proxy.
That’s when they bargain.
Where the smaller towns of the contado once possessed local
The clergy of Italy presents the same rewards and princes of their own, now those princes are politically sub-
dangers as that of everywhere else. In times gone by, the servient to a center many miles away, and the fate of local
bishop of a city acted as its primary negotiator and power princes and the elders of their town depends entirely on
figure. Subordinate towns would swear allegiance to him, the temperament of the conqueror. If the smaller town had
and embassies would meet with him. No longer. The Bishop been taken by force, the victorious prince may encourage
might still have a ceremonial place beside the consuls in some
his contacts in the army to set fire to enemy havens. Most
towns, but by 1197, all real secular power has transferred to
princes, even if they do not burn the town, at least engage
the council and its representatives. The clergy are important
in the opportunity for a selective purge. Conquered princes,
only for the property they own and the spiritual authority of
especially if they were once powerful rivals or hated foes,
their office, not for any special place they might occupy in
fear the latter especially.
the Italian scheme of things. Cainites who wish to control
the clergy may gain the predictable rewards — influence over In any case, night-to-night unlife continues, and most
excommunication decisions, sensitive information from the princes have found the lesser towns too remote to rule over
confessional, access to the wealth of the Church — but the directly. Usually they choose a consigliere to administrate
Cainites must beware the predicable dangers as well — no- in their stead. In most cases, the conquering prince finds it
tably True Faith. expedient to appoint some favored Cainite to the prince-
dom or administration of the conquered town. Princes use
Commoner Cainites may seriously consider living
this opportunity to promote allies, exile rivals and reward
among (and manipulating) the lowest class. The masses of
childer. If they feel particularly angry, they can even put a
urban poor have easily inflamed resentments that are not
ghoul or mortal in charge of the town’s unlife. Sometimes,
adequately addressed by even the nascent popolo. The poor
however, the conquering prince permits the old prince to
live at the sufferance of the rich, their wages are miserable
continue to rule as a lieutenant, and weak princes have
and they often have no voice in politics. Since they work for
been known to surrender their towns to stronger foes — if
hire rather than as peasants, they cannot even count on the
only they are allowed to survive into the new regime and
traditional protection of a feudal lord. A supernatural ally
keep a vestige of their former authority.
can offer them hope and can use his influence to control the
political mood of the lowest class. Even noble Cainites fear Reactions to this new political map vary from Cainite
riots; they treat handsomely the soothsayer who can prevent to Cainite. The princes of major cities are usually ecstatic.
one — or placate the firebrand who threatens to unleash Some, however, are beginning to turn complacent. Is not
urban violence. the current situation their due as great and mighty Cainites?
With communal power concentrated into the consuls, The elders of the great cities, likewise swept up in their
podestà and councils, Cainites have found many ways to communes’ rise, may also be darkly pleased at the new
influence these institutions. The main goal of princes, at the scope of their influence. Cainites of the countryside and
moment, is to further expand the borders of their contados, of the lesser towns tend to be less thrilled as they scramble
giving them wider spheres of influence. Elders participate in to maintain their authority. Others ingratiate themselves
this aim to a lesser extent, but they may be more interested with the new powers-that-be. Elders of conquered contados,
in passing legislation that favors their own mortal agents and denied the status they feel is their due, resent the upstarts
industries. The extent to which either goal is met depends and quislings — to the point of violence when they feel they
on the strength of opposition (both Cainite and mortal) and can get away with it. Finally, the bulk of young Cainites,
whether the Cainites of the city are working in unison or at denied participation in politics, run the gamut from apathy to
cross-purposes. patriotic outrage to amusement at the foibles of their elders.

