Seminary Seminar

[Kenneth Gilroy]

The Moore House had again changed hands. This time it was Bishop Kenneth Gilroy who stood waiting in the chapel for potential investigators to arrive. Some time had passed since the last Midnight Mass and it would be a little longer still. Tonight was not about ceremony or sacrament. The small circle of folding chairs in the center of the room said that. Gilroy hadn’t set this up to preach, though undoubtedly there would be some who thought that despite him not using the pulpit.

He had tried to make the announcement as simple as possible. Come, learn, discuss. How successful the endeavor would be would depend entirely on turn out and Gilroy admitted nervousness. Midnight Mass could at least draw a crowd with pomp and unspoken moral requirement. That crowd had been less than sincere in Kenneth’s mind, though. He hoped the offer of critical examination would bring the genuinely curious. However, there was just as much chance for it to attract those eager to ridicule.

The skinny fanged worm picked up one of the Testaments he had placed on a table in the foyer and waited.

[Alice Hart]

Alice really didn't know what she had been thinking. When she saw the flyer she remembered her own offer to come to this seminar, and thought that is would do her no good to go back on her word, so here she stood, just out side the Moore House. From the sound of the offer it was more like something used to push information, rather then conversion. Which was probably a better way to go about this, if her information how small the Church's influence was within the Domain was right.
Alice stepped up to the door. 'Should I knock?' she thinks in a panic, 'Or should I walk in?'

After a few more moments of near silent panic, Alice chose to walk in. Glad for her unbeating heart, if she were still alive Alice was certain hat her heart would be attempting to hammer it's way out of her throat.

"Father Gilroy?" Alice asks, her voice quiet, half afraid to draw attention towards herself.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Kenneth had the smile of a highly infectious patient finally getting a visitor.

"Miss Hart, I'm so glad you could make it." As much as her perfect beauty was unsettling and made him jealous, at least someone had come. Someone who was unaligned, a cousin, and most importantly Masked was all extra. He held out a pale worm-fleshed hand in greeting.

"I've set up chairs through there in the chapel and I have Testaments to lend if you'd like." He indicated the table with a cringing motion.

"I... don't know if we can expect any others in attendance," he admitted. Given the time, how unpopular the church was currently, and how uncomfortable Gilroy knew he made people... it seemed a safe assumption no one else would be joining them.

Gilroy's fingers twitched and drummed the book he was holding.

[Alice Hart]

"I did say that I would try to make an appearance Father." Alice's unreal amethyst eyes peak out from under the fringe of her white-white bangs. She'd hopped that there would be more Kindred present, though paradoxically glad that it was not so, as there were no unmasked beasts present press against hers, drawing the icy wraith from it's pacificity.

Then the Bishop extended his hand, prompting Alice to take it, though only long enough to be considered polite before she extracts her hand from his grip, phantom bile rising as she fought not to rub her hand on her slacks. Reconsidering the cringing man in front of her, she wasn't that surprised that it was just the two of them.

Alice's new naturally fake smile spreads across her face, as she reached to take the offered tome. Ignoring the worm's cringing and her inexplicable need to bash his brains in with the book in her hands. Her slim fingers curl, wrapping themselves around the book, to keep her from crushing the-the wretched.worm.bug beneath her heel.

"Hrm...I expected a..ah-small turnout, but..." she casts her unreal amethyst gaze about the foyer, "I did expect more then just...me." if not for real interest but for the sake of politeness, or because the Bishop, and Whip of Clan Nosferatu was holding this seminar.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Alice's hand did not, as appearance would suggest, fracture and break off at his touch. Though Kenneth only held it softly and for a shirt time before releasing it. It was disconcerting to see porcelain but feel dry smooth skin, paler even than his.

Kenneth wished he could say he had expected more, but the truth was the probability of no one coming had been fairly high in his mind.

"You learn to work with the resources you have," Kenneth said grimly with a thin smile.

