Road of the Abyss

The Roads

Description

As pragmatic as they are ruthless, most Lasombra regard Obtenebration as a tool. It is an important tool and a gift from their founder, but ultimately just one power among many. Only the most eccentric and arcane savants among the clan understand the true significance of their dark art. Obtenebration is more than mere shadow-play. It is a window to the Abyss itself, that great and terrible unknown that lies at the center of all things. The Abyss gnaws at the heart of the Underworld and the doubt in every question never answered. It is present in the absence of light and lurks in every shadow. Ghosts rightly fear its hunger, but they do not understand it. Demons call it Hell, and they only begin to comprehend. No Lasombra knows where it comes from or its purpose or even the purpose of its strange denizens, but the clan's mystics know the Abyss is the ultimate source of their power.

So the mystics vainly pry into the dark places in search of secrets and answers and perhaps more questions. For these driven souls, conventional Obtenebration is only the beginning. With rituals they unlock the hidden powers of shadow and summon the unnamed primordial horrors that lie beyond.

Either from fear or distaste, the Amici Noctis follow a policy of ignoring mystics until times of great crisis. Even the most fervently Christian Lasombra do not hunt or discourage Abyss mystics, for it is whispered that the Eldest watches those who watch the Void. And so the mystics research quietly in the hidden places, for the Abyss is their calling, their quest, their god.

Followers of the Abyss are all members of Clan Lasombra, and practice their signature Obtenebration Discipline. This capability lets them conjure and manipulate the stuff of shadow. Indeed, a cult has grown around the Discipline. Members, called "Abyss Mystics," claim that Obtenebration in fact allows a practitioner to reach beyond space and time, into a parallel shadow-dimension.

Mystics teach that the Void and the entities within are shapes predating Creation. When the "Gods of Light" said, "Let there be light," it was into the Abyss that Their radiance reached. But, They did not create the Abyss itself. It was there before. Thus, by employing the Abyss, vampires can tap into a power more ancient and terrible than that of the "Gods of Light."

Certainly, the Abyss is not merely a static force. Most Obtenebration practitioners sense looming "presences" beyond. The shadows they call forth display sentience, sometimes personality and always hunger. Travel through the Void, accomplished only by powerful Cainites, can be a perilous endeavor. Occasionally, the Abyss manifests spontaneously around a careless or powerful user. Unsought things creep through shadowy doors into the mortal world, or material creatures or even places simply...disappear.

For many Lasombra, the Abyss is a tool, albeit a valued one. There is simply too much to accomplish in the worldly night to worry about the "cosmic night," too. But Lasombra, taken with the grandeur of the Great Abyss concept, have incorporate this doctrine into a fully formed vampiric philosophy. They see the Void not as a mindless dimension, but as the embodiment of creation itself. Because the Abyss may have existed before the "Gods of Light," it is considered good, not evil. The latter is the fault of the recent, upstart, Abrahamic faiths. By revering the Abyss, mystics serve and pay homage to the true source of Creation.

Followers of the Abyss are an ancient cult with roots stretching back to the "First City," but over the millennia variant Paths have formed and splintered from the ancient and original "Road of the Abyss." One of the more modern Paths has gained a strong footing in the nascent Sabbat, and is called the Path of Night. "Nihilists," as the followers of the Path of Night are called, are heavily influenced by monotheism and the modern ideas of good and evil. As such they see themselves as the corporal agents of hell, returned to earth to test mankind, and as such they justify their evil existences as dark angels who test the virtuous and punish the wicked.

In the eyes of the Sabbat, Abyss Mysticism forms a sub-path within the Path of Night. From the nihilistic point of view, they are thought to practice the same basic teachings and ritae as all nihilists, but tend to form their own packs and hold their own rituals, far from the eyes of the other Sabbat. Fellow nihilists seem to be shocked by the sacrifices offered by the Followers of the Abyss, not due so much to the atrocities committed, but as to the sheer audacity of the tenebrous forces unleashed. According to the urban mythology of the Sabbat, more than one rogue pack has been consumed outright by the amorphous shapes brought forth.

Recently, with the advent of quantum physics, the old doctrine of Abyss mysticism has found neonate adherents. More scientific Lasombra, aware of "dark matter," black holes and similar phenomena return to ancient Abyssal texts, and wonder. If the universe is composed largely of dark matter, might the entire staging ground for the Jyhad be swallowed in an instant? And might that be a desirable end?

These Lasombra occasionally seek out mortal mages, particularly those whose magic leans towards science and technology. In exchange for services, Followers of the Abyss learn more and more about the true nature of the cosmos. It is not an alliance per-se, but an uneasy bargaining. These wizards, revile Abyss mystics as monsters, yet realizing their utility, occasionally let slip more than they intend. And thus, the power of the cult grows by the year.