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 The Massacre at Orvieto
The Distribution of Clans
Not all clans are equally represented in Italy. Some, such
When Cainite princes contemplate the possible as the Lasombra or Toreador, are native to the peninsula, while
fates that might befall their cities, the example of others, like the Tzimisce, are exotic and rarely seen.
Orvieto stands foremost in their thoughts.
Until 1194, the nights of the strategically important Assamites
hill-town Orvieto were relatively unremarkable. Brujah The Assamites have few permanent residents in Italy.
Prince Marco, under whose patronage heresy flourished Their spheres of influence and their deadliest enemies lie
within Orvieto’s walls, ruled the city by night. But as the elsewhere. Assamites often use Italian traders as a way of
Pope began to submit the territories around Rome to his “shipping” themselves into Europe. The maritime Italian
rule, Orvieto naturally came under his eye. Orvieto not city-states of Venice, Pisa and Genoa find trading preferable
only perches nearly impregnable over the Rome-Arezzo to fighting, and they try to maintain friendly contacts with
Road, but it also controlled the fortress Acquapendente Muslim countries. Although they have participated in the
on the road from Rome to Siena at that time. The Pope Crusades and acted as staging areas, their zeal is secondary to
attempted to secure Acquapendente by placing Orvieto profitability. From these cities, an Assamite can proceed to
under interdict. Orvieto’s heretics retaliated by seizing her chosen target, or begin opportunistic wanderings. Only
control of Orvieto and forcing its Catholic bishop to flee. the most foolish Assamites attack inside their port of entry
The following year, Orvieto surrendered to Rome and — lest the Italians begin checking all oblong containers for
accepted a papal rector. hidden occupants.
Herein, the trouble for Orvieto’s Cainites began.
Since Orvieto was now subject to Rome, Rome’s Prince Brujah
Constantius claimed jurisdiction over Orvieto’s unlife. The political chaos and innovation of Italian city-
Orvieto’s Prince Marco, backed by loyal elders, refused states attracts droves of Brujah — much to the chagrin of
to yield. Constantius responded by sending a secret army the Lasombra, who are used to having Italy to themselves.
of Assamites into Orvieto and instructed them to destroy Brujah political motives vary. Some Brujah support the new
any childer of Caine they encountered. The slaughter communes, seeking to make the new governments stable
lasted for months, and most of Orvieto’s ancillae and and prosperous. They tend to work hand-in-glove with the
neonates perished before fire, stake and sunlight. Prince native Cainites. Other Brujah feel that while city-states
Marco died on the very steps of the cathedral. The are a great improvement over the feudal system, that the
remaining Orvietan elders fled. communes are not yet sufficiently egalitarian; they push
Constantius moved quickly to establish a new Cain- constantly for a perfect constitution. Promethians of the
ite order in Orvieto. He installed the surviving Roman most demented stripe, such Brujah can be found behind
ancillae as a new Orvietan council of elders. The few urban rioting and the emergent popolo. One particularly
remaining Orvietan ancillae and neonates were forced obnoxious Brujah, named Stilicho, wanders the communes
to surrender their property, havens and ghouls, and were in search of the perfect New Carthage — stirring up unrest
turned out into the streets. In perhaps the final insult, among the peasantry wherever he travels. Finally, there are
Constantius appointed Gaius Orsini, a little-known those Brujah who feel that the communes sap strength from
Roman Nosferatu, to be consigliere of Orvieto. the Holy Roman Empire, and that the emperor — they insist
Not surprisingly, Constantius has had little further — is the one ruler who can bring about a better order. This
trouble obtaining surrenders from towns in Roman territory. imperialist faction is radically unpopular among the Italian
princes. No prince, even one who rules a Ghibelline city,
desires to forfeit his city’s independence.
The Conciliatory Movement
There are a few scattered Cainites who look at the prince and Cappadocians
elders and see a council andpodestà. The dissidents, usually Embraced The Graverobbers are not quite so common in Italy as
within the last 50 years (although a few are older) believe that the elsewhere. Still, they may be found here, searching for the
mortal commune is a better form of government than anachronistic secrets of Roman antiquity, advising princes or experiment-
princedom. They seek to replace the current informal council of ing in the shadows. They are rife in the lower levels of the
elders with a duly elected council. The most radical among them Church and also maintain a presence in most coastal cities,
want to see the prince replaced with a vampiric podestà with where they can maintain contact with brethren in Africa
administrative powers only. Young Cainites, Embraced under and the Levant. There is a substantial population of Cappa-
representative government, find the idea quite natural. Needless docians in Venice, watching over their new experiment, the
to say, most princes do not favor it — and punish those merely necromantic Giovanni, and Cappadocius himself is rumored
mentioning the idea with exile or Final Death. to surface sporadically in Rome.
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Gangrel Malkavians
Italy is a highly deforested land with a large popula- Malkavians are spread evenly but sparsely throughout the
tion. Italian Gangrel are fewer here than in wilder lands, peninsula. Their madness and disunity, however, keeps them
and those who exist are more cautious, having to share from all but isolated positions of power and influence. The
the remaining untamed tracts with Lupines and fae. In madmen, instrumental in Rome’s destruction of Carthage,
the height of the Alps, however, rumors persist of an- seem to have either lost interest in the region or moved on
cient Gangrel with mysterious powers — the remnants to more verdant pastures.
of the undead who accompanied Hannibal’s invasion. (A
well-traveled Ravnos swears she saw a great, gray “monster” Nosferatu
once by moonlight, and she speculates that this might be Italy is riddled with catacombs, sewers and ruins undreamed
a Carthaginian Gangrel.) of elsewhere in Europe. Nosferatu have larger broods in Italian
cities than they do elsewhere. For the most part, however, they
Lasombra are a nonentity in politics. Unlike other Cainites, the cliquish
Italy is part of the Lasombra heartland. The Lasombra Nosferatu use social pressures to limit the siring of childer — their
control most of the political power on the peninsula. Eight population thus remains supportable and hidden. Princes thus leave
of every 10 Italian princes is a Lasombra, as are 4 out of them alone — until they want information, or until they feel the
every 10 elder vampires. Most major mortal industries brood is taking more than its fair share of blood. The Nosferatu
and factions in a Lasombra-held contado have Magisters of Rome are particularly numerous, which is one reason why the
behind them. Prince of Rome appointed one consigliere of Orvieto.
This is not to say that other clans do not matter — they
do — only that the Lasombra dominate the leadership and Ravnos
politics of the region. The Lasombra of Italy have for centuries The Ravnos wander through Italy from time to time.
been associated with local mortal families, and family traits can Cities on major trade-routes, particularly east-west roads, are
be traced in the faces and lineages of generations of Cainites. more likely to receive an unwelcome guest than other cities.
Italian Lasombra are thus “native” to Italy to an extent that Princes either grit their teeth and put up with them or subtly
few other clans can claim. redirect them to their least favorite neighboring city.
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Setites Tzimisce
The Followers of Set have infiltrated Italian communes, Tzimisce are currently rare throughout Italy. However, as
and go about their despicable business, either openly or more and more young Tzimisce flee the conflict in the East,
masquerading as members of other clans. Their goals and their road of exile leads directly through Italy. Many princes
methods do not differ greatly from those they employ in the are already bracing for even greater numbers of immigrants.
rest of Europe — although Setites have proved themselves to
be disturbingly adept at corrupting the democratic process.
Ventrue
The Ventrue have a foothold in Italy. Six-hundred years
They are particularly fond of the seaports, where they can
ago Ventrue followed the Lombards into northern Italy, and
come and go easily.
they have been there ever since. Even the Frankish invasion
Toreador of the Lombards in the eighth century did not crush them;
Toreador are not particularly common nor uncommon it just brought in more Ventrue. More recently, the Norman
in Italy, which boasts some magnificent buildings — the conquest of Sicily has brought in a second Diaspora of Ventrue.
Cathedral of Pisa, the Baptistery of Florence, the Basilica Some of these have begun moving north. Over the years, how-
San Marco in Venice, plus numerous other, less famous ever, the number of Italian Ventrue princes has slowly eroded
buildings — which reflect, in part, the enthusiasm of Toreador under the onslaught of “native” Lasombra, but the Ventrue
“patrons.” The Toreador are well-known for their extensive still hold a few Lombard cities, and they still exist in small
control over the upper echelon of the Church, though they numbers elsewhere. Of the non-Lombard cities, only Rome
boasts a significant Ventrue enclave — Frankish Cainites who
find unlife among Italian Lasombra and Ventrue a bit stifling.
arrived with Charlemagne.
Thus, they prefer to exercise their Church ties over a distance.
Tremere Other Supernaturals
The Tremere are drawn to the ruins of Roman antiquity Cainites, urban creatures, are the pre-eminent supernatural
— birthplace of the Hermetic arts. Here, perhaps, they seek power in the city-states. Other mystical beings are present,
some information to aid them in their war against the Tzimisce however, in smaller numbers.
— or perhaps they merely seek lands they knew in mortal life. The contadi of most city-states still sport small tracts of
In any case, the Tremere are new arrivals in Italy; hardly any wild land. Here the Lupines can still be found, as can the
city or contado can boast more than one small chantry. numerous varieties of true fae. As one of the oldest centers
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of human population in Europe, however, Italy has already Trouble is, the year is now 1197, and Gislebertus is a vigorous
suffered major deforestation, a process that is still continuing. man in his thirties. What does the notary do? Who does
The wild creatures are thus not the threat to Cainite unlife as he tell? What trouble can he make for the Cainite who is
they are elsewhere in Europe — except when some heedless Gislebertus Barbatus?
vampire wanders into that little wilderness that still survives.
The activities of the magicians are mostly invisible to the
• Taking the Council by Storm!
Cainites. Italy is a magic — and magickal — land of great The characters’ city is engulfed in extensive rioting.
antiquity, boasting a variety of hedge and True Mages. Italy, (Most cities suffer unrest at one time or another.) The noble
the ancient heartland of the Western Roman Empire, holds families are at war, conducting campaigns and forays from
special appeal for magi. The outlines of Hermetic magical their towers. The Cainites of the city cower by night, fearing
systems took shape here, and many of the finest Roman magi- that the wild mobs will burn the city. Are any Cainites re-
cians lived and died here. The Sons of Cronos linger in Italy, sponsible for the riots? Are rioters targeting Cainite homes?
lamenting that the debauchery of the empire has passed away, Which elders stand to gain or lose from the warfare?
and they console themselves with the luxury goods that are • Aftermath
available in the great trading towns like Venice, Genoa and The rioting is now over, and the losing families have been
Pisa. They will resurface as the Cult of Ecstasy one day, but exiled by the commune. Must any of the character’s allies and
for now, they are a small and obscure tradition. Those who ghouls depart the city (perhaps forever)? If the change in power
will one day be known as Verbena, descended from pagan has swept new faces into the council, which Cainites have
Roman cults of Isis or the Magna Mater, linger here, along benefited? Are any of the new councilors already pawns of an
with static “witches” of the same traditions. The Italian city- elder, or are all the Cainites jockeying for control?
states are a natural breeding ground for those mages who will
one day form the Technocracy. The Renaissance is only a • Meet the Neighbors
century and a half in the future; the craftmasons and others One of the characters has chosen her haven foolishly;
are already in Italy, laying its foundations. Who knows what the walls of her dwelling are too thin. The neighbors know
ancient secrets, potent nodes and hidden chantries yet exist that something not quite human lives next door among those
among the scattered imperial ruins, or those that are fitfully peasants. What can they do about it, and how does the char-
concealed behind the façades of palazzi? Who knows how acter react?
many of the potion-sellers, spell-workers or witches are, in
fact, more than mere charlatans? • The Contado’s Other Residents
Even less visible than magi are the ghosts. Almost all Some very old Cainites dwell in the countryside.
cities have their own necropoli on the far side of the Shroud, For centuries, a coterie of Lasombra has dwelt in a
bustling with the dead. Some few Cainites, notably the Cap- petty noble’s castle. Now the noble has been humbled
padocians and their Venetian offshoots, have made inroads into submission by the contado. Though the noble has
toward contacting their silent fellow city dwellers. To the moved into the city, her Lasombra keepers have not. Can
majority of Cainites, however, the Restless Dead remain but the prince of the city subdue them? In their stone fortress
whispers and rumors. on ancestral land, the Lasombra could hold out for years or
months. On the other hand, they seem willing to entertain
Story Ideas the prince’s envoys, though they are loath to accept his
authority. The characters must travel into the countryside
• The Paterfamilias and negotiate a settlement. But what do the Lasombra
A ghoul or other servant of one of the characters faces want in exchange for their support? Can the characters
a dilemma: a command from his paterfamilias that he cannot deliver? And just what is the Lasombras’ erstwhile ally,
obey and still continue to serve his vampiric master. Perhaps the noblewoman, up to in the city…?
his mortal grandfather wishes him to marry, or there is a
business he must manage or a journey he must undertake. No
• Refugees from a Massacre
The Damned are filtering into Venice. Rumors speak of
amount of pleading changes the grandfather’s mind. Legally,
ancient Cainite faces glimpsed by moonlight or in the marshes.
he can be censured or even imprisoned if he refuses. Does
Elder vampires know these faces — they belong to refugees
his Cainite master try to Dominate the paterfamilias? Kill the
from Orvieto, recently the target of a takeover by the Cainites
turbulent grandfather? Or is the ghoul’s tie of mortal blood
of Rome. Now the Roman Cainites have sent an envoy into
stronger than any Blood Oath?
the city; they want the refugees slain. The city’s elders line up
• The Notary for and against executions. How will the characters be drawn
A notary makes an amazing discovery; while checking into the conflict? Can the renegades be caught? And as the
some records inherited from his father, he finds a record youngest vampires in the city, what unsavory risks must the
of a purchase made in 1127 by one Gislebertus Barbatus. characters assume in the upcoming Lextalionis?
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 Part Three:
The Cities
No Italian city is a model commune. They each have
their own personalities and culture — in short, their own
character. (They’re like people that way.) This section is
here to help you get to know a few of the more important or
interesting cities — what it’s like to live in them, what they
look like, what their quirks are, what to watch out for, etc.
Some brief additional information is also included about the
Cainites who live in each city and the most notable features
of their unlives. And since this is a section for Storytellers,
too, we have included information about the future of the
cities and how these events can be dropped into short ad-
ventures or built into chronicles.