"It's possible they are all running late," trying and failing to sound optimistic. Possible but not likely

"Until then, let's say we begin." He led the way into the chapel and moving to the far side of the small circle of chairs. He caused feet to screech across the floor as he move one so he could sit. It was left up to her whether she would sit as far from him as possible but have to look at him or to sit closer to a vermin and hope out of sight was out of mind.

Kenneth flipped to one of the tabs in his book, read over a note he had placed there, then looked up at Hart to make sure she was settled. Then he put on his teacher's leader's hat and the droning began.

"Given that this is meant to be a seminar and not a sermon, I will attempt to give a more critical examination of the Lancea et Sanctum than you might expect. As such I will try to avoid religious language in favor of a more academic vernacular. However, keeping in mind the biases my position and upbringing entail, as well as the subject matter itself; slip ups may occur in my assumptions. I encourage you ask questions if anything doesn't make sense to you or if you'd like me to go into greater detail." Given there was only the doll-like Nosferatu, the lesson would probably have to be more personalized than he had first expected.

Kenneth paused to draw more air into his lungs, then the buzzing of his voice began again.

"I suppose before I get too far I should ask. What is your base knowledge and is there any topic you would like me to start with?"

[Alice Hart]

Gliroy's grimly said remark causes Alice to hum in agreement, "Many should learn to do the same."

Alice tries and fails to keep her face from broadcasting the disbelief at Kenneth's bumbling attempt at optimism.

The albino women nods as she scampers after her fellow Haunt, eyeing the small circle of chairs, wincing when the chair the Bishop chooses screeches across the floor. Alice sees the immediate answers as to where she should sit, next to the wretch, or as far away as the circle allows, but with a small tilt of her head, she chooses a third option. The midpoint between the seat across from the worm, and the chair closest to him.

They are both Nosferatu, they will grate on each other, this at least in Alice's mind offers a small compromise. Purposefully choosing not to be as far from him, but also not so close as to intrude upon his space.

Alice's naturally fake smile is back as a weight lifts from her shoulders, grateful that her first assumption that this would be more about learning then about a forceful conversion was correct.

"Everything I do know about any true Kindred knowledge, never mind about the varied Covenants is all from rumors and hearsay. I know basic accepted facts. Or what everyone claim are facts." Alice admits, she's young, but she walked into Sacramento knowing that once that detail is made known many would try to use that against her. Which is why she wants to learn. Knowledge is power. "My sire was slain months after my Embrace." she admits, staring at the floor. Wondering if she should speak of why he was slain. "No one really wanted to take a Nosferatu under their wing. Not even a pretty one. I get..a bit ah..eerie...? If people look at me too long." Alice threads her fingers together resting her now clasped hands upon her lap, looking upon them for a moment before she brings her gemstone eyes back to the worm, "So I'm a bit of a blank canvass I-I guess, the best place to begin would wherever you're most comfortable Father."

[Kenneth Gilroy]

"I’ll start with the basics then." He did have questions. Why had her Sire been slain and more importantly why had not even her Nosferatu taken her in. Had her Sire done something? But if so, what saved her from execution while still leaving enough social stain to be denied a mentor. It seemed a very strange situation. Then again, there hadn't been any other Haunts in the Domain. She wasn't here to answer his questions though. He'd file them way to be asked later as Whip. "The Lancea et Sanctum is a highly diverse belief system containing half a dozen Creeds with varying rites, ceremonies, and beliefs. Then there are scores of Factions, which tend to focus more on political application and emphasis of particular beliefs. Factions do tend to fall along broad lines of similarity such as proselytizers or scriptural unifiers. However, even with such simplification, the Lancea et Sanctum is a church with many sects with sometimes widely, even contradictory, belief sets that can occur even within a small population of Kindred. Despite this, the church is generally perceived and indeed acts as a unified organization. At least on the local level." If ever the similarity between Gilroy's voice and the buzzing of a horse fly could be made it was now. Worse, he had a tendency to twitch his eyes back to his notes constantly, making it seem like he wasn't entirely confident in his knowledge of the material.

