The Auctoritas Ritae

The Auctoritas Ritae are the central rites that bind the Sabbat together, and define in the eyes of the Sabbat what it means to be Sabbat. Knowledge of these rites, and experience in performing them is not easy to come by, but it is just as necessary for advancement in the sect as physical power or mental alacrity. Out of character, this knowledge is represented by the Sabbat ability Ritual Knowledge; a definition is provided below.

Because the Auctoritas Ritae are universal and kept doctrinally unified by the sect (especially by the Prisci), descriptions of the Auctoritas Ritae for use in the Sanctioned game follow. These include reminders of appropriate rules systems and caveats, as well as play aids to assist in role-playing the rites, much like the Moot rite in the Garou venue.

As always, use common sense when role-playing the rites, both IC and OOC. The Sabbat aren't likely to conduct a major rite in a shopping mall with public passersby, and neither should the players.



Notes


Blood Bath
Upon the elevation of a new archbishop, priscus, cardinal, or regent, a ceremony is held to mark their assumption of authority. Lesser leaders, such as bishops and pack leaders, can be given blood baths, but it is usually considered excessive.

All vampires within the city (for a archbishop), or representatives from a number of different packs (for a higher leader) gather before the new leader. Each then comes before the leader, one by one, and then ritually ask one question of the leader (which must be answered), give one piece of advice, and praise one quality of the new leader. Repeating any comment that has already been spoken during the rite disrupts it, and leads to a loss of status.

Upon the completion of the questions/comments, the vampire says "With this blood, I am born again with my brothers. With this blood, our brother is born again from us." and adds blood to a communal Vaulderie bowl next to the leader. All vampires present go through this cycle, and a communal Vaulderie is performed with all vampires present.

The leader is then lead to a pool of blood (be it a bathtub, Jacuzzi, whatever) and disrobes (obviously implied for our purposes), and sinks to the bottom of the pool.

Three lesser leaders (bishops, pack priests, etc) then come up to the pool, taste it, and turn away, one after the other.

The leader rises up from the pool, and the first lesser turns around, takes the Vaulderie bowl, fills it from the pool, and pours half over the head of the leader, pronouncing "With this blood, our brother is born again from us.", then drinking the other half, pronouncing "With this blood, I am born again with my brothers.". The next two follow, then all vampires present close and drink the pool dry.


Creation Rites
New recruits are taken to a secluded location, usually a graveyard. There they are dominated into quiescence or bound and gagged after being beaten, and the Creation Rite is performed. In times of peace, there is at most one new recruit for every two pack members, in times of war, each pack member Sires; each recruit has a single Sire, and blood is not mixed as it was in the old days.

To begin the Rite, the pact Priest stands before the assembled Kindred and morals, and intones the following benediction:

"As Caine was once mortal, so you are mortal. As Caine was raised, so are you raised. As Caine cursed his grandchilder, so do we also curse his grandchilder. This night, you leave behind your old life. You enter into another world, a better one, casting off that which was for that which will be. As I was mortal, now I am no so longer, raised through the power of Caine's blessing to mycurrent state, superior in all things to that which I once was, a vampire, doing the work of Caine.'"

After that, the mortals are each stood up by their Sire, drained of blood. As they are being drained, the benediction continues:

"This night, you are to be given the greatest of gifts, the gift of immortality, the gift of power. With this gift comes responsibility, the duty to rid the world of the evil of the Antediluvians and all their minions and childer. If you are worthy, you will rise as one of us, gaining in power as you perform the work of Caine. If not, then the worthy will be made strong by your weakness. As it has beensaid 'this is my blood, this do in remembrance of me.'"

The mortals are then given a taste of their Sire blood, and hit over the head with a ceremonial shovel, such that they topple into an open grave. The Sabbat fill in the grave and wait, listening to a Sermon of Caine, for the new recruits to emerge from the graves. Those who are successful engage in the Vaulderie, those who are not lie forever in torpor within the earth.