Travel and Language

Travelers in Italy, even native Italians, may have
a hard time making themselves understood.
Each city has its own Italian dialect, which ev-
eryone who is born there will generally understand.
The farther from home one goes, the harder it is to
understand people, even if one stays inside Italy itself.
Go far enough away, and dialects may be mutually
unintelligible.
In addition, all educated people know Latin,
which has remained remarkably homogenous since
the downfall of the empire. The educated, however,
make up a relatively small elite in Italy, so that it
requires the traveler to learn the local vernacular as
quickly as possible.
Storytellers may wish to have their players make
Intelligence + Linguistics rolls (difficulty 6) for their
characters any time the Cainites might come in contact
with those who do not share their dialect.

Milan
Milan is the most important city in Lombardy. Once
it was the administrative capitol of the Roman Empire,
and its most famous bishop, St. Ambrose, humbled even
the Western Roman Emperor. Now the Western Empire is
dead; Rome has eclipsed the fame of its bishropic, and Milan
itself has shrunk. But if it has diminished in glory, it still
remains impressive by Dark Medieval reckoning. Milan is
said to have 100,000 inhabitants (obviously an exaggeration)
employed either in the rich surrounding countryside or in
the trade arriving along the roads to Genoa and Venice.
Its most important structure is the Church of St. Ambrose,
a huge Romanesque building that guards the bones of the
old Roman firebrand.
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The Cainites of Milan
Most of Milan’s elders date from the Lombard period.
Old, Germanic and somewhat weary, they find it increasingly
difficult to understand the new politics of the city-states. Even
as the city becomes increasingly democratic, the prince and
her cohorts revert ever more to rigid autocracy. The childer
they Embrace do not understand their sires’ feudal ways and
chafe at the restrictions they impose. As a result, the ancillae
population forms a flimsy buffer against incoming Lasombra,
as the Magisters have made expansion into Lombardy one of
their chief goals. Young Lasombra are encouraged to wander
north, and even elders occasionally take to the road. The
Ventrue of Lombardy have responded by restricting certain
key hunting grounds to their own clan and waging periodic
war on interlopers. Regardless, the Lasombra population in
Milan and its contado has grown substantially over the last few
centuries, and few predict that trend will abate.

Venice
As in the arsenal of the Venetians,
all winter long a stew of sticky pitch
boils up to patch their sick and tattered ships
that cannot sail (instead of voyaging,
some build new keels, some tow and tar the ribs
of hulls worn out by too much journeying;
some hammer at the prow, some at the stern,
and some make oars, and some braid ropes and cords;
one mends the jib, another, the mainsail);
so not by fire but by the art of God,
below there boiled a thick and tarry mass
that covered all the banks with clamminess.
––Dante, The Inferno, XXI, translated by Allen Mandelbaum
Venice lies just off the coast of northeastern Italy. It was
founded in late Roman times as a refuge from invading barbar-
ians; knowing that the barbarians had no ships, the ingenious
Roman citizens built their city on the islands of a lagoon. For
a city built on a swamp, Venice has since done very well. It is
the dominant naval power of the Mediterranean, controlling
both the largest fleet and dominating most of the shipping to
and from Byzantium and the Saracen lands. Most anywhere
in the Crusader States or Byzantium,there are Venetian out-
posts — and in most Muslim states as well. (Venice is known
more for its mercantile leanings than its Christian militancy.)
Venice is also the oldest republic by far. Instead of a podestà or
consuls, Venice has possessed a Doge for centuries. (The word is
Venetian dialect for the Italian duce or the Latin dux, meaning
“leader” or “duke.”) Each Doge is elected by the council and
serves for life. “Life,” however, is usually not very long, since
the council tends to select only very old men, the better to
stave off a hereditary succession of Doges.
In matters of religion, Venice is possibly the most unusual
diocese in Western Christendom. Its patron saint is Mark,
one of the four evangelists. This is a bit odd, as Mark himself
actually died in Alexandria, Egypt. There he rested until
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141
828, when a group of Venetian merchants stole his body and
smuggled it back “home,” thus fulfilling an old prophecy.
Mark had sailed through the Venetian lagoon on his way to
Egypt. While his boat was anchored, an angel appeared to
him and told him: “Peace to you, Mark, my evangelist. Here
your body will rest.” Venetians took this as a sign that Mark
was destined for their city. They built Mark a basilica beside
the ducal palace and quickly wove Mark into their theology,
giving themselves a claim to apostolic authority second only
to Rome in the West.
Physically, Venice’s main feature is its most obvious — it’s
built on the water. Many of its streets are canals, on which
small boats constantly move about. Gondolas exist, but they
look nothing like those of the 20th century, having a dozen
rowers and rich decoration. Most of the major buildings and
private palazzi have entrances on both the canal and the
street. The canal face is usually the more opulent-looking of
the two. Most buildings at this date are constructed of wood,
though some more permanent stone and brick buildings exist.
Venice’s most important church is not its cathedral, but
the ducal Basilica of Saint Mark. The current basilica was not
built until the early 11th century. It is in the Byzantine style
— comprised of rounded interior vaults and colorful mosaics.
For centuries, Constantinople was one of Venice’s allies and
a source for many cultural traditions. Now the friendship
between the two is turning sour, and war lies not far in the
future. But the Eastern-style cathedral still broods there, like
a jewel-encrusted monster beside the ocean.
Near the basilica is the ducal palace, the seat of Venetian
government and the home of the Doge. Its current incarnation
is more fortress than palace, using its position beside the sea
as a way to guard the city.
The Rialto is the market area for Venice and is usually
crammed with booths, stalls and customers.
Also of note, the lagoon’s many islands are not all equally
settled: Fallow land abounds, with the occasional outbuilding
or ruin thrown in for good measure.

A Venetian Curse
In 1172, the Republic razed the house of the man
who murdered Doge Vitale Michiel and decreed that
no building of brick or stone will ever stand again.
(A prohibition that lasts until 1948.) In its place, a
series of wooden houses act as a mute testament to
the murdered Doge.
But that is not the whole tale. Doge Vitale Michiel
was hardly popular at the time of his death; he had
just returned from a failed war with Byzantium and
he brought back with him a deadly plague. Perhaps
his wraith — or that of his murder — lives yet. Or
perhaps the house itself still stands as a haunt in the
deadlands, filled with the wailing of plague victims....

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Cainites in Venice
As one of the largest cities in Christendom, Venice A Venetian Chronicle:
has more than its fair share of Cainites, despite crowded The Fourth Crusade
conditions, few havens and negligible countryside. The The opening of the 13th century is a busy, exhilarating
influence and wealth of the lagoon draw in the undead as time for Venice. The Fourth Crusade assembles in the city;
an inexorable lure. Venice’s own Doge departs on the expedition and, in the end,
Constantinople — ostensible ally of the West — falls to Latin
Ruling over this glittering chaos are the Lasombra who
swords as the Venetians return laden with spoils. Storytellers
have held Venice in their grip for centuries. Venice is the who can’t use this fact to spawn some great Cainite intrigue just
oldest city-state and the most traditional. Elders have sired aren’t thinking. Do any Cainites head East with the army? Is
childer from the same mortal bloodlines for so long that the foreign blood especially palatable? After the conquest, do any
leading families and Cainites are now inextricably linked. young Cainites go East to colonize the new territories? What
Newcomers who wish for power must cultivate a family or mystical artifacts and such are brought back to Venice as
business from scratch; all the existing ones have been taken spoils — and what are their powers? Finally, are any Greek
for centuries. Complete control over the Doge, however, has Cainites inclined to take revenge? And if so, how?
been thwarted by the fact that almost all Doges enter office
over the age of 70. No Cainite can thus control the Doge A Venetian Chronology
for long — any Doge who lives more than a decade or three 1193: Enrico Dandolo is elected Doge. This feisty old
would raise mortal suspicions. blind man is well over 70 — a typical age for Doges.
1201: Six knights from a burgeoning crusade arrive at
Beneath Lasombra rule there are various other Cainites
Venice. They negotiate on behalf of the crusaders for ships
of note.
and transportation to the East. The agreement is ratified by
Cappadocians are unusually numerous in Venice at this shouting Venetian crowds. The leading crusaders plan to
time, though Venice has always possessed a large Cappadocian attack Egypt. The Venetian leaders, who have a lucrative
population. This is due in part to the lagoon’s proximity to treaty with Egypt, are secretly displeased. They plan secret
the East, abetted by the strong ties between Venice’s St. Mark actions of their own to deflect the crusaders from their goal.
and Coptic faith of Egypt, which he founded. (In Egypt to 1202: Word spreads among crusading soldiers that
this day, Cappadocians frequent Coptic monasteries, con- the fleet leaving Venice will go to Egypt. Many head East
cealing themselves there from Egyptian Setites.) The current on their own, aiming for the more holy goal of Jerusalem.
influx of Graverobbers into Venice, however, is due to the The leaders of the Crusade suspect the Venetians of leaking
presence of the newly Embraced Giovanni family, which news of their true object, but they are powerless to stop the
requires supervision in its stumbling efforts — not to mention desertion. The army that eventually arrives at the lagoon
careful guarding. In addition to the Giovanni, their guards in June is far too small to use or pay for all the ships con-
and native Cappadocians, Venice has become something of tracted. Doge Dandolo extracts a deal — Venice will allow
a pilgrimage site for curious Cappadocian travelers. Most are them the ships, but the crusaders must help Venice retake
rebuffed by the Giovanni or their shepherds, but others stay some outposts that it lost to Hungary. The fleet sets sail in
for weeks or months, observing the “experiment.” All in all, November with the Venetian Doge in tow.
the Cappadocian presence has tripled since the beginning 1203: For some years now, Constantinople has been
of the 12th century. ruled by a “usurper” — but now a son of the deposed emperor
The Nosferatu of Venice have a large problem: Hardly escaped. Young Alexis is currently in Germany with his in-
law, Philip of Swabia. The crusaders agree to help restore
anything in the city can be underground without being
Alexis’s father to the throne — for a price. He agrees. In
underwater, too. While Cainites cannot drown, most of
July, the crusaders arrive in Constantinople, but Byzantium
them do not enjoy being submerged in the cold, filthy water has no fleet to put to sea. For years now, Venice has been in
of the lagoon for any length of time. Furthermore, rumors charge of shipbuilding for the Eastern Empire. The crusaders
persist of malignant things that live beneath the canals, sur- take Constantinople easily, and Alexis and his father (also
facing to devour Cainite and mortal alike. So the ugliest of Alexis) are crowned — but they have no money. Tensions
Caine’s progeny must instead take up more normal residencies mount, as both Greeks and Franks get angrier at each other.
in rented houses, abandoned structures and the like. Venetian 1204: The Greeks, disgusted with the crusaders, depose
Nosferatu usually have, as a consequence, often alleviated a the Alexises. The Latins respond by attacking in force.
greater mastery of Obfuscate than their inland brethren. The city falls, wallowing in blood for three days. Then the
Finally, as a hub of commerce, Venice boasts more than crusaders take everything valuable and divvy it up. Venice
its fair share of “exotic” Cainites. Ravnos, Tremere, Tzimisce, comes out very well and gets a huge chunk of the Eastern
Assamites and other clans that are rare on the peninsula pass Empire. Wealth, art and relics flow back to Venice.
through Venice regularly. 1205: Dandolo dies and is buried in St. Sophia. The
Latin Empire begins in the East.

