Road of Metamorphosis

The Roads

Transcriber's note: This is the most recent write-up of the Path of Metamorphosis. It comes from Sins of the Blood. DA2 material mentions the path and its followers, but never codifies it, concentrating on the "mainstream" Roads instead. For the most part, I like the write-ups in Sins of the Blood, but this one clearly, at least to me, misses the point. What seems to be a truly ancient Road is instead a product of Tzimisce madness combined with ideas from the mortal enlightenment, with a few ancient influences thrown in. Still, most of the write-up seems solid, and worth keeping, even if the history section needs a complete re-write. Just my two cents. -Jamie

Sobrequiet: Metamorphosists (occasionally "Changers" or "Freaks")

Some Paths of Enlightenment are simply specific ways of looking at the world. They're taken to inhuman extremes, but they're founded on a human basis. Not so the Path of Metamorphosis. The brainchild of Clan Tzimisce, this calling concentrates on alienation, cultivation of inhumanity, and ultimately on escaping all humane traits the way a butterfly breaks free from its cocoon.

The basic doctrine of the path is that humanity is but a precursor to the more evolved state of vampirism, and vampirism is a prelude to something else... sometimes wondrous and terrible. As partly evolved beings, it is Cainites' sacred duty to continue the process of change and refinement into a state of early apotheosis.

Perhaps characteristically, adherence to this path is an individualistic rather than communal endeavor. Devotees are competitive at best, outright rivals or foes at worst. Each vampire must walk the path by herself. while followers often ally to accomplish temporal ends or to discuss general matters of spirituality, received more than mere rudiments of knowledge from other paths is considered weakness and dullness.

Also, unlike many paths, Metamorphosis advocates specific route to enlightenment. There are certainly rules to obey, techniques to follow and prohibitions to honor, but the following is ultimately a function of intuition and experience. Teachers understand that a student's destiny might be to fail, not succeed. Failures are not only expected but occasionally encouraged object lessons.

All told, the path sometimes presents an element that the Sabbat finds inharmonious, even divisive. It is only the influence of the Tzimisce and the usefulness of its members that keeps the path from being scourged from the sect altogether.

Basic Beliefs: Like all paths, metamorphosis seeks to free its members from the Beast's chains. The creature within is not considered even in and of itself, but as a burden that restricts a vampire to a low state of being. The Beast is a fine lens for exploring the world - thus, metamorphosists tend to have high Instinct ratings - but it can make an unwary vampire fatally short-sighted.

Most changers belong to the Sabbat, but they view the sect as a laboratory and tool rather than a holy institution. In truth, they would not act much differently if they were Camarilla or independent. Every vampire differs, of course, but as a rule, metamorphosists view and carry out their sect duties in dutiful but not inspired fashion.

Though Sabbat, many adherents fear the impending Gehenna If it happens to soon, they may not be ready. Philosophers estimate that it will take at least another century of experimentation and research before the highest truths of Metamorphosis are revealed - a century they might not have. Thus, certain changers do everything in their power to delay Gehenna. Some seek a sudden, overwhelming assault against the Camarilla. Others hope to use delaying tactics in an attempt to stabilize the Jyhad on both sides of the sect divide (which is treason by Sabbat standards). A few even dare to postulate approaching certain leaders of the Camarilla, declaring a secret truce and purging both sects of sufficient Antediluvian influence to delay if not avoid the impending reckoning.

Description of Followers: Metamorphosists are just plain weird. Invariably, they develop high levels of the Vicissitude Discipline, then use it to assume ever-changing but always inhuman or quasi-human forms.

Most practitioners are members of the Tzimisce clan. The philosophy simply doesn't appeal to very many other Cainites, even ones who've developed the Vicissitude power. Given that metamorphosists withdraw from undead society by necessity, the path doesn't take well among more sociable Cainites.

Still, a few Sabbat and others come forward. Gangrel, with their Protean Discipline are sometimes accepted, then taught the "true way" of Vicissitude. A few Serpents of the Light answer the call. Generally, metamorphosists prefer Cainites from stock perceived as "strong" and old: Ventrue, Toreador, Lasombra, and even Nosferatu. Given their own limitations and animalistic nature, Nosferatu find the path particularly appealing. Tremere and Panders, as "weak-blooded," tend to be discriminated against, though there are exceptions.

Sabbat metamorphosists serve the sect distractedly at best. The path is simply too individualistic to allow for much pack cohesion. (At the Storyteller's option, Vinculum ratings for metamorphosists can be cut in half, courtesy of ongoing rituals developed by elder path followers.)