"There are several reasons for this. Most importantly and obviously are the cannons held by nearly all Creeds that allow a core foundation of agreement from which cooperation can take place, heresies notwithstanding. For these we must look not at scripture but to the Sanguineous Catechism." Paper rustled as Kenneth flipped turned his notes over.

"The Catechism is a treatise extrapolated from scripture by Monachus, the Childe of Longinus. Note,” he paused and looked up at her. Another reason why he had tended to look down. That unsettling smile was still painted on her face, white teeth on a white face surrounded by white hair. “When I say ‘Childe of Longinus’ there is disagreement on whether that is literally true or is used as indicator of a close bond or discipleship between Longinus and Monachus. Just to clarify.” He continued working off his outline. “It was most certainly written after the five books of the Testament, though exact dates vary. Most estimates generally place its authoring some time after 500 CE but they are just that, estimates. There are thirteen cannons within the Catechism. However, only nine see wide acceptance throughout the covenant. Additionally, since they are not scripture and thus not expressly divinely inspired, canons are sometimes rewritten between different Creeds.

The first concerns the nature of existence as Kindred and for what purpose it should be put. It states that vampires are damned by God for the purpose of terrorizing Kine as part of a greater plan. It is probably the most controversial with Kindred outside the covenant. Given the negative connotations and implications of being ‘damned’ it’s not completely surprising. Beyond that, it also presumes the existence of God; Heaven; Hell; and divine moral authority as axioms within church philosophy, with the Lancea et Sanctum claiming singular moral rectitude for itself. This places the Sanctified at direct odds with the Circle of the Crone for reasons of theology and partially against the Order of Dracul for reasons of morality. Conflict with the Invictus or Movement is less common, given the church tends to stress spiritual matters rather than temporal. Alliance with the Invictus is in fact fairly common, especially in more established domains in Europe. So much so that the Middle Age nomenclature First and Second estate is often used to refer to the covenants, though notably inverted with the Unconquered being the First Estate and the clergy being the second." By now, his occasional twitching was probably becoming more evident. A knee tremble here, a knuckle crack there, the thankfully rare neck pop.

I’m getting off topic though. Returning to the first canon, it is generally interpreted to mean that the Embrace automatically causes one to be denied God’s grace and that in so doing allows Kindred to drive Kine toward righteous living, by freeing vampires from human ethics. At the same time it introduces new mores of behavior. At its core, the first canon advocates for acceptance of the vampiric condition, while at the same time placing restrictions on behavior to prevent full embrace of the Beast, and allowing for spiritual fulfillment or advancement despite being Damned. All of which are explored or clarified in greater detail in later canons.

The droning finally stopped and Kenneth looked to see if she had any questions regarding anything he had said so far. Did she dare invite him to talk more?

[Alice Hart]

It's almost if Gilroy's droning voice is putting her to sleep. Alice struggles to keep herself focused on his buzzing words, but her thoughts stray. If this is how the Bishop lectures on material that he should know as Bishop, material that it would be assumed he was passionate about, Alice reasons that this was the reason that no one else decided to come, and not just that he was a Haunt.

'I must not call the Bishop icky. I must not call the Bishop icky. I must not call the Bishop icky.' the mantra repeats over and over as she tries to pay attention to the obnoxious buzzing. Twitching at his ever trembling muscle, at very crack and every sickening pop.

Her attention snaps back toward the now silent worm. Alice's fake-slasher smile falls from her face as she nibbles on her lip in thought.

Alice lets the silence linger.

"That...makes a lot of sense." Alice finally says, her voice quiet. Afraid to break the quiet of the chapel. The doll looks down at her folded hands, "I don't know how much faith I have. I believe in God, and Heaven and Hell in an absent way...my parents only observed any kind of religious...anything if it would increase their standing within their-their..." Alice fumbles, then settles on "Social group."

She'd come to Sacramento to find purpose within her Requiem...was this a sign, or was she being too hasty in considering anything this early in her stay within the Domain. She hadn't been wrong about this being a forum for information and knowledge, but as some emotion, to light and ethereal for her to name swirls around her, she wonders if the Bishop realizes that this more relaxed atmosphere is working better at aiding her in understanding, accepting the words then a harsher more formal event would invoke.