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Genoa & Pisa Florentine architecture of the sort used in churches and other
public buildings has a peculiar geometric character, and the Florentine
Genoa lies in Liguria, a rocky, not particularly fertile area baptistery is justly famous. Octagonal in shape, with a Byzantine
of Italy. Consequently, most of its energy flows into commerce mosaic of Christ adorning its interior dome, its foundations may
instead of farming. Even its nobles find the surrounding moun- well date back to the Roman period — or so people say. Surround-
tain passes not (much) worth fighting over and take to the ing it is a wide piazza, and not too far away stands the duomo.
sea to find Muslim enemies. The Genoese have a reputation The green gothic cathedral on which Brunelleschi will one
for being more mercenary than they are devout. day build his famous dome does not yet exist. In its place stands a
Pisa lies farther south along the coast, at the mouth of the much humbler structure, of the same character as the baptistery.
river Arno. Its main religious buildings stand together in an open San Miniato al Monte is an excellent example of the
plaza, the half-completed Islamic-influenced baptistery and duomo. current style. A basilica-plan church, with a flat marble façade
Both are striking buildings made of zebra-striped gray marble covered in geometric patterns and a line of three doors, it has
and show the nested tiers of pillars unique to the Pisan style.
an almost Classical appearance. Stark, restrained, mathemat-
The cathedral was commissioned after a 11th-century naval
ical — the Florentine style provides quite a contrast from the
victory over the Muslims, the chief enemy of both cities.
flamboyance of Sienese or Pisan architecture.
Genoa and Pisa are natural rivals, both situated on the eastern
Most of the buildings, however, are not green and white;
side of the Italian peninsula and competing for the sea traffic there.
Florence is very brown-oriented. In Dark Medieval Florence,
In times to come, the rivalry becomes ever more pronounced. (They
wood predominates, but richer structures are of an earth-colored
would probably even hate being described here together.) Politics in
brick. Most streets have only earthtones to look upon; the colorful
the two cities are already based primarily upon mutual hatred. Things
churches, then, are that much more noticeable and exciting.
only grow worse as the two cities continue to expand.
The Cainites of Genoa and Pisa The Cainites of Florence
Florence is a rapidly expanding, powerful and populous city.
The Cainites of Genoa and Pisa both share relatively
These factors conspired to keep the Cainite population high
similar goals: expand their city’s control over the surrounding
until about the middle of the 12th century. Until 1164, Cainites
region, dominate Mediterranean trade and make handsome
moved to Florence in droves, responding to the changing focus
livings off the sea trade. They share such goals with their
of power in the region. Hunting became scarce in the city as a
mortal herds, but, as Cainites, they have centuries to refine
result, and the contado was virtually abandoned. Inside the walls,
their methods, nurse hatreds and broker alliances.
existing elders struggled to kill or exile the newcomers. In the
Genoa is dominated by a closed circle of Cainites. A few
countryside, a relatively few vampires snapped up wide spheres
elders control the city and most of the noble estates. They toler-
of control. This chaos led to the downfall of Prince Alanus in
ate only a handful of ghouls and childer to dwell among them.
1164. A Lasombra sired in the eighth century, Alanus proved
The prince and elders cooperate with surprising zeal in opposing
to be incapable of dealing with the rapid changes taking place
newcomers, migrants, and travelers who overstay their welcome.
in Florence. With him lies most of the blame for the current
Even childer are sometimes asked (politely, if forcefully) to leave;
crisis. In particular, he could not stop the Cainite migration
most of them are discreetly delivered to foreign ports. There, the
into the city. Most of the elders rejoiced when an Assamite
expatriates prepare the way for Genoese exports and colonies.
took his life, but none have admitted to hiring the Saracen.
Should they do well, they may even be allowed to return home.
They are wise, for Alanus’s death has only worsened
Pisa, with its larger contado, has a more diverse body of Cainites
Florentine politics. For the last 35 years, Florence has had not
active in politics. It also has more fractious and violent feuding.
one, but two, princes: the Lasombra Anicius (called by his
The trouble in Florence (see below) has spilled downriver, with
followers “the Golden”) and his clanmate and rival, Panfilo the
the elders of Pisa evenly split over which Florentine prince (if
Cruel. Each claims superiority in age and generation and refers
any!) to acknowledge. An unscrupulous elder has even been
to the other as an anti-prince. The contest has shifted as the
accused of shipping Assamites onshore and sending them north
eight elders of Florence change allegiances in truly Byzantine
toward the conflict. If this is true, he or she has never been caught.
patterns. Cainites tread nervously, afraid that the invisible lines
Florence separating the princes’ territories have shifted overnight and
that they have crossed them. Envoys to the city must find ways
Newcomers to the city and quick gains
to meet with both princes without rousing the ire of either. The
have brought excess and arrogance to you,
Cainite population has dropped considerably in recent years.
o Florence, and you weep for it already.
Not all Cainites are drawn into the fray, however. Two
–– Dante, The Inferno XVI, translated by Allen Mandelbaum shadowy groups of supernaturals are hard at work in Florence and
Florence lies in the heart of Tuscany and is already the generally left alone. The Toreador work diligently to preserve
largest and most important city of the province. Located well Classical Roman taste in Florence. They have had some success
inland among the hill-country, Florence nevertheless commands in molding the local style along severe, antique lines. The façade
a strategic position along the river Arno and the trade routes. of San Miniato is one of the finest works influenced by these
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Toreador, some of whom are rumored to remember Rome
before the sack of 410. There is also rumor that the Toreador
are aided in their work by a cabal of mathematically-minded
magicians. Some Nosferatu point to the geometric lines of the
Florentine style and speak knowingly of Euclid and Pythagoras.
No one, however, suspects the enormous impact these works
are having on Florentine consciousness. By the middle of the
14th century, Florentine artists (with a little help from their
friends) will rediscover mathematical perspective and realistic
human portraiture — and thus, alter all of European art.

Siena
Siena is the second most prosperous city in Tuscany. While
not a particularly important city in the history of the Italian pen-
insula, it is nonetheless a fascinating place and a good example
of a prosperous commune. The Sienese state is completely land-
locked. All of its commerce passes along the roads that run north
and south from its borders. Most of Siena’s wealth comes through
local trade and long distance banking. Siena’s perennial problem,
however, is a lack of water. The Sienese must pipe water into the
city via a series of aqueducts and underground conduits known
as bottini. Siena is currently ruled by a council and a podestà.

