World of Darkness: Vampire - The Masquerade: Rites of the Blood

172 Pages·2014·22.21 MB·English

by  Onyx Path Publishing

Credits Special Thanks
Rich “Skype Crashed Again” Thomas for being a
Written by: Alan Alexander, Jason Andrew, Matthew master of Internet technology.
Sanderson, and Ree Soesbee
Justin “Dirty Secrets Was Awesome” Achilli for his
Developer: Eddy Webb metaplot consultation.
Additional Development Assistance: Justin Achilli, Mike “Do It Again” Chaney for enduring the
Alessandro Kellis, Gabriel Sorrel, and Ian Watson approvals process.
Editor: Genevieve Podleski Alan “Punk Sorcery” Alexander, Jason “Nixx
Ignatius” Andrew, Matthew “Blame Noah Webster”
Creative Director: Rich Thomas
Sanderson, and Ree “Creepy as Fuck” Soesbee for
Art Direction and Design: Mike Chaney
working with hellishly complicated material that took
Interior Art: Michael Gaydos, Sam Araya, Andrew some hard right turns during the development process.
Trabbold, Rachel Kahn, Forest Immel, Vince Locke, Larry Genevieve “Is This English?” Podleski for undoing
McDougal, and James Denton
all the mistakes I introduced into the manuscript.
Cover Art: Michael Gaydos Lisa “Google Spreadsheet” Andrew for her
comprehensive research assistance.
The Attendees of Midwinter 2013 and LA by Night
for reminding me why the White Wolf community is
fucking amazing.
Chuck “Riot Juice” Farmer for giving me just the
right drink at just the right time.
Everyone who participated in the open
development process for some amazing insights and
occasionally crashing my Google Drive documents.
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2
The Price 7 Level Three Rituals 25 High Holidays 42
Level Four Rituals 27 The Monomacy 43
Introduction 13
Level Five Rituals 29 The Vaulderie 45
Theme and Mood 14 The War Party 45
Chapter Two:
What’s in this Book? 15 The Wild Hunt 46
The Sword of Caine 33
Lexicon 15 The Ignoblis
Doctrine 33 and Faction Ritae 46
Chapter One:
Sorcerous Sabbat 34 Ultra Conservative 47
The Ivory Tower 17
Koldunism 35 Orthodox 48
History of House
Tremere Thaumaturgy 35 Loyalist 49
and Clan Tremere 17
Setite Sorcery 36 Order of St. Blaise 50
The Camarilla’s
Assamite Al-Aziz 36 Pander 51
Perspective on
Thaumaturgy 18 Necromancy 36 Status Quo 51
Blood Magic Abyss Mysticism 37 Chapter Three:
Always Has a Price 19
Ritae 39 The Movement 53
Positions of Power
The History of the Ritae 39
in the Camarilla 20 Four Waves 53
Black Cathedrals 39
The Economy Old Skool Sorcery 53
of Thaumaturgy 21 Synods and New Age Blood Magic 55
Ecumenical Councils 39
Camarilla Punk Sorcery 55
Thaumaturges 22 The Auctoritas Ritae 40
Hacktivist Thaumaturgy 57
Thaumaturgy Rituals 23 The Binding 41
Magic and the Movement 58
Level One Rituals 23 Rite of Contrition 41
Anarch Blood Magic
Level Two Rituals 24 Creation Rites 42 and the Camarilla 59
RITES OF THE BLOOD 3
Anarch Blood Magic In the Shadow of the Aralu 102 The Principle of Blood 131
and the Free States 60
New Necromancy Rituals 103 The Principle of Will 131
The Economics of Magic 60
Created and The Principle of Knowledge 131
Anarch Rituals 61 Changed Creatures 104
The Principle of Identity 132
Old Skool Rituals 62 Gargoyles 105
Principles of
New Age Rituals 63 Blood Brothers 106 Sympathetic Magic 133
Punk Sorcery 65 Savage Creations 107 Principles of
Ritual Construction 135
Hacktivist Thaumaturgy 67 Tremere Constructs 107
Learning
Setite Shabti 109
Chapter Four:
(and Subverting) Rituals 136
The Independents 71 Chapter Six:
Thaumaturgy Paths 138
The Damned 111
Assamite Sorcery 71 Mastery of the Mortal Shell 138
Style and Substance 72 The Host of Hell 112 Path of the Focused Mind 139
External Relations 74 Temptation 112 Path of the Levinbolt 140
Sorcery within The Archdukes of Hell 114 Path of Spirit Manipulation 142
Assamite Castes 75
Calling the Infernal 115 Thaumaturgy Rituals 145
New Rituals 76
Bargains, Deals, and Pacts 116 Level One Rituals 145
Setite Sorcery 77
The Costs Level Two Rituals 147
Style and Substance 78 and Benefits of Infernalism 117
Level Three Rituals 149
External Relations 80 Ritual of Summoning 117