"Is there-ah anything that you would like me to read?" Alice questions, "If you have better...things...to...do..." Alice trails off, realizes that Gilroy made time for this seminar, no matter how few people had attended, which mean that she exposed her desire not to listen to his buzzing voice drone on for a moment longer. Alice then tries to give the Haunt an apologetic smile, which she realizes would be a bad idea. Instead she frowns. Her naturally invoked smiles look awkward, fake, and creepy. The actual fake ones, the ones she practices look sweet and natural. Go figure.

[Kenneth Gilroy]

Kenneth was almost flummoxed by her response. He'd spent so long assuming that anyone he talked to about the church would be against it. It was why he had decided to go with tonight's approach. It was easier to talk about facts and implications rather than his own faith. Which also had to do with how little faith he had to begin with.

Yet here was this pale ghost of a woman saying it all made sense and that she believed in God. No argument or challenge. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. A part of him found it very easy to think this was some trick of false belief on Alice's part. Situations this perfect didn't just fall into your lap.

And then the catch came. If he were teaching biology, he'd have been grateful for a student showing this much interest. He knew science like the back of his hand, religion not as much. Having Alice read meant giving up his notes. However, he also didn't want to start plunging into scripture now before he had finished going over the Catechism. Which meant he'd just have to trust what he had taught himself so far.

"I can..." papers rustled again as his fingers skittered across them "If you wanted to read... The next three canons have to deal with the traditions as seen through the lens of Lancea rhetoric. If you'd like to read them and then give your impressions, we could do that. I'll explain any additional dogma that isn't stated explicitly in the canons."

He got up and slunk over to her chair, a couple sheets of paper held out in his pallid hand.

Notes

OOC - I don't think a written out copy of the Catechism was ever published. If it was, I don't have it. Instead, these are excepts from the Lancea Sanctum book. I've edited them somewhat for extraneous details. Consider this a 'highlighted summary' and not a word for word duplication of the Catechism. As I said, I don't think that actually exists.

The Second Canon, regarding the inalienable wisdom of the Masquerade

While the Damned are innately superior to the kine and are set over them by divine right, the vampires themselves must also guard against the sin of hubris. If the vampires openly set themselves up as lords of humanity, some of the Damned would inevitably place their own self-aggrandizement above their divine purpose, and the vampires’ role in separating the wheat from the chaff would be frustrated. To prevent that possibility, God placed weaknesses upon the vampires that make their discretion essential. Vampires have difficulty in siring new childer, thereby preventing them from achieving numerical superiority over the kine. Vampires function poorly during the day and suffer greatly from both fire and sunlight, two potent advantages for a mortal hunter aware of his quarry’s nature. Most importantly, the vampire’s true nature as a distorted corruption of humanity is plainly visible in his reflection, and while an astute and strong-willed vampire can usually prevent discovery by way of the Lost Visage, the wily hunter can still identify the vampire and catch him unawares if he realizes that one of the Damned is nearby. All of these weaknesses were set in place by God, not so that Humanity could destroy the Damned, but so that the Damned would be forced to strike at Humanity from the shadows. [...] God’s reason for this strategy [is] clear. Yes, vampires exist to punish the mortals for their sin, but if the vampires ruled openly, then the mortals would hate and fear their vampiric overlords. Instead, God wishes the mortals to hate and fear the very world around them, a World of Darkness in which faith in God is the only shield against misery. Above all else, mortals hate and fear what they do not understand. They must never truly understand the Damned. They must know only that hunters lurk in the darkness, waiting to devour.