Magical Siena
A pair of unique anomalies are associated with Siena.
Do they indicate the presence of mages? Fae? Diabolists? A
hidden chantry? Storytellers: Make of these what you will.…
The Sator Arepo
On the side of Siena Cathedral, one can read the
following inscription in a block about two feet square:
S A T O R
A R E P O
T E N E T
O P E R A
R O T A S
This translates as “The sower Arepo holds the wheels
with his labor.” It reads the same from any direction you
choose. The Sator Arepo square is widely believed to be a
magical charm and has also been found in buried ruins of
Pompeii. What is it doing on the side of Siena’s Cathedral?
The Diana
Some of the Sienese swear they can hear water
trickling beneath the city. No source of water, however,
has ever been found, regardless of how many wells are
dug. The Sienese have named this ghostly river “The
Diana.” Perhaps, since Siena is chronically short of
water, the Diana can be attributed to wishful thinking.
On the other hand, in Dark Medieval Europe, there are
a number of magical forces that could hide a river. Is
it part of a chantry, is it nestled in some strange astral
realm — or is it a faint echo of the River Styx?

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145
 Siena is a hill-town, making it easy to defend, but also
giving it a serpentine, rambling character. Someone wander-
ing the streets can turn a corner and find a nearly vertical
alley dropping away from her feet. Most of Siena’s buildings
are made of wood in the late 12th century, but the more
important structures (including the city walls) are made of a
characteristic reddish-brown brick. Siena’s cathedral is made
of black and white marble (the city’s colors); inside and out-
side, the building is striped like a zebra. The Sienese are not
quite finished building their duomo: The façade and the choir
remain to be completed. Still, it is a magnificent structure
in which they take pride. Siena is unusual in not having yet
built a councilhouse — its government meets in rented rooms.
Cainites in Siena
Siena’s unlife is dangerous. Three elders live in the me-
dium-sized hill-town and two more are active in the contado.
Of these, only three are Lasombra, including the current
prince. Each vies for power in the city’s politics and has sired
an unhealthy high number of childer. The current prince
has already called for one Lextalionis — only to have it fail
spectacularly. He dares not call another.
Much of the prince’s time is consumed in dealing with an
ambitious Ventrue, Henricus Germanus, a relic of an attempted
alliance between Siena and the imperial city of Augsburg. The
German Cainite showed up during the negotiations. Now
Henricus refuses to leave Siena, and he has proved surprisingly
adept at avoiding the Final Death.
Also vexing is the continued power of the city’s Hermetic
magicians. A chantry has existed since the founding days of the
city, but it has become increasingly powerful — or perhaps it is
only now revealing its true strength. Even more troubling, several
Tremere have been spotted in the magicians’ quarter of the city;
though none have seen them arrive through the city gates.

Rome
Ecclesiastical liberty is nowhere better cared for than where
the Roman church has full power in both temporal and spiritual
affairs.…
–– Pope Innocent III in a letter to the Bishop of Ravenna,
translated by Brian Tierney
Medieval Rome, heart of the Papal States, is two cities
in one. One Rome is a prosperous Italian commune, with a
secular government of councils. The other Rome is the city
of the Pope, spiritual head of Christendom. The two Romes
don’t always get along (in fact, they are often at war), but, to
the chagrin of both, they need each other to survive.
The Roman commune is ruled through the Senate. This
isn’t the old Imperial Senate; it just stole the name. Other
communes can have their council and podestà — but Rome is
Rome and intends to have Roman names. The size of the Senate
fluctuates wildly. One year, there will be only one Senator; the
next, the Romans will change their constitution and appoint
50. Depending on the current make-up of the government, a
Senator is sometimes more like a podestà or consul elsewhere,
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146
and sometimes more like a councilor. The Pope favors a small fell, the Romans discovered that this overgrown tombstone
Senate, because it is easier to manipulate. Thus, a large Senate made a great place from which to throw dangerous objects at
is often a sign of rebellion among the people. attacking foreigners. Over the centuries, it has gotten a new
Rome is the home of the Pope, head of the Western Church, lease on life, some added battlements and walls. Ownership
and, not coincidentally, Chief Bishop of Rome. The Pope is said has passed through most of the major Roman families. This
(metaphorically) to keep the keys to Heaven and Earth, given by year one family owns it, the next year, another will.
Christ to Peter, Rome’s first bishop and Christ’s appointed ruler of One other physical feature of Rome worthy of note: It is surround-
the Church. At this period, the Pope claims not only the right to ed by swamps. In the summer, these swamps are veritable founts of
appoint the bishops of every Christian kingdom, but also temporal miasma and disease. Foreign Popes complain bitterly. Some Romans
authority over large areas of Europe. These claims are resisted (with often leave for the season. Others just get sick and die.
varying degrees of success) by most of the European monarchs
— and utterly rejected by the patriarchs of the Eastern Church.
Within Rome itself, the Pope occupies a precarious position.
A Papal Chronicle
Rome is “his” city, in as much as he is its chief bishop, and since he, The official start year for a Vampire: The Dark Ages
and the college of cardinals, and all the enormous wealth of the Church campaign, 1197, is a hectic time in Rome. Storytellers
is concentrated there, he often controls much of its politics de facto, who want a Roman Chronicle but don’t want to jump
if not de jure. However, Rome is also a secular city-state, with right into heavy intrigue should probably start a few years
mundane concerns — farming, trading, war, manufacture — and earlier or later. On the other hand, there’s nothing like
its citizens want the same independence that other communes starting a chronicle with a bang — and fewer things will
have. They cannot, however, just drive the Pope out of town: draw out Cainite politics more than a papal election, a
He’s the source of their political importance, and without him, German succession and a war!
pilgrimage money would dry up. So most of the time, they rec- Events start rolling in 1197, when the German Emper-
ognize his theoretical supremacy, and he lets them do what they or Henry VI dies, his son still too young to rule. Up until
want, manipulating Roman political decisions from the wings. this time, the empire had nominally governed the central
Rome will soon (c. 1198) become the center of a wide band Italian towns. However, much as their northern neighbors,
of territory controlled by the Pope. Eventually, these holdings the central towns have developed independently, growing
will become known as the Papal States, but at the moment, into communes and city-states and contadi. Upon Henry’s
the Pope’s hold over them is far from certain. What this means death, the towns are left without much guidance, as various
for Rome is unknown. contenders vie for the throne. In January of 1198, Pope
The city of Rome has shrunk drastically in size from its days Celestine III dies. The new Pope takes the name Innocent
of glory. The city proper is reduced to a small, walled section di- III, and his reign inaugurates a new age of greatness for
rectly around the river Tiber. The rest of the old city (called the the throne of Peter — which starts with solidification of
dishabitato) has reverted to farmland. Scattered among the fields Rome’s hold over central Italy. The city-states of the cen-
outlying Rome sit the ruins of old marble and brick buildings, tral peninsula fear continued domination by the empire.
monuments and broken columns. Some of these hide catacombs, To protect themselves, most swear fealty to the Pope. In
hidden chambers or other havens. (Unlike the Cainites of other return for nominal sovereignty, the papacy tends to let
cities, Roman Cainites never have to search far for a place to set the cities govern themselves for now, setting up various
up home.) Once inside the circuit of the new walls, however, officials to watch over the areas. By this method, the
Rome is a bustling Italian commune, albeit built on the crum- papacy obtains submission throughout most of central
bling ruins of the old empire. Alongside buildings of modern Italy by 1199. It takes only the passage of time (and the
construction sit strange anomalies built out of old buildings. death of Markward, one of the German heirs) to turn
For instance, Trajan’s triumphal arch has a noble tower built this nominal independence into actual control, a slow
on its top — a way for its present owner to say “This is mine!” process fraught with a variety of small wars.
and get a few extra feet of height on his tower. Storytellers can use this uncertainty to spin a variety
Several major landmarks define Rome. First of all, there of tales. What machinations, mortal and vampiric, are
are the ruins of Rome past, such as the desolate Capitol, the involved in a papal election? Which elders back which
huge Colosseum, the Pantheon (now the church Santa Maria candidates, and which must flee for their lives? Which
Rotunda) and the many triumphal arches. Then there are the Cainites — especially among the hated Ventrue — travel
church buildings: for example, St. John Lateran (later scene with the armies of the imperial candidates? Do delega-
of various councils) and St. Peter’s Basilica. There are many tions appear in the troupe’s town? How do the princes
more; Rome is also known as “the city of a thousand churches.” of the various towns react to their towns’ submission?
Finally, the large brown Castel St. Angelo guards Rome’s What claims does the Prince of Rome send out into the
flank. Its core is an odd-looking round structure, much too wide new Papal States? Can he successfully enforce them? Do
and short to be a conventional tower. In fact, this used to be the the characters have to try?
mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Once the empire
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147
 Cainites in Rome
Rome, as a large city and a political center, boasts a
great number of Cainites. Many content themselves by
maintaining a herd or profiting from the influx of wealth
from trade and pilgrimage. Most vampires, however, keep
at least one eye fixed on the Vatican. The Pope’s court is
as prestigious as that of any monarch — perhaps more so
because of its international status. Lasombra and Ventrue
want power. Setites want to corrupt. The Cainite heresy
wants to change doctrine. Tremere want the ancient texts
kept in the Vatican archives. Fortunately, the aura of faith
around the curia (caused by relics if nothing else) keeps the
papal throne relatively clean of direct undead interference.
What frightens Roman elders most of all is the possibility
that some Cainite, through ambition or mishap, might
reveal the true extent of vampiric society to the Church’s
heart. (This nightmare indeed comes to pass in later years,
when Fabrizio Ulfila of the Ventrue effectively sets the
Inquisition in motion.)
The strongest clan in Rome remains the Lasombra, of
which Prince Constantius is a representative. Most of the
other clans of the Christian world sport some representative
or other in Rome at all times. The Nosferatu are particularly
numerous, especially penitential Nosferatu on the Road of
Heaven. The presence of so many holy sites and persons
draws them in, as do the extensive catacombs and ruins of
the dishabitato.
Regardless of clan, the greater portion of Romes’ elders
and ancillae look eagerly toward the growing Papal States.
Some fear an exile in the newly conquered territories, others
hope that Constantius will appoint them as rulers of some
minor city. The excitement reaches a fever pitch following
the purge of Orvieto in 1199, the court of Constantius be-
coming center for furious politicking by all sorts.
Rome is also a major center for the Inconnu in Europe.
These Cainites of imperial times are more often rumored
about than seen. Cainites with Auspex occasionally
glimpse toga-clad figures of impressive auras before they
slip away. The eldest of elders are sometimes startled in
dark hours by sires they thought long dead. Nosy Cainites
never return from certain abandoned quarters of the city.
In general, the Inconnu seem not to care for current pol-
itics — but occasionally, one resurfaces long enough to
utter a warning or to deliver an ultimatum, then promptly
disappears. Such activity makes them just visible enough
to trouble the slumber of princes and elders. Who knows
when a well-laid plan will falter through the interference
of some creature old and powerful beyond reckoning? For
this reason, most of them wish the inscrutable Inconnu
gone, yet they can do nothing.
It is not easy to go about unlife as a Cainite in Rome.
Scattered throughout the city are sites and persons of ex-
ceptional holiness. Rome, after all, is the city of a thousand
churches; entering into any one of them could mean the
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148
 Southern Italy
Final Death for a Cainite. Innumerable priests and nuns
wander the streets. Should only one in a hundred have the