Level Four Rituals 151
Sorcery within Investments and Gifts 118
Level Five Rituals 154
Setite Factions 82
The Baali 119
Koldunic Sorcery 156
New Rituals 83
The Veneficti 120
The Way of the Spirit 156
The Giovanni
Secrets of the Eldest 120
The Way of Sorrows 157
and Necromancy 85
The Sabbat Inquisition 120
Koldunic
Style and Substance 85
Compromises 121 Sorcery Rituals 157
Expansion of Necromancy 88
Heretics 121 Reawakening the
External Relations 90
Dead Water (Level One) 157
Structure 122
Necromancy within
Invoke the Lesser Sign
Authority 123
Giovanni Families 92
of Power (Level Two) 157
Mechanics 124
New Rituals 93
Cowing the Servant
The Josians 125
(Level Three) 157
Chapter Five:
In Ancient Days 125
The Unusual 97 Ties That Bind (Level Four) 158
Misfit Archons 125
The Inmost Tug (Level Five) 158
The Inconnu 97
Structure 126
Anarch Rituals 158
New Versus Antiquated 97
Authority 126
Flatline (Level One Ritual) 158
Secrecy 98
Infernalists and Heretics 127
Iron Body (Level Two Ritual) 158
Hierarchy 98
Mechanics 127
Hell’s Calling
New Mechanics 100
(Level Three Ritual) 158
Chapter Seven:
Inconnu Thaumaturgy 101
Secrets of the Blood 129 Ward versus Vitae
The Tal’Mahe’Ra 102 (Level Four Ritual) 158
Foundational Principles 131
4
Dur-An-Ki 159 Seeing With the Sky’s Eyes Armor of Diamond Serenity (Level
(Level Five) 163 One Sadhana Ritual) 166
The Hunter’s Winds 159
Setite Sorcery 163 Craft Gris-Gris
The Path of the Evil Eye 160
(Level Two Wanga Ritual) 166
Ushabti (Akhu Path) 163
Dur-An-Ki Rituals 162
Dark Thaumaturgy 167
The Path of Praapti
Horoscope (Level One) 162
(Sadhana Path) 165 The Fires of the Inferno 167
Infusion of Kalif (Level Two) 162
The Flow of Ashe The Path of Phobos 168
Bull of Heaven (Level Three) 163
(Wanga Path) 165
The Taking of the Spirit 170
Directing Ahriman’s Lance
Setite Sorcery Rituals 166
(Level Four) 163
RITES OF THE BLOOD 5

The Price
“Knowledge always comes at a price. Whether that poised near the doorway, black hair tumbling down over
price is paid in blood, security, or spirit, Vrisa, there is one shoulder. She wore an immaculate white dress with
always a cost.” Shick-shick-shick went the knife along the soft gloves and black patent leather shoes. A velvet bow
leather strap, sharpening its blade to an impossibly fine pulled the curls away from her cheekbones, lending the
edge. The little old man paused, eyeing the knife’s razor girl’s eyes a strange, sculpted look.
point, and then went back to sharpening.
“Wolves?” he gave a snort of disdain. “No, no. This
“The first hunt was a Tremere. You can guess why, of is a different sort of lesson.”
course. They say the Usurpers stole Salubri power and
“I like your stories about wolves,” she continued with
Salubri blood — but they took their immortality from
an empty smile.
the Tzimisce! What is the greater crime, I ask you?” He
grumbled. “Revenge was the order of the day. “Wolves are stupid. Piss-headed, short-sighted, can’t
tell a pool of blood from a puddle of rain.” His grumpy
“Now it seems those fires have cooled. More’s the
tone softened. “You just like to hear the tale of your
pity.” Shaking back a shock of white hair, the old man
older brother’s cowardice, and how I tricked him into
gave a gravelly chuckle. “I knew their magic when they
leaving us alone.” The girl’s smile was unchanging, and
were humans crawling on the earth like worms on
sodden graves. To think, they took Tzimisce vitae, our the old man waved a thin-fingered hand in the air. “No
knowledge of the spirits and the energies of the land, time for that, Vrisa, no time. Today, we study magic.
and they cocked it all up. Rats in their hermetic maze.” “You will listen closely, my girl. If you do not, I will
He pulled the knife back and set it with the others.
pull off your arms and legs and turn you into a scuttling
“Such a waste.”
spider.” His tone was one of quiet amusement, but she
Rubbing his moustache with a slender finger, the old stiffened, and immediately focused on his words.
man looked at his apprentice. “Are you listening, Vrisa?”
