| THE VAULDERIE
The vampires of the Sabbat take their nightly struggle seriously – so seriously that they tolerate no dissent in their ranks. From the lowest new recruit to the most exalted priscus, the Sabbat ensures loyalty to one another through a bloody ritus called the Vaulderie.
The Vaulderie is similar to a blood bond, though it differs in intent and function. No Sabbat would ever voluntarily succumb to a blood bond, reasoning that such bonds are the tools the elders use to enslave their childer. Rather, the Sabbat swear the Vaulderie to each other, bonding themselves to the pack instead of an individual, and thus to the Sabbat’s greater cause.
Those who are ignorant of the Vaulderie’s finer details believe it to be a simple commingling of Vampire vitea in a vessel and the subsequent drinking of it. In truth, the matter is far more mystical. To start the ritual, the priest takes a tool used specifically for the Vaulderie and nothing else and cuts her wrist. The ritual cutting tool can be a small knife, silver straight razor or awl. To impart more gravity to the ritus, many packs use elaborate ritual bloodletters decorated with engraved swirls, spirals or blood droplets. The priest then bleeds into the vessel and passes the cutting device to each Sabbat present, who pierces his own flesh and bleeds into the chalice. The vessel is then passed around the pack again and the priest recites an incantation over it, consecrating it as a terrible sacrament while every member of the pack draws a draught.
Vaulderies take place anytime – before assaults, during important Sabbat gatherings, at the initiation or Creation Rites of new members and almost infallibly at pack esbats. This ritus is perhaps the foundation of the sect’s ritae, and it is afforded the most reverent status.
The results of this ritus is known as a Vinculum, or blood-tie. These ties connect each member of the pack to one another, engendering a mutual loyalty in addition to bolstering pack morale. Because of the mystical nature of Vaulderie, however, Vinculi are imperfect – what one pack member may feel toward another one night may pale in comparison to what he fells on the next. Vinculum ratings may change every time the ritus is observed.
Those who refuse the Vaulderie are not looked upon favorably by other Sabbat. Vampires who refuse to take partake of the Vaulderie at least monthly suffer ostracism from the pack itself.
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