Path of Divinity

The Roads

A Path of the Road of Heaven

Sobrequiet: Divinists

Not every Follower of the Via Caeli believes the Curse of Caine to be truly a curse. When faced with the overwhelming evidence of the sheer power of their new conditions, some minds respond by rationalizing their charge as irrefutable proof of god's favor, rather than His condemnation. Believing themselves superior to men, these Cainites invariably come to the Path of Divinity, as it is the only viable means of reconciling their genuine belief in God with their secret delight at having been "gifted" with the embrace.

The Path of Divinity is arguably the most variant offshoot of any road, as its tenets emphasize a contrary relationship with god to all others who follow the Via Caeli. Although they refer to themselves as Divinists, those on this path are known as Heretics among other Faithful and are rarely accepted as fellow travelers pm the Road to heaven. Part of this enmity is due to the Path's most dubious claim to fame: it indirectly gave rise to the Cainite Heresy. Armed with an unholy text called the Euagetaematikon, a cult of fifth-century Divinists twisted the practices of the road into a mockery of itself and a potent weapon against the Catholic Church - one that grew to become one of the most powerful sects of Cainites in existence.

Practices: The path embraces the kine as a means of self-control. A devotee of this path can be linked to a wolf that surrounds himself with the sheep of the valley. The Beast rises to action when it is frustrated and denied; so long as its hunger is kept satiated, a Cainite never needs fear that his Beast will slip its leash and put the Faithful's soul in jeopardy. The kine are there specifically to ensure the Faithful's continued good behavior. to show his appreciation for god's bounty, the Faithful is expected to give something back. At no point, however, is he a blessed soul, certainly among god's most favored creations.

Due to the almost universal rebuke from those on other paths, heretics organize themselves quite tightly and admirably. They really only have one another as company, so they tend to make the most of it where they can. The path's official structure mirrors that of the Catholic Church, borrowing papal titles like archbishop and cardinal to represent the most enlightened and influential within its ranks. More often than not, such positions carry some material cause and benefit, as well. For example, a heretic with wide holdings and a sizable population of mortals under his sway would have earned himself the right to be called archbishop. Otherwise, they share a body of ritual with both the other Faithful and the mortal Church, including an unholy communion of their own, wherein mortals are fed drops of the Cainite's blood.

Heretics hail from all Cainite clans and former mortal lives. They are fond of wealth and power, and strive to accumulate much of each. Naturally, the path appeals to many Lasombra and Ventrue, who naturally view themselves as superlative Earthly creatures.

Virtues of Divinity: Conviction and Self Control

Additional Ethics of Divinity

• The blood of Caine makes you superior to mortals.
• The Flock must be led, guided, and educated to fear and adore God's chosen.
• Spreading the worship of Cainites increases and spreads the worship of God.

Hierarchy of sins against Divinity

Score	Minimum Wrongdoing	Rationale
10	Allowing mortals to violate any of the Ten Commandments	God's word is Law
9	Failing to speak out against corruption and sin	God blessed you so that you could act, not sit idly by
8	Acting out of pride, avarice, or some other sinful impulse	Do as you must, but only do so in the name of God
7	Theft, robbery, willful vandalism	Such things are beneath Cainites
6	Causing harm to a pious and virtuous person	Cainites are not above the truly innocent
5	Feeding from an innocent by force	The flock must come to you
4	Blasphemous or heretical acts	Flaunt God Himself and he will strip you of His blessings
3	Allowing a crime or major sin to go unpunished	"Vengeance is mine", sayeth the Lord.
2	The murder of innocents	Do not repeat the sin of Caine.
1	Aiding a demon or other supernatural agent of evil	Serve evil and you Deny your place in God's favor