A schism exists between metamorphosists who serve the Sabbat and those who do not. The latter, while rare, are strong in Eastern Europe, particularly the traditional Tzimisce Homeland in the Carpathian Mountains. Independent changers care little for sect ideology and routine hire themselves out to Kindred of any clan or side if they think they can obtain useful data or favors in return. Persistent rumor states that a small brood of Tzimisce metamorphosists serves the Inner Circle of the Camarilla, despite the surface implausibility of such an alliance.

The fact remains, though, that elder followers of the path are among the most intelligent, perceptive creatures in existence. The Sabbat grudgingly lets these creatures come, go and do as they please. When elder and sect aims correspond, the freaks serve as masterminds, strategists and warlocks beyond compare. When respective needs are not in sync, Sabbat leadership only hopes that the sect can keep out of the way.

History: The raw rudiments of this path have developed in the Balkans for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. The path as it's understood today flowered during the Renaissance and was refined during the Age of Enlightenment and later. It is ironic that those beings who would cast away all kinship with mortals owe some of their tenets to humans' development of the scientific method.

Prior to that time, even vampires largely held to the idea of platonic forms. While the Tzimisce sprang largely from pagan stock, the notion of progression from lower to higher form was largely alien to them at first. At some point during the Roman era, a few koldun conceived the idea of "becoming one with the gods" or "spirits" by consuming divine essence.

From this base, the kolduns' thought progressed to becoming "one with the land," a mystical amalgamation of life, spirit and blood. Roman soldiers in the Balkans spoke of the "genius loci," the animate life of the Old Country itself. Tzimisce koldun worshiped various genius loci, sought their havens and consumed them to become the new masters of the domain. In the process, legend says they transformed from mere Cainites into vast entities of titanic power.

For a time, following the coming of Christianity into the region, this myth-cycle was lost, passed down only among the oldest bloodlines. The idea of gradual progression into not only more potent blood, but to a higher stage of life itself remained dormant for centuries, until the coming of Darwinian and Lamarckian theories.

Tzimisce elders were attracted to talk of Linnaean taxonomy, to the great "dragon bones" extracted from ancient rock strata. Old whispers passed among the warriors of the Sabbat, and elders who had kept their lips sealed for centuries began imparting tales and knowledge. Like the dinosaur hunters of the day, though, they kept their secrets carefully guarded - and thus the nascent path, like the tree of life itself, branched in dozens, possibly hundreds, of different directions.

On the European continent, the path continued to evolve in a very "ubermenschian" direction, possibly influenced by the work of philosophers such as Nietzsche. contrary to Sabbat teachings (but useful to the sect nonetheless), metamorphosists actively participated in the worlds of both kine and Jyhad, using both as weapons in their tests and struggles. These conflicts were against each other as often as not.

Philosophically, the path developed extensively in the 20th century, with that era's emphasis on rapid progress, lack of objective truth and large-scale carnage. Human debates on eugenics echoed (or perhaps started) in the cavernous lairs of the metamorphosis. By now, some practitioners had progressed far along the path, and a variety of terrible monsters haunted the early half of the century. While the Nazi regime was a human-spawned atrocity, it is fair to say that the death camps of the Holocaust provided havens and grist for several Sabbat and independent metamorphosists.

The Atomic Age and beyond have likewise been fruitful. Advances in human science provide parallels of precursors for the work of metamorphosist, while Third World regimes and global hotspots allow all manner of experiments to continue unabated. While caring little for human genetics, devotees nonetheless mine the most enlightening and useful methodologies for their own uses. The Internet provides as fruitful for metamorphosist research as it does for human study. And at least one mighty metamorphosist has postulated the idea of a great vampire colony on the dark side of the moon, with kine slaves and tunneled laboratories.

Current Practices: All metamorphosists seek to transcend their innate limitations to become divine - or at least as close to omnipotent and omniscient as they can manage. The precise nature of this state varies from teacher to teacher, but all agree that metamorphosis must be sought through a mixture of contemplation and action. In some senses, this path is not so much a "spiritual" guide as a recipe for physical and mental development. The soul, while acknowledged to exist, is ultimately a building block in the whole of vampiric being. It should be preserved, certainly not lost, but not cultivated to the exclusion of all else, either.