Sobriquet

Clericus Atra (dark priests), Augur Caecorum (blind seer) - derogatory.

Ethics of the Abyss

- Approach your studies with wisdom and calm - never let passion be your guide.

- Take every opportunity for understanding.

- Never fear darkness - you are a creature of living darkness and night is your natural environment.

- Never lose sight of the mystery that is Obtenebration - it was our progenitor's gift to us.

- Do not needlessly sacrifice yourself - your endeavors are too important.

Initiation

Initiation onto the Road of the Abyss is a formal process. It begins with the agreement of a follower to mentor the initiate. This adherent first teaches the initiate not the the road's precepts and ethics, but its preferred modes of study. The initiate learns scientific method, broader concepts of experimentation, and the rational exploration of religion. If the initiate displays an understanding of these concepts, then the mentor teaches the basic precepts of the road itself.

Once the initiate has reached an understanding of these precepts and had her first moment of truth, she may be initiated, if her mentor deems her ready. Any dark priest may be a mentor, but only a high-priest may perform the actual initiation. Once the initiation has been completed, the new adherent of the road continues studying with her mentor, but takes formal instruction from priests and teachers as well.

Organization

The Road of the Abyss has always been structured on a simple priest and novice format, without clear lines of hierarchy or demarcation based on fatuous titles. Rather authority is based on age, wisdom and the number of contributions he or she has made to the cause. The titles and terms of respect vary by region and culture, but in general there are a series of high priests of the Abyss who gather to debate, experiment and initiate supplicants to the Abyss. Below these wise-men and wise-women are the rank and file of the dark priesthood who understand the precepts of the Road by heart, but have yet to make any significant contribution to the faith or discover any pivotal secrets of the Abyss. These dark priests act as observers and provocateurs of their superiors, when they are not in the midst of experimentation, study or actively delving the dark places of the earth. High priests are referred to as master or mistress, while priests are addressed as adept and initiates are universally called novices.

Aura

Darkness. Dark Priests, accustomed as they are to long hours experimentation and study of darkness, radiate the darkness of the Abyss. This aura modifier applies to blind actions and the evocations of Obtenebration (including Abyss rituals). The aura modifier does not affect the skill of Stealth, as such darkness is too alien and spiritually disturbing to onlookers. (PGHC - pg.176)

Road Virtues

Conviction & Self-Control

Branching Paths

No known alternative paths of the ancient Road of the Abyss are known to exist. The likely reason lies in the incredibly small number of followers that belong to the faith which in modern times would be considered more a cult than a true religion.

Hierarchy of Sins against the Abyss

10 - Refusing to kill those who threaten the faith or the faithful. (The Abyss is God and its followers are holy.)
9 - Refusing to feed when hungry. (Hunger is a distraction from the observance of the faith.)
8 - Failure to study darkness when provided an opportunity to do so. (The pursuit of dark wisdom is your sole purpose.)
7 - Refusing to use Obtenebration. (Obtenebration is a holy gift, abstinence is apostasy.)
6 - Succumbing to frenzy. (You must rule the Beast, not be ruled by it.)
5 - Allowing emotion to sway your decisions. (Contemplation and objectivity are the keys to our dark faith.)
4 - Refusing to share your epiphanies with others on this road. (Only by working in unison can we piece together the mysteries of the Abyss.)
3 - Showing fear of or aversion to mental, physical or spiritual darkness. (Darkness is your natural element.)
2 - Risking your existence unnecessarily. (You have important work to do.)
1 - Giving your loyalty to anyone else, above your road and clan. (Your first duties are faith and lineage.)

Author's Note

The Road above is a fusion of material from three specific source works. The first is material taken from the Revised reference work called: Chaining the Beast, under the heading Abyss Mysticism found on pg.70 of that work. The second source is the Player's Guide to the High Clans, and its lengthy discussion of Abyss Mysticism, found on pg.175 - 176, specifically the excerpt titled "Morality and the Abyss." The final source is the Dark Ages - Storytellers Companion on the "Via Ossium" or Road of Bones which is referred to as a basic blueprint for the Road of the Abyss in the discussion on Abyss mysticism found in the Player's Guide to the High Clans; the complete description and list of sins for the Road of Bones is found on pg.24 - 25 of that reference work. These combined sources create a realistic picture of the belief system of the dark religious cult known as "Abyss mysticism." Because these three works were written at different times (Dark Ages - Storytellers Companion: 2002, Player's Guide to the High Clans and Chaining the Beast: 2003) and by different authors, I did take some license with the interpretation and ordering of the material.