and Sicily
deadly True Faith, that is still too many — yet how can they
be avoided? Even Nosferatu beneath the city surface must
reckon with the catacombs and the deadly tombs of saints
long dead. The heart of Roman life and politics is religion; Forget everything the past 28 pages have said about
an ambitious Cainite cannot steer clear of all priests and communes, and read the first three chapters of this book —
altars forever. So, Cainites in Rome swallow their pride, because southern Italy and Sicily are feudal. They have no
dig deep havens, and are always ready to flee. Few prize the republics, no communes, and no city-states. Instead, the Sicily
scars and scalds given them by holy objects, and one bloated and the southern section of the Italian peninsula is ruled by
Nosferatu is rumored to have a burn from every church in the Emperor of Germany, who inherited it from the last of
Rome — including an enormous crucifix incised onto his face. the Norman kings in 1194.

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149
 The Monstrous Podesta
Quote: The punishment must fit the crime — he shall be stoned within an inch of his life, then pilloried,
and, finally, flayed and left for the wolves. No man steals sheep in my city.
Prelude: After the floods wiped out your village, the monks from the monastery in the next
valley came to dispense food, and when they went back they took you on
as a servant. The services were the first time you’d really paid attention
in Church, and soon you found that God was paying more attention to
you in return — speaking to you in the fields, sending his angels in
the form of bright halos around people, and showing you things in
dreams and visions. You persuaded the monks to teach you to read,
so that you could become a monk yourself.
Then came the painful, seemingly random Embrace, and
your first frenzied slaughter. You had never been made to do
God’s work, you realized when you had sated your hunger, and
you should never have had the temerity to imagine that you
were. Very well. If God didn’t want you, there must be another
power who did.
In time, you made your way to a village on the very edge
of civilization. Seeing the opportunity for easy prey, you “persuaded”
prominent citizens to tell the villagers that you had been sent as a
contracted podestà, then drank them dry. You subdued the superstitious
and ineffectual villagers in a single night of bloody horror. Some you
killed and dragged through the streets; some you drank from; some you
tortured and maimed. You sent visions and madness amongst them,
and walked abroad wearing the faces of their dead friends. You made
every last villager drink your blood, and then you told them that they
had damned themselves, and that only you could save them.
Agents of the Church rarely come here, and when they do, they
always find you a polite host. The Church disinterestedly acknowledges
you as the village leader, and your position is now secure. The villagers
dare not speak against you, and most are too mad or too tightly bound to
you to wish to. Some have even joined you in your depravities.
Concept: God will certainly be regretting making an enemy of you.
You are on the Devil’s own unholy mission, and you believe the corruption
and perversion of Christian things are your appointed duty.
Roleplaying Hints: You labor constantly to put your charges into deeper
and deeper states of terror. You are incorrigibly evil, and you look and act
the part — you growl and shriek insanely, and ask significantly after the
villagers’ children. If you meet any Cainites who share your tastes, invite
them to join you for a meal, but be thoughtful and provide an apron.
Equipment: Tattered Roman-style robes of office, scepter of rulership
(dented from use in meting out “justice”), fetid bag of…parts…saved from
unruly citizens (an eye for an eye…)

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150
Name: Nature: Monster Generation: 10th
Player: Demeanor: Defender Haven:
Chronicle: Clan: Caitiff Concept: Monstrous
Podesta
Attributes
Physical Social Mental
Strength___________________
OOOOOO Charisma__________________
OOOOOO Perception_________________
OOOOOO
Dexterity___________________
OOOOOO Manipulation_______________
OOOOOO Intelligence_________________
OOOOOO
Stamina____________________
OOOOOO Appearance________________
OOOOOO Wits____________________
OOOOOO

Abilities
Talents Skills Knowledges
Acting____________________
OOOOOO Animal Ken________________
OOOOOO Academics_________________
OOOOOO
Alertness__________________
OOOOOO Archery____________________
OOOOOO Hearth Wisdom_____________
OOOOOO
Athletics___________________
OOOOOO Crafts_____________________
OOOOOO Investigation________________
OOOOOO
Brawl______________________
OOOOOO Etiquette___________________
OOOOOO Law_______________________
OOOOOO
Dodge_____________________
OOOOOO Herbalism__________________
OOOOOO Linguistics__________________
OOOOOO
Empathy___________________
OOOOOO Melee_____________________
OOOOOO Medicine___________________
OOOOOO
Intimidation________________
OOOOOO Music_____________________
OOOOOO Occult_____________________
OOOOOO
Larceny____________________
OOOOOO Ride_______________________
OOOOOO Politics____________________
OOOOOO
Leadership_________________
OOOOOO Stealth____________________
OOOOOO Science____________________
OOOOOO
Subterfuge__________________
OOOOOO Survival___________________
OOOOOO Seneschal__________________
OOOOOO

Advantages
Disciplines Backgrounds Virtues
__________________________
Celerity OOOOOO __________________________
Allies OOOOO Conscience___________
OOOOO
__________________________
Dementation OOOOOO __________________________
Generation OOOOO
__________________________
Obfuscate OOOOOO __________________________
Resources OOOOO Self-Control_________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
Retainers OOOOO
Courage___________________
OOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO __________________________
OOOOO

Other Traits Road Health

OOOOOO
__________________________ Beast
__________________________ Bruised
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Hurt -1
OOOOOO
__________________________ Injured -1
OOOOOO
__________________________
Willpower Wounded -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ Mauled -2
OOOOOO
__________________________ O O O O O O O O O O Crippled -5
OOOOOO
__________________________ Incapacitated
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________ Weakness
OOOOOO
Blood Pool
__________________________
__________________________
OOOOOO
__________________________
OOOOOO

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151
VAMPIRE: THE DARK AGES

152
 Who was the King of Aragon in
1104? When was Julian the Apos-
tate’s reign? Who was Pope when
your character was Embraced?
The following resources are print-
ed here for your convenience.