As with any other path, a teacher guides a new student through the rudiments. These are common to all metamorphosists and they typically involve mastering the Vicissitude Discipline to level 4 while simultaneously purging one's self of human sentiment (raising Conviction to at least 3). Unleashing the zulo war-form is the first step in an initiate's understanding of his capabilities and possibilities. Once the zulo is attained, a teacher generally cuts the student loose to seek his own way.

A few teachers and their childer-students form coteries, working collectively to research and study. This arrangement was formerly not permitted until an erudite metamorphosist scholar pointed out that beings of the same bloodline might in fact be a communal, "colony" organism or could become one. Given that none could conclusively prove otherwise, bloodline-related coteries have since been permitted to exist under this stricture. In such units, the eldest and strongest is considered to be the "brain" and leader, although usurpation has been known to occur.

Metamorphosists cannot proselytize, but they look with little favor on Tzimisce who develop skill at Vicissitude without adopting the path. In some cases, changers might challenge such non-path clan members, posing trials and favors as tests of their resolve. If the other Tzimisce can be persuaded to join the path, it is for the good. If not, perhaps overcoming such a creature is a suitable test for a true metamorphosist.

The obvious way to transcend is through study. This is more challenging than it might seem. Because there is litle "standard" doctrine outside of the Phrygian Codex, and numerous editions of even that exist, metamorphosists must glean their texts and knowledge through active research. This means traveling to hidden libraries, questing for lost tomes and stealing needed materials from rival followers. Adherents encourage this competition. After all, a scholar who can't defend her gains from her fellows is not worthy of apotheosis.

No studies can be complete without experimentation. Metamorphosists commonly set up bizarre abattoir-labs, complete with mazes, dissection tables, cages and other experiment-facilitating devices. Here they study animals and kine - if they must. Better subjects are the various Awakened beings of the world. Thus, metamorphosists occasionally barter or cooperate with other Cainites (never other metamorphosists) to hunt and capture Cainites, Lupines and other creatures.

Ironically, a metamorphosist perceived to be high on the path can be a viable target for another, lower one. More than one "enlightened" metamorphosist elder has given up not only his blood but his flesh, bones, organs and soul to knowledge-hungry inferiors.

Metamorphosists believe in the standard doctrine of evolution. "Survival of the fittest" is even more apropos for them than for other Cainites. Some practitioners eagerly test there war-forms in combat with Camarilla vampires or even shapeshifters. The thrill of realizing that one's chosen direction is equal or superior to that of a Lupine is perhaps the most human emotion such strange Kindred ever experience.

The greatest crucible is the Jyhad itself, and thus elder metamorphosists are exceptionally dangerous. Instead of retreating to contemplate their philosophies in seclusion, they actively use their knowledge in the Eternal Struggle. Sabbat leaders put up with much to retain the services of these powerful beings - though the metamorphosists display less loyalty to the sect than archbishops and cardinals would like.

The mastery of Vicissitude (in conjunction with diablerie to lower generation sufficiently to develop unique manifestations) is a primary goal. Animalism is nearly equally valued, to form bonds of understanding with different species (and to attract legions of minions.)

Following the Path: The core tenet of this path is to transcend the undead limitations of the mortal and undead body and soul. Great practitioners speak of combining characteristics of life, death and undeath into a composite entity that controls all such states. Rather than merely maintaining and uneasy balance between life and death, metamorphosists must encompass life and death.

In the process, advocates routinely change the composition of their bodies and brains, the better to experience existence from a variety of perspectives. Once enough perspectives have been accumulated, metamorphosists seek to assimilate, synthesize and combine them into new and heretofore unknown forms.

(In game terms, metamorphosists often deliberately cultivate derangements, and then Willpower is spent to remove them. Only by experiencing eternity from a variety of bizarre reference points can enlightenment be achieved. At the Storyteller's option, Blood or Willpower might be spent to shift one or two dots among Attributes and Abilities and practitioners mutate themselves physically. Such accomplishments can't be made on the spur of the moment, though, say in combat. The Storyteller should impose a cost similar to a wound penalty until a character takes a full night to acclimate himself to his new shape.)

Unlike some path followers, who actively seek to demonstrate the supremacy of their teachings, followers of metamorphosis are reclusive and secretive (qualities perhaps inherited from the path's primary clan). Supporters hold no public (and few private) gatherings, cultivate no ritae and do not seek to integrate components of their beliefs into the function of the Sabbat. Service to the sect is viewed as a "day job" - something useful, serving a valuable purpose, but ultimately not the reason for unlife.