Third Canon, regarding the shameful necessity of the Embrace

God, in His infinite wisdom, chose to give the Damned the power to spread their curse, but He placed limitations on their procreative powers. All vampires realize that the act of the Embrace diminishes some aspect of the self [...] by actively consuming part of the sire’s soul to enact the childe’s damnation. All vampires are limited in how often they can sire and how many childer they can create over time. […] God did not intend for the Damned to be incapable of increasing their numbers, but simply that vampires must choose their childer wisely. Furthermore, a vampire [can] be counted upon to choose wisely only when she had achieved a degree of enlightenment and understanding of God’s purpose for her. […] The Embrace as evil, it is also considered a necessary one. […] Thus, the Embrace, instead of being abolished, is merely heavily regulated. […] Acknowledges the hypocrisy of this position, but […] the moral blame for each Embrace falls squarely on the individual sire, rather than the vampiric society as a whole that allowed it. […] Place four limitations on the act. First, no Sanctified should ever sire outside the religious strictures of the domain in which he resides. […] The second limitation comes into play before the Creation Rite can even begin. As Longinus gave the Monachus a choice between death and the Embrace, so must each sire allow his putative childe to choose damnation for herself. Prior to the Embrace, the childe must have all the relevant aspects of vampiric existence explained to her by a Sanctified […] Either she accepts the Embrace or she will be killed. When the Monachus was given this option, he chose the Embrace, believing that the second option was tantamount to suicide and that he was damned either way. […] Attach no stigma to either choice. Indeed, […] for some individuals, particularly for moral persons who do not believe that they could maintain their humanity post-Embrace, death may actually be the correct moral choice. Thus, when a would-be sire chooses his childe, he must realize that he will be forced to slay her if she rejects the Embrace, […] The third limitation comes from the nature of the Creation Rite itself. Regardless of the circumstances of the Embrace, both the Sanctified who has sired and his childe must participate in such a rite […] before the childe will be considered a true member of the covenant, much as a mortal must be baptized to signify his acceptance of the Lord. […] The fourth limitation is a proscription of Embracing “the pure.”[…] Also [forbid] the Embrace of the mentally handicapped or the insane.

Fourth Canon, regarding the abomination of the Amaranth

[…] Diablerie is a sin because by consuming the soul of another vampire, the diablerist prevents the victim from either being judged by God or seeking absolution from the Returned Jesus Christ during the Second Coming. […] When one commits diablerie, he degrades his own soul, thereby inhibiting his ability to function in a moral manner.
He increases the potency of his blood, a benefit which would have come anyway within a short time […], but in exchange, he hastens his descent into torpor, a period of time possibly lasting for centuries during which he cannot fulfill his divine role. […] suggesting that diablerie would be morally acceptable if it were limited to vampires who were not Sanctified and carried no negative effects on the diablerist. Ultimately, however, [it is] concluded that the Amaranth, on the whole, is a sin and a distraction from moral unlife, and that those who engage in it suffer from corrupted souls and should be put down for the benefit of the entire race. […] [Do] not advocate Final Death for the diablerist, however, though […] killing a diablerist will not weigh on the killer’s soul. Instead, […] diablerists should be placed permanently into torpor to ensure that they are preserved until the Day of Judgment, so that God Himself may decide their fate. […] To spend an eternity in darkness and rage while awaiting the Second Coming.

[Konrad Roth]

The loud creak of a door being opened cuts through the sound of rustling paper, to be followed by the sound of its closing as a presence makes itself known at the Moore House.

A moment passes until the approaching footsteps reveal their owner to be Konrad. The Savage hangs in the threshold of the room's entryway and looks about curious and attentive. He wears a heavy leather coat over layered shirts and dark blue jeans. He notices there are only two figures within the room that he can see. And neither carry the Predator's Taint that so rattles his Beast. Even still, the air feels heavy, not simply for the Chapel and the reverence it demands, but for the curse that hangs over it. The Curse of Haunts. The vermin and the porcelain doll, both disturbing in their own ways.

"Oh, err, sorry I'm late. Long night at the office," says Konrad in his relaxed mannerism. "Saw the flier and figured I'd drop by. What'd I miss?"

He supposes he shouldn't be too surprised for the lack of interest. There were only so many Kindred, and only so many of them held interest in the Faith. Perhaps their worship has become an outdated practice, and too many of the Domain's residents are too young to buy into these traditions. Perhaps it just needs new Blood to give it a face lift.