Road of Blood
Sobrequiet: Assassins or Dervishes
Historical Note: This version of the Road of Blood is the most recent adaptation of the path that has guided the most fanatical Assamites since the first Bali war and the fall of the second city. It represents an infusion of the ancient lore brought back by Ur Shulgi into the more modern (and Islamic) understanding of most of the clan. Though it retains an emphasis on a mortal God (abhorent, in Ur Shulgi's eyes), it injects a new fanaticism into the blood of those the ancient needs most as he focuses the clan on its ancient mission of judging and punishing the Children of Caine. This particular version of the Road of Blood has not yet spread beyond the loyalist faction of Clan Assamite.
The others have been judged and found wanting. The judgement has been made and it remains for the executioner to deliver the sentence. Through diablerie, murder or blood magic, the Children of Haquim slowly fulfill the dictates of their clan founder. The war is a holy one; the vampires are offenses to God (or Caine), and must be removed from his Earth.
The Path of Blood is the name given by outsiders to the set of dictates and obligations followed by the most loyal of the Children of Haqim. Those who follow the path or those familiar with the ways of the children refer to the faith as "the way" or even "the laws of Haqim."
The path is ancient, dating back to the foundation of Alamut, and its precepts are older still. The course exalts the heirs to Haquim's blood above all others; they are descended from the Holy One and gifted with his teachings. This legacy of both divine grace and immortal wisdom marks the Assamites with a special place in God's plan.
The Way teaches that the Children of Caine are a curse leveled by God on His failing human worshipers. Haqim's children are just as damned and just as much a part of the curse as any other vampire, but they can transcend their state and rid the world of the pestilence of other Cainites by virtue of their heritage and blood. Staying on the path and obeying the laws of Haqim, the Assamites may stand apart from other vampires and be judged on their own actions.
These Children believe that other vampires exist to be consumed, killed and cast aside. By feeding on the heart's blood of other Cainites, a dervish may quench the Beast and move closer to God's grace. This is the will of the Creator, they believe. Caine may have been cursed, but Haqim was favored. God allowed him to be drawn into the night so that he could seek redemption and bring it to others. To move closer to Haqim (through diablerie) is to move closer to salvation.
