Sabbat (World of Darkness)
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The Sabbat are a fictional alliance of vampires, composed of two clans, from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade books and role-playing games. Their symbol is an inverted, spiked ankh. The Sabbat headquarters is located in Mexico City, Mexico and much of south-eastern United States cities belong to the Sabbat, except New York, which was retaken by the Camarilla vampires led by Clan Ventrue in 1999. The Sabbat are at war with the Camarilla.
The name is derived from the word Sabbat (a religious holiday).
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Philosophy
All Sabbat adhere to a code of conduct called "The Code of Milan", which preaches loyalty to sect and packmates, and to one's own freedom within the sect, as long as one's own good is never placed above the good of the Sabbat itself.
In addition to a very firm "if you're not with us, you're against us"-mentality, the sect considers vampires to be a higher form of life than humanity, and is based upon the principles of Loyalty and Freedom. Loyalty to the sect and to one's comrades is one of the important aspects of the sect, and the Sabbat vampires maintain this loyalty through a ritual called Vaulderie, where strong emotional bonds are created between members of the Sabbat. Freedom is preached in accordance to the Sabbat belief that every vampire is free to create their own destiny without being hindered by the reputations of their elders, and that no Sabbat has to lay down their life for cowards who cannot take care of their own matters. Of course, it does not always work like this in practice.
Organisation
The Sabbat as a whole is not a very structured sect. Though they lack this structure that can be found in the Camarilla, the Sabbat does not regard generation (potency of vampire blood) as a guideline for promotion. Instead, simply the most capable of vampires fill the positions they are most suitable for.
Packs
Perhaps the most unique part of the Sabbat structure is the formation of so-called Packs of vampires. Sometimes the formation of these Packs happens on a voluntary basis, while at other times, Pack members are simply appointed. Loyalty to the Pack is ensured by the Vaulderie ritual. Packs usually stick to one place and do not move around much, instead making one location their base of operations. Every Pack has a Ductus - a vampire of higher status and experience who functions as leader - and most Packs have a Priest. Priests lead or oversee the rituals of a Pack. There are some universal rituals within the Sabbat, but Packs usually develop their own, with a wide variety of uses.
Ranks
Despite its open structure at the bottom, the Sabbat maintains several Ranks, listed from "high" to "low" in the sect organisation.
- Regent
- Cardinal
- Priscus
- Arch-Bishop
- Bishop
- Priest
- Paladin
The Black Hand
A secret organisation within the sect, the Black Hand remains a mystery even for most members of the Sabbat itself. Assamites make up the majority of this group, that is rumoured to form Packs of its own. Only the most powerful, cunning, loyal and intelligent of vampires may be able to join. Its true purpose remains unknown, but it is believed by most of those who have heard of it that it serves as the sect's assassin squad.
Clans
References
- Vampire: The Masquerade (3rd Edition) by White Wolf (1998)