Monomancy
Monomancy is more than just a way to gain power and legally kill another Sabbat member; it is also considered one of the Sabbat's holiest traditions. There are several caveats to Monomancy that _players_ should be aware of:

First, the challenged vampire gets to choose the arbiter of the Monomancy, and the arbiter may set any and all terms of the duel. This generally means that it is a bad idea to challenge someone within the sect with completely different strengths and weaknesses; it is likely that the arbiter they will choose will put the challenged vampire in an ideal situation. (Example: Billy Brujah from the Nasty Ones challenges Terry Tremere from the Chosen, a intellectual pack. Terry accepts, and asks his packmate, Tom Tzimisce, to arbitrate. Tom decides to set the terms of the deal to be thaumaturgy at a distance. Billy can choose not to accept the arbiter's decision -- and lose status and generally look like a fool – or to take the beating that's coming with good grace.)

Second, the victory condition does not have to be death. First blood is an acceptable victory condition for many challenges, especially if honor and not a position is at stake. Monomancy is frequently invoked to resolve disputes and disagreements within the sect, and a variety of different victory conditions exist, all defined by the arbiter (until one yields, torpor, leaves a circle, etc).

Third, the victor has the right to _choose_ who occupies the loser's position; the victor is not required to take the position.

Fourth, frequent attempts to initiate Monomancy - say more than twice a year - are likely to attract negative attention from the Sabbat hierarchy, especially if they are done to gain rank within the hierarchy, and are likely to merit a challenge from a Templar sent by the Consistory..

Lastly, the stigma to refusing a challenge is negligible if the vampire in question is of greatly inferior status -- if the challenger has half or less Sabbat status, the challenged can refuse the challenge without any penalty to status. In addition, any individual of archbishop rank or higher can defer the challenge to one of their Templars, although they are still responsible for the consequences of the duel.

When the conditions are met, the two vampires close with the arbiter, who speaks: (to the challenger)

"You come as Caine unto Abel, seeking to be first in your Father's eyes. May you make the first sacrifice and be triumphant."

(to the challenged)
"You stand as Caine before the world that would destroy you. May your vengeance fall seven-fold upon those who would cause you
harm."

(to both)
"Begin."



Vaulderie
The central ritual that binds the Sabbat together and defines the Sabbat as an entity, the Vaulderie is perhaps practiced most frequently of all of the Auctoritas Ritae. The frequency of the Vaulderie varies between packs; some packs Vaulderie nightly, and some Vaulderie on a monthly basis Generally speaking, nomadic packs will Vaulderie more frequently than founded packs.

Despite its simplicity and commonality, the Vaulderie is considered to be absolutely sacred; the Sabbat will not engage in theVaulderie in the presence of non-Sabbat. False Sabbat are permitted to drink from the Vaulderie, but are not permitted to add their blood to the Vaulderie of True Sabbat.

Systems for the Vaulderie are found in Laws of the Night. The pack closes in a circle, around the pack priest and the Vaulderie chalice. The priest blesses the chalice; "I consecrate this vessel to the blood of my brothers, purified by the mark of Caine.", and hands it to the highest ranking member present, who adds his blood to the chalice, saying "I give this blood onto my brothers, that they might be freed by me." and adding a number of (labeled) blood traits as appropriate. He then passes it (preferably to the left) to the next highest ranking vampire who repeats it, etc, until all vampires present have added their blood to the chalice.

The priest then takes the vessel and hands it to the highest ranking vampire, who says "I take back this blood from my brothers, so that I may break the bonds of the Antediluvians, and follow with them in the footsteps of Caine.", and drinks (i.e. takes) a appropriate number of traits. The vessel then passes down the line and is recovered by the pack priest.

Note that Sabbat generally *don't* know the strength of the Vinculum that other Sabbat have for them, and it is common practice to fake a higher Vinculum rating for an individual then you actually have. Players and storytellers are encouraged to keep Vinculum ratings secret to foster the atmosphere of doubt that surrounds the Vaulderie within the Sabbat.