The old man lifted the tray of knives and carried it to
“Does this have to do with the wolves again, Master?” the table in the center of the little laboratory. Though
Like a perfect porcelain manikin, the little girl stood the room was made of ancient stonework, the equipment
RITES OF THE BLOOD 7
within was modern, stolen from a research facility in koldun do, but those spirits are ephemeral, not elemental.
Minsk. “That Tremere,” he continued on, “was most Of course, I know that now. A pity for the little Italian
forthcoming once he realized what I would do to him fellow that I didn’t realize it before, but then again if I
if he did not share his secrets. His capitulation did not had, I’d not have such a comprehensive index of their
help him; I did it anyway. Thus, the first book.” capacity.” Kosczecsyku set a thick tome with a white
leather cover beside the others, patting it admiringly as
Kosczecsyku ambled to his desk and opened his black
he spoke. “I do wish I had the companion volume, of
bag, reaching between the handles to draw out a book
course, but those seem to be regretfully out-of-print.”
with dark blue bindings. The tome was tightly shut, locked
by an ornate strap that covered its girth. The old man “All dead?” Vrisa asked politely, twisting her head to
smiled as he placed it on the shelf, fingers rubbing the regard him with glittering button-glass eyes.
spine with possessive
“So I’m told. I
pride. “Hermetics.
continue to hold out
Mathematics.
hope for a revised
Predictability. Those are the
edition.” Kosczecsyku ran
strengths and weaknesses of
his hands through the
Tremere spellcraft. Know
thick shock of white hair
what to expect, and you
atop his head and stared
will defeat them.”
once more into the black leather
“Yes, Voivode.” bag. “I’m always amazed that
there are so many. Ah, here.
Kosczecsyku reached into
Delightful codex, this one.” He
the leather bag and pulled out
reached in gingerly, drawing out a codex
a second book. This one had a
wrapped entirely in black. The pages
yellowish tone, with faint red hieroglyphics
within were thicker, heavier, as though
illuminated across the front and back of
the parchment had swelled over the years,
the cover. “My second lesson was a Setite.
and notepaper scraps were wedged all among
Not so tough, but very clever. I will admit that I
the pages. “Dur-an-Ki. Best to read this with an
was unprepared — I had assumed magic was all the
opium pipe handy, my dear. The Assamite that
same. I conjured the spirits, readied my craft, and
inspired this tome claimed their magic is only truly
hunted the Serpent to his lair… but it was there that
understood through a haze of drugs and ecstatic
I nearly lost him.” The old man mused, opening the
illumination. Still, I can’t stand kalif. Reminds
cover and flipping a finger through the pages. There
me a bit too much of the smell of burning dogs.”
was a sharp, acrid smell from the internal bindings,
the scent of the desert carried on a whisper of wind. Vrisa perked up, but before she could ask her
“Never underestimate the power of faith. Obsession question, there was a knock on the door of the
makes even a weak thaumaturge powerful.” laboratory. Obediently, the apprentice went to answer.
As Kosczecsyku ran his hands admiringly over the line
The little girl began her task at the table, polishing
of books, the doll-like girl instructed two muscular
each knife with a soft cloth. Her eyes did not
szlachta to carry their prisoner into the room and
move, nor did her smile waver as her hand moved
strap him on the table.
over the implements. He eyed her for a moment,
wondering if she was still paying attention, and Ignoring the bustle behind him, the white
then shrugged and dug into the bag once more. haired gentleman resumed digging within his
bag. He snatched his hand back after a moment,
“Ah, this…” he said eagerly, withdrawing the next
pushing the fingers into his mouth with a guttural
tome. “This cost me quite a bit more than it was worth,
curse in Romanian. Wrapping a piece of cloth around
to be honest. I had to buy it from a vendor in Italy.