POSITIONS OF POWER

VAMPIRE: DARK AGES

153
153
 Roman Emperors Kings of Aragon
from A.D. 284 Ramiro I 1035-1063
Diocletian 284-305 Sancho Ramirez 1063-1094
Maximian 286-305 Peter I 1094-1104
Galerius 305-311 Alfonso I 1104-1134
Constantius I 305-306 Ramiro III 1134-1137
Maximian 306-308 Petronilla 1137-1162
Severus 306-307 Alfonso II 1162-1196
Maxentius 306-312 Peter II 1196-1213
Constantine I the Great 306-337 James I the Conqueror 1213-1276
Licinius 307-324 Peter III 1276-1285
Maximin Daza 308-313 Alfonso III 1285-1291
Constantine II 337-340
Constantius II 337-361
Constans 337-350
Magnentius 350-353 Kings of Jerusalem
Julian the Apostate 360-363 Godfrey of Bouillon 1099-1100
Jovian 363-364 Baldwin I 1100-1118
Valentinian I 364-375 (West) Baldwin II 1118-1131
Valens 364-378 (East) Fulk, Count of Anjou 1131-1144
Gratian 375-383 (West) Baldwin III 1144-1163
Valentinian II 375-392 (West) Amaury I 1163-1174
Theodosius I the Great 378-395 (East; West Baldwin IV 1174-1185
from 392) Baldwin V 1183-1186
East Guy de Lusignan 1186-1187
Honorius 395-423
Constantine III 407-411
Constantius III 421-421
John 423-425
Valentinian III 425-455 Kings of Portugal
Petronius Maximus 455-455 Alfonso I Henriques 1139-1185
Avitus 455-456 Sancho I 1185-1211
Majoran 457-461 Alfonso II 1211-1223
Severus III 461-465 Sancho II 1223-1246 (Deposed)
Anthemius 467-472
Olybrius 472-472
Glycerius 473-473
Julius Nepos 473-480 Kings of Poland
Romulus Augustulus 475-476 Boleslav I 1025-1025
West Mieszko II 1025-1034
Arcadius 395-408 Casamir I 1034-1058
Theodosius II 408-450 Boleslav II 1058-1079
Marcian 450-457 Vladislav I 1079-1102
Leo I 457-474 Boleslav III 1102-1138
Leo II 474-474 Boleslav IV 1146-1173
Zeno 474-491 Casamir II 1177-1194
Basilicus 475-476 Leszek I 1202-1227

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 Byzantine Empire
Justin I 518-527 Constantine VII 913-959
Justinian 527-565 Romanus I 919-944
Justin II 565-578 Romanus II 959-963
Tiberius 578-582 Nicephorus II 963-969
Maurice 582-602 John I 969-976
Phocas 602-610 Basil II 976-1025
Heraclius I 610-641 Constantine VIII 1025-1028
Constantine III 641-641 Romanus III 1028-1034
Heracleonis 641-641 Michael IV 1034-1041
Constans II 641-668 Michael V 1041-1042
Constantine IV 668-685 Zoe and Theodora 1042-1042
Justinian II 685-695 Constantine IX 1042-1054
Leontius 695-698 Theodora 1054-1056
Tiberius III 698-705
Michael VI 1056-1057
Justinian II 705-711
Isaac I 1057-1059
Philippicus 711-713
Constantine X 1059-1067
Anastasius II 713-715
Romanus IV 1067-1071
Theodosius III 715-717
Michael VI 1071-1078
Leo III 717-741
Nicepohorus III 1078-1081
Constantine V 741-775
Alexius I 1081-1118
Irene 797-802
John II 1118-1143
Nicephorus I 802-811
Manuel I 1143-1180
Michael I 811-813
Leo V 813-820 Alexius II 1180-1183
Michael II 820-829 Andronicus I 1183-1185
Theophilius 829-842 Isaac II 1185-1195
Michael III 842-867 Alexius III 1195-1203
Basil I 867-886 Isaac III 1203-1204
Leo VI 886-912 Alexius IV 1203-1204
Alexander 912-913 Alexius V 1204-1204

Kings of Castille Kings of France

Ferdinand I 1033-1065 Hugh Capet 987-996
Sancho II 1065-1072 Robert II 996-1031
Alfonso VI 1072-1109 Henri I 1031-1060
Urraca 1109-1126 Philip I 1060-1108
Alfonso VII 1126-1157 Louis VI 1108-1137
Sancho III 1157-1158 Louis VII 1137-1180
Alfonso VIII 1158-1214 Philip II Augustus 1180-1223
Henry I 1214-1217 Louis VIII 1223-1226
Ferdinand III 1217-1252 Louis IX 1226-1270
Alfonso X 1252-1284 Philip III 1270-1285
Rasputin Just kidding

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 Kings of Denmark Kings of Germany
and Holy Roman
Gorm 940-940
Harald I Bluetooth 940-986
Svein I 985-1014 Emperors
Harald II 1014-1019 Charlemagne 800-814
Canute 1019-1035 Louis the Pious 814-840
Hardicanute 1035-1042 Lothar I 840-855
Svein II 1047-1074 Louis II 855-875
Harald III 1074-1080 Charles II the Bald 875-877
Canute II 1080-1086 Charles III the Fat 881-887
Olaf I 1086-1095 Guy of Spoleto 891-894
Erik I 1095-1103
Lambert of Spoleto 894-898
Magnus 1129-1134
Arnulf of Carinthia 896-899
Erik III 1134-1137
Louis III of Provence 901-905
Olaf II 1140-1142
Berengar I 915-924
Svein III 1142-1146
Otto I the Great 962-973
Canute III 1146-1157
Valdemer I 1157-1182 Otto II 973-983
Canute IV 1182-1202 Otto III 983-1002
Valdemer II 1202-1241 Henry II 1002-1024
Erik IV 1241-1250 Conrad II 1024-1039
Abel 1250-1252 Henry III 1039-1056
Christopher 1252-1259 Henry IV 1056-1106
Erik V 1259-1286 Rudolf of Swabia 1077-1080
Hermann of Salm 1081-1093
Conrad of Franconia 1093-1101
Kings of England Henry V
Lothar III
1106-1125
1125-1137
Alfred the Great 877-899
Edward the Elder 899-925 Conrad III 1138-1152
(Never crowned)
Athelstan 925-939
Edmund 939-946 Frederick I Barbarossa 1152-1190
Edred 946-955 Henry VI 1190-1197
Eadwig 955-959 Phillip of Swabia 1198-120
Edgar the Peaceable 959-975 (Never crowned)
Ethelred the Unready 975-1016 Otto IV 1198-1218 (Recognized
Edmund Ironsides 1016-1016 by Innocent III)
Canute of Denmark 1016-1035 Frederick II 1212-1250
Harold Harefoot 1035-1040 Henry Raspe 1246-1247 (Anti-King,
Hardicanute 1040-1042 never crowned)
Edward the Confessor 1042-1066 William of Holland 1247-1256 (Anti-King,
Harold Godwinson 1066-1066 never crowned)
William the Conqueror 1066-1087 Conrad IV 1250-1254
(Never crowned)
William Rufus 1087-1100
Henry I 1100-1135 Richard of Cornwall 1257-1272
(Never crowned)
Stephen of Blois 1136-1154
Alfonso X of Castille 1257-1273
Henry II 1154-1189
(Never crowned)
Richard the Lionhearted 1189-1199
Rudolf I of Hapsburg 1273-1291
John Lackland 1199-1216
(Never crowned)
Henry III 1216-1272

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 Kings of Hungary
Geza 972-992 (Duke) Bela II 1131-1141
Stephen I 992-1038 Geza II 1141-1162
Peter 1038-1041 Stephen III 1161-1161
Samual 1041-1044 Ladislas II 1162-1163
Peter 1044-1046 Stephen IV 1164-1165
Andrew I 1047-1060 Stephen III 1163-1172
Bela I 1060-1063 Bela III 1172-1196
Imre 1196-1204
Salamon 1063-1074
Ladislas III 1204-1205
Geza I 1074-1077
Andrew II 1205-1235
Ladislas I 1077-1095
Bela IV 1235-1270
Kalman 1095-1116 Stephen V 1270-1272
Stephen II 1116-1131 Ladislas IV 1272-1290

Kings of Serbia Popes and

Stephen Nemanja 1151-1196
Stephen I 1196-1228 Antipopes (†)
Radoslav 1228-1232
of the 12th Century
Vladislav 1232-1243
Paschal II 1099-1118
Uros I 1243-1276
Theodoric 1100†
Stephen Dragutin 1276-1282
Albert 1102†
Sylvester ‘IV’ 1105-1111†
Gelasius II 1118-1119
Kings of Scotland Gregory ‘VIII’ 1118-1121†
Kenneth I McAlpin 843-860 Calixtus II 1119-1124
Donald I 860-863 Honorius II 1124-1130
Constantine I 863-877 Innocent II 1130-1143
Aedh 877-878 Anacletus ‘II’ 1130-1138†
Eocha 878-889 Victor ‘IV’ 1138†
Donald II 889-900 Celestine II 1143-1144
Constantine II 900-943
Lucius II 1144-1145
Malcolm I 943-954
Eugenius III 1145-1153
Indulf 954-962
Anastasius IV 1153-1154
Duff 962-967
Hadrian IV 1154-1159
Colin 967-971
Alexander III 1159-1181
Kenneth II 971-995
Victor ‘V’ 1159-1164†
Constantine III 995-997
Paschal ‘III’ 1164-1168†
Kenneth III 997-1005
Calixtus ‘III’ 1168-1178†
Malcolm II 1005-1034
Duncan I 1034-1040 Innocent ‘III’ 1179-1180†
MacBeth 1040-1057 Lucius III 1181-1185
Malcolm III 1057-1093 Urban III 1185-1187
Donald Bane 1093-1094 Gregory VIII 1187
Duncan II 1094-1094 Clement III 1187-1191
Donald Bane 1094-1097 Celestine III 1191-1198
Edgar 1097-1107 Innocent III 1198-