War Party
War parties are competitions between packs whose end result is the diablerie of a non-Sabbat elder. A suitable target is found, dictated by the Archbishop, Priscus, or Cardinal, and the packs are called together. The Rite leader performs a mass Vaulderie and intones the following:

" Freedom. Loyalty. Power. Freedom from the oppression of the Antediluvians, loyalty to the Sabbat, which protects us from Antediluvians, and power to defeat the Antediluvians on the night of Gehenna. One who is strong, a lieutenant of our hated enemy has been found, strong in the blood, and strong in power. As power is taken from our enemy, so too does our power grow. "

The Rite leader then takes out a likeness of the Elder to be hunted, usually a fleshcrafted mortal.

" This effigy represents the holder of the power of the ancient ones, the enemy against whom we strive. This slave is a dog, unswervingly loyal in the service of its foul master. Strengthened by his (her) blood, we cannot lose in our holy quest. Go now, find this one, make his power your own, and in so doing, prepare yourself for the night of Gehenna. "

This said, the Rite leader swoops down upon the fleshcrafted mortal and drains it, throwing the body into the fire as the packs cheer and depart for the hunt. The packs engaged in the Wild Hunt do not fight each other, though they may take small steps to hinder the other packs' progress. The end goal is always the diablerie of the Elder in question, and no steps are taken to protect the Masquerade, property, or innocent bystanders. The Hunt is truly wild, and the packs will not stop until the elder has been diablerized. This usually involves the death and/or diablerie of several of the elder's minions, retainers, or childer.


Wild Hunt
The Sabbat is a sect based largely upon keeping secrets, most specifically the keeping of secrets from those not within the Sabbat. This secrecy has contributed much to the success and survival of the Sabbat throughout the centuries, and is something which all Sabbat take extremely seriously. There times, however, when the secrecy is breached, when the sect is betrayed by those within, or spied on by those without. When this occurs, the sect's secrets must be kept safe, and a Wild Hunt is called. The Wild Hunt involvesthe location and elimination of any individuals who know Sabbat secrets, most specifically the traitor or infiltrator personally.

When it is found that a leak has occurred, the Archbishop or other leader of an area calls together the packs, and explains the imperative to them, calling the Wild Hunt.

"As all True Sabbat surely know, our holy mission is to root out and destroy the power of the Antediluvians. Their spies and sentries are everywhere, seeking to know our secrets, trying to plumb our depths. We must remain ever vigilant against their threat, growing our power in secret, safe from the wiles and depredations of the Ancients. As you well know, for all True Sabbat, secrecy is key. Any secretthat falls into the hands of our enemies may spell doom for our mission.

Just such a betrayal has occurred, and the officials of the Camarilla now know information that they will surely take back to their true masters. Even more heinous, it is one of our own, a fallen comrade, which has allowed them this transgression.

And so I charge all of you, you True Sabbat, to bring this one down, along with everyone that he has spoken to, everyone that knows our ways, our secrets, everyone that can help the Antediluvians prepare for the night of Gehenna. I bless you and charge you to take these ones power and make it your own, extinguish the souls of those he would betray the Sabbat, those who would serve the Ancients. Go now with my blessing and find this one and his companions. Bring him down, lay him low, and extinguish his soul - for it is forfeit. No longer is this one to be called "brother", and his name shall forever be spoken with distaste, a traitor to or holy cause. "

Was that, the Archbishop makes the sign of an upside down cross in front of his chest, ending as he adds his blood to a Vaulderie chalice, and thus begins the Vaulderie. Once the Vaulderie is complete, the Sabbat go on a Hunt for the traitor and all who are known to know the secrets of the Sabbat.

The Wild Hunt is much like a Blood Hunt, except that the Sabbat are much more enthusiastic about fulfilling their hunt than many Camarilla vampires are. They generally don't worry about maintaining the Masquerade, and may Hunt openly or subtly as seeps their whim. The Wild Hunt is one of the only ways in which a Sabbat may diablerize another Sabbat, and any companions the traitor may have found are fair game as well.