his palm, he reached into the satchel again and gingerly
Those merchants will sell anything that isn’t nailed
snatched out another, smaller tome, dropping it onto
down — including their souls. Foolhardy… and nearly
the table as soon as the book cleared the mouth of the
a waste of effort on my part.
bag. “Cold as the dickens,” he murmured to himself,
“You see, Necromancy is a form of magic, but it requires poking at the text with a pen. He lifted the front cover
an entirely different skill set. They conjure spirits as we and watched as frost knitted its way up the slender
8 The Price
cylinder of his writing utensil. “Monçada’s children be no more pleasant-looking book in all the world.
were often so. Eh, what’s this?” Kosczecsyku leaned over
“Never give the infernal a foothold.” Kosczecsyku
the table, lowering his ear within inches of the raised
whispered, his voice clipped and hard. “They are never
leather. His eyes brightened with childlike glee. “The
what they seem to be.” The book recoiled as he spoke, its
Abyss is whispering again. Such a busybody, that one…
friendly presence rippling at his derision. Suddenly, the
“Abyss Mystics, Vrisa,” the old man pulled his pen cover darkened, blotching with unseemly stains, and the
away and let the cover of the book snap shut. Shaking red-ribbon bookmark tucked between the pages lolled
a cover of rime from his hand, he continued. “The out like a cadaver’s tongue. The old Voivode snorted.
magic that the Lasombra practice is anything but. It’s “Dramatics will get you nowhere,” he muttered, placing
not faith, either, strictly speaking, though my teacher it on the desk with the others.
kept cursing as though
The elderly
he thought God could
Tzimisce turned
hear him. Or maybe
toward the stone
he was talking to
table. “Ready, is he? The
the Abyss. Hm.” Kosczecsyku
teacher?” the old man
raised his voice over the
said in a surprisingly
commotion of a limp
bright tone of voice.
body being hefted onto
Toddling on light feet,
the table. “Abyss mystics open
he moved to the edge and
portals. For all their bragging and
took inventory of his latest
posturing, they don’t perform
possession. The man lying
real magic. They just open a
there was half-awake, his grey eyes limpid
door. Something else pushes the
and his features slack with sluggish
magic through.” His voice trailed away
comprehension. He wore a leather
thoughtfully as he stared down at the
jacket, jeans, and a black tee-shirt with
last book within the bag.
something foolish scrawled across the front.
“Voivode,” his childe asked respectfully. “The His hands were ravaged with burns and stained
teacher is still asleep from his journey. Shall I with blood. “Hm.” Kosczecsyku prodded the
help him to revive?” young man with the tongs.
“Hm? Oh?” Kosczecsyku straightened and “Your name is Jurgin, is it not? Jurgin Shaulis?”
glanced toward the table. “Yes, do. Sturdy-looking
“I am,” the young man affirmed.
fellow, isn’t he? I shall have to remember to thank
the Vozhd. Perhaps with whatever’s left of the fellow’s Kosczecsyku brightened, pleased. “Lithuanian, yes?”
horse.” “Yes.” The prisoner forced his eyes to focus,
“Automobile, sir.” Vrisa corrected with infinite flicking back and forth between the little man and
care and respect. “No horses.” She went about her the strangely conciliatory girl behind him, holding
task without further ado. platter of knives. “Who are you?”
“Eh.” Neither understanding nor caring, he Pleased to be able to introduce himself properly,
shuffled to the table and reached for a pair of tongs. the Voivode gave a slight bow. “My name is
The last book in his bag was tricky, and it was best Kosczecsyku, childe of Yorak, childe of the
not to provoke it. Reaching in with the oversized Shaper. I am… ahem… recently awakened,”
tongs, his tongue slipping past the edge of his lips, he added by way of casual apology. Gesturing
Kosczecsyku lifted the final book from the bottom of toward the girl, “This is my daughter, Vrisa.”
the bag and gently, gingerly, placed it on the shelf beside The prisoner had begun to tug at the restraints on
the others. Vrisa came to stand beside him, holding his wrists. “Why am I here? What are you doing? I am
the platter of glinting blades. She raised an eyebrow. a free member of the Sabbat! My pack is — ”
The book was of average size and thickness, the cover
“Your pack is irrelevant. Your magic is all I require.”
a worn and friendly brown with faded gold lettering
on the spine. It seemed to radiate welcome, with well- The man blinked. Kosczecsyku took a small mirror
thumbed pages and softly stained corners. There could from his pocket, breathing on it and wiping it with his
RITES OF THE BLOOD 9