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 A Dark Medieval Timeline
1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge 1148 Crusaders withdraw from siege of Damascus
Battle of Hastings 1149 Consecration of Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Norman Conquest of England 1150 First papermills built in Spain
1067 Construction begins on Tower of London 1155-1230 Civil war in Norway and Sweden
1071 First Saxon revolt 1158 Order of Calatrava founded
1076 Diet of Worms 1159 John of Salisbury’s Policraticus
1077 Civil War in England 1160 First windmills built in France
1079 Construction begins on Winchester Cathedral Construction begins on Avila Cathedral
1085 Christians capture Toledo Construction begins on the first gothic ca-
1086 Domesday Book commissioned thedral at Laon
1095 Proclamation of First Crusade at Council of 1161 London burns yet again
Clermont 1163 Construction begins on Paris Cathedral
1096-1102 First Crusade 1164 Constitutions of Clarendon
1096-7 Crusaders arrive in Constantinople 1166 Construction begins on Poitiers Cathedral
1096 Construction begins on Canterbury Cathedral Serbian revolt
1097 Battle of Dorylaeum 1167 Lombard League founded
Siege of Antioch 1169 Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem) renovated
1098 Battle of Antioch Egypt submits to Saladin
Cistercian order founded 1170 Thomas Becket murdered in Canterbury
1099 Jerusalem falls Cathedral
Godfrey of Bouillon elected first Latin ruler Construction begins on Wells Cathedral
of Jerusalem 1173 Order of Montegaudio founded
1101 Final wave of crusaders defeated by Turks 1174 Saladin takes over Damascus
1112 Burghers of Laon murder bishop and proclaim 1175 Waldenses (heretical) group established
a commune
1176 Order of Avis (Order of Evora) founded
1113 Hospitallers founded
Lombard League defeats Frederick I
Peter Abelard opens school in Paris
1182 Massacre of Latins in Constantinople
1115 Clairvaux monastery founded
1183 Aleppo submits to Saladin
1118 Council of Toulouse plans attack on Saragossa
1185 Bavarian revolt
1120 Knights Templar founded
1186 Mosul submits to Saladin
Construction begins on Autun Cathedral
1121 Council of Soissons, Abelard condemned 1187 Battle of Hattin
1122 Concordat of Worms, Investiture Controversy Jerusalem taken by Saladin
settled Pope Gregory VIII proclaims Third Crusade
1125 William of Malmesbury’s History of England 1188 Saladin Tithe imposed in England
Flying buttress introduced at Cluny 1189-92 Third Crusade
1132 London burns 1189 Silvas, Portugal captured
1135 London burns again 1191 Richard I takes Cyprus
1139-53 Civil War in England Acre capitulates to Richard and Philip II
1140 Council of Sens, Abelard again condemned Battle of Arsuf
Gratian compiles canon law First Lord Mayor of London appointed
1145 Muslims capture Edessa Bodies of Arthur and Guinevere reported
Pope Eugenius III proclaims Second Crusade exhumed at Glastonbury
1147-9 Second Crusade 1192 Treaty of Jaffa
1147 Eugenius authorizes crusading in Spain and Construction begins on Lincoln Cathedral
Eastern Europe Edicts against Cathar heretics
Lisbon captured 1193-1230 Livonian Crusade

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1194 Construction begins on Chartres Cathedral 1229 Jerusalem restored to Christians by treaty
1196 Diet of Wurzburg Peace of Paris ends Albigensian Crusade
1198 Teutonic Order founded 1230 Construction begins on Beauvais Cathedral
Pope Innocent III proclaims Fourth Crusade Kingdoms of Leon and Castile unified
1200 Order of San Jorge de Alfama founded 1231 Liber Augustalis law code for Sicily
Construction begins on Bourges Cathedral 1232-4 Crusade against Stedinger heretics in Germany
1201 Construction begins on Rouen Cathedral 1232-53 Conquest of Valencia by James I of Aragon
1202-1204 Fourth Crusade 1233 Inquisition founded
1202 Order of Swordbrethren founded 1236 Ferdinand III of Castille takes Cordoba
Crusaders take Zara 1237 Teutonic Order absorbs Swordbrethren in
1204 Crusaders sack Constantinople Livonia
Baldwin of Flanders elected first Latin Em 1239 Proclamation of Crusade against Emperor
peror of Constantinople Frederick II
1204-5 Conquest of the Peloponnese Swedish crusade to Finland
1208 Papal legate assassinated in Languedoc 1241 Mongol invasion reaches Hungary and the
Proclamation of Albigensian Crusade Adriatic
1209-29 Albigensian Crusade Proclamation of Crusade against Mongols
1209 Sack of Beziers 1242 First Prussian Revolt (against Teutonic
Order)
Cambridge University founded
Battle on Lake Peipus
1210 Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans) established
1244 Fall of Montsegur
1211 King of Hungary grants Teutonic Order
Fall of Jerusalem to Khorezmians
lands in Transylvania
Battle of La Forie
Construction begins on Rheims Cathedral
1245 Teutonic Order authorized to wage permanent
1212 The Children’s Crusade
Crusade in Prussia
1213 Pope Innocent III proclaims Fifth Crusade
Council of Lyons deposes Frederick II
Pope Innocent III deposes and restores King
1248-54 First Crusade of St. Louis (King Louis IX of
John of England
France)
Construction begins on Dublin Cathedral
1248 Aachen taken by crusaders
1214 Philip II captures Normandy
Seville taken by Ferdinand
1215 King John of England signs Magna Carta
1249 Capture of Damietta
Fourth Lateran Council formalizes doctrine
1250 Crusaders again defeated at al-Mansura
of transubstantiation
1251 First Crusade of the Shepherds
Paris University receives first statutes
1252 Florin minted, reintroduces gold coinage to
1216 Order of Preachers (Dominicans) established
Europe
1217-29 Fifth Crusade
1256-8 War of St. Sabas in Acre
1218-19 Siege of Damietta
1256 King Lllewellyn sweeps English from Wales
1220 Construction begins on Amiens Cathedral
1258 Mongols sack Baghdad
First Mongol incursions
Treaty of Corbeil settles French-Spanish border
1221 Crusaders defeated at al-Mansura
1259 Battle of Pelagonia
1222 Construction begins on Burgos Cathedral Treaty of Paris restores peace to northern
University of Padua founded France
1224 St. Francis receives the stigmata 1260 Battle of Durbe, Teutonic Knights defeated
1225 Teutonic Order invited to Prussia in Livonia
1226-83 Teutonic Order conquers Prussia Second Prussian revolt
1226 Diet of Cremona Mongols take Damascus
Revival of Lombard League Battle of Ayn Jalut
1227 Crusade against heretics in Bosnia 1261 Greeks reoccupy Constantinople
1229-33 Civil war in Cyprus 1265 First English Parliament summoned

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 1266 Battle of Benevento 1293 Ordinances of Justice Florence bans mag-
1268 Mamluks seize Jaffa and Beirut nate families from government
Fall of Antioch to Mamluks 1295 Model Parliament in England, first repre-
Battle of Tagliacozzo sentative parliament
1269-72 Second Crusade of St. Louis 1297 Battle of Cambuskenneth, William Wallace
defeats English army
1269 Rebuilding of Westminster Abbey begins
1302 Muslims take Ruad from Templars
1271 Marco Polo departs Venice for the Mongol
Treaty of Caltabellotta
court
Truce between Sicily and Naples
1273 Construction begins on Limoges Cathedral
1305 Clement V establishes Avignon papacy
1274 Construction begins on Ghent Cathedral
1306 Hospitallers invade Rhodes
1275 Order of Santa Maria de Espana founded
1306-7 Crusade against heretic Fra Dolcino in Piedmont
1277 Charles of Anjou arrives in Acre, pressing
1307 Arrest of all Templars in France
claim to crown of Jerusalem
1309 Popular Crusade
Kingdom of Jerusalem split
Teutonic Order headquarters moved to
Genoese begin annual convoys to Bruges Marienburg, Prussia
and Channel ports Crusade against Venice
1284 Edward I seizes Wales 1311 Hospitaller headquarters established on Rhodes
Genoese defeat Pisans at naval battle of Meloria Battle of Halmros, Athens and Thebes fall
1286 Jerusalem reunited to Catalan Company
1288 Marco Polo returns to Venice 1312 Knights Templar suppressed
1289 Tripoli falls to Mamluks PopeClementgrantsTemplarlandstoHospitallers
1290 Edward I expels all Jews from England Council of Vienna
1291 Acre falls to Mamluks 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, Scottish independence
Sidon and Beirut fall Last Templar master burned

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