In general, any non-Sabbat vampire (including members of Autark clans like the Giovanni and Ravnos) who is found to possessknowledge equating to Sabbat Lore 2 or more is Wild Hunted. And no, the Sabbat don't usually rush into Elysium after their prey, they Hunt their quarry like the intelligent and devious creatures they are. Note that this goes for Assamites and Nosferatu who display overmuch knowledge of the Sabbat, as well, but most members of those clans either know how to keep their mouths shut or are already dead.

The Rite of Scorn
As being declared disloyal carries serious weight under the new code, this is a big deal. Not performing this rite will get you Wild Hunted. Performing this rite is de rigeur prior to a Wild Hunt.

To start the rite, the Sabbat of a city gather in an esbat. The one who initiates the rite finds an elevated position, and speaks to the Sabbat gathered.

"As the Father gave out his Law in the city of Enoch, so do we give out our Law in this, the third city, Gehenna. Those who are true childer of Caine will be recognized as such, and welcomed into communion. Those who are false and disloyal childer shall also be recognized as such, and damned."

The speaker will then name an accuser, a PC or NPC which believes the accused is disloyal.

"At the right hand, there will be vengenance. Rise, (insert PC name here), and stand at my right."

The speaker will then name out the accused. If he is present, then he names the left hand. If he is not, the speaker will.

"There is one whose faith has been called into question. Stand, and face your brothers and sisters."

The accused (if present) will stand up in front of the speaker, facing the audience. If present, he says the following:

"As I stand before you, I ask you not to forget the left hand, the hand of mercy. Stand (insert PC name here), and rise to the left."

If not present, the speaker says the following:

"Even in their absence, Caine maintains his mercy. Stand (insert PC name here), and rise to the left."

The right hand states the sins of the accused against the Code; the left defends them. The speaker is left to make a decision. Each side only gets one statement, and brevity is favored.

The speaker, prior to making a decision, offers up the following:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you have heard the words of mercy and the words of vengenance. Do you wish to stand by them, or do you wish to stand by your strength alone?"

The accused has the right to either choose not to (and accept the verdict of the speaker) or challenge the accuser to monomacy. If the latter, the challenge is usually uniformly to death, and very open. If they are successful, then the rite is carried out as if they were found innocent.

If not guilty:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you stand as one deserving of Caine's mercy. May you be accepted back into the ranks of the Sword, and your past crimes be seen as those of ones of a brother."

The PC is not declared disloyal, but is still under the onus of the Sabbat Code of Justice (see Guide to the Sabbat or Player's Guide to the Sabbat).

If guilty:

" (insert name here), childe of Caine, you have turned your back onto the laws of our Father, and stand disloyal to your brethren. You are renounced, and you cannot claim the protection and loyalty of this city."

The PC is now disloyal, and in deep trouble. Other PC's are not mandated to destroy them - that's a Wild Hunt - but no repercussions can be inflicted on anyone who does destroy them.


Games of Instinct
A variety of different Games have been adapted by the Sabbat over the last few centuries. While the actual games themselves have changed to reflect the times, the qualities that they are testing (loyalty, strength, courage, callousness, instinct) have not. Therefore most Games of Instinct probably fall closer to Ignoblis Ritae than Auctoritas Ritae, although they are generally considered to be more important in the average pack's eyes. Consider the following a guide.

1) Deliver the Message (Loyalty)
This game is designed to test the loyalty of new recruits as well as their physical prowess. The initiate is given a "secret" message and told to deliver to this pack leader across town. A second pack is involved in this game, that pack begins hunting the initiate. When they catch him, he's tortured and given the choice, release the secret or die. If they tell they die, if they keep silent they are beaten into torpor and given back to their pack. He the initiate is awaken they are congratulated for their loyalty. If they ACTUALLY are able to deliver the message the initiate can garner quite a bit of respect.
2) Leap Frog (Agility, Loyalty)
This is a test of loyalty, physical prowess, and potentially self sacrifice. This is played in a warehouse or a construction site where a fire pit can be constructed. The pack members will leap from girder to girder being caught at each step by a member. They must trust their pack members for this to work. If you drop them, you better follow and try to save them. The person jumping switches from person to person. Example: Freddie