High-level members of the calling often retreat from Sabbat gatherings - the very presence of lesser vampires is a distraction to their aims. They seek out secluded locales - often in out-of-the-way parts of Africa and South America - to set up havens and gather experimental subjects. They remain "on call" to the sect, but those calls often go unanswered, much to the anger of the sect's movers and shakers.

Rumor speaks of a grand laboratory somewhere in the world. Most rumormongers, knowing Tzimisce territoriality, assume this edifice is somewhere in Eastern Europe or Russia. A few say the laboratory is deep in the Amazon or somewhere int eh Indonesian archipelago. At any rate, the facility is said to be a monastic meeting place and haven for advanced followers. Some of the most alien minds among vampires go there to escape the wearisome demands of the Jyhad, and to exchange ideas and experiment on themselves and others. This rumor, if true, seems to contradict the path tenet of "share no knowledge," but practitioners refuse to enlighten outsiders one way or another.

System

Metamorphic Virtues: Conviction and Instinct

Aura: Twisted Enlightenment: The Metamorphosist's aura affects attempts to convince others that the Changer knows strange and unholy things.

Common Abilities: metamorphosis relies on a Cainite's scientific and medical education. Characters must have good scores in Academics, medicine, Occult and Science in order to understand even a fraction of what goes on around them. Good amounts of Security are helpful in the modern nights, both to help keep a codex secure and to help get one's hands on others' information.

Vicissitude is an absolute requirement of this path. In fact, having it at 4 or higher is the only way to experience the true glory of Metamorphosis. Animalism and Auspex are too convenient to avoid, and Fortitude allows a character to survive really gory attempts at self-modification.

Ethics of Metamorphosis

• Learn the characteristics of all stages of life and death. Vampires, as embodiments of both stages' qualities, must evolve along the tree of death as well as life. Death is perhaps only the protozoa-stage of unimaginable states of being, which a truly enlightened Cainite must learn and assimilate.
• One should not overly concern oneself with mortals. They are a step below the Children of Caine, not a step above. In retainng bipedal posture, binocular vision, opposable thumbs and cause/effect cognitive processing, a Cainite has taken all she generally needs from her former existence. Mortals sometimes aid vampires by accomplishing valuable intellectual breakthroughs, but most such reasoning applies to mortal concerns and is thus of marginal utility to vampires. At any rate, a vampire can parasitize his mortal servitors and networks with little effort, much like logging onto the Internet.
• Do not share knowledge with others, as it is too valuable to trust to a flawed creature like one's self. This tenet is perhaps more indicative of Tzimisce paranoia that enlightened development, as it seems of limited utility. Nonetheless, the metamorphosist viewpoint is that all creatures - even other path followers - are ultimately objects of study. To impart knowledge and enlightenment is a lab rat is to corrupt the experiment. the rat will not act "naturally."
• Indulge the beast, but deny it. True comprehension of unlife requires a broad range of experience. The Beast in and of itself is like any other organ or system. If overtaxed or if the rest of one's self is allowed to atrophy, it is a detriment. If assimilated properly into the whole, exercised and nourished but not besotted or bloated, the Beast takes its place within the framework. Its perceptions, while simple, are often correct.
• One should alter and augment one's body. Changing the flesh might pave the way toward changing the soul. As without, so within. While altering one's flesh in and of itself does not lead to enlightenment, the act of experiencing the physical world through a different body-lens can in turn lead to innovative ways of thinking - or unthinking, as the case may be.
• Do not heed the needs or desires of others. Their lack of introspection may distract even the keenest intellect. to remain ever aware of one's own evolution, one must be continuously self-centered. Because one cannot evolve another being, that being's needs are by definition an impediment to the true way.

Hierarchy of Sins Against Metamorphosis

10	Postponing feeding when hungry	The Beast must be placated so it will not distract from your search.
9	Indulging in Pleasure	Pleasure is a meaningless distraction.
8	Deferring to another for knowledge	You must find enlightenment for yourself.
7	Sharing knowledge with another	Leading your rivals to the truth benefits neither you nor them.
6	Refusing to kill when knowledge may be gained from it	Lives are nothing more than tools to exploit for your own enlightenment.
5	Failing to ride out a frenzy	Suppressing the Beast fuels its rage.
4	Considering the needs of others	Others have nothing to contribute to your understanding.
3	Failure to experiment, even at your own risk	You must risk in order to gain. To stagnate is to die inside.
2	Neglecting to alter your own body	Altering the flesh may lead to spiritual enlightenment.
1	Exhibiting compassion for others	What do others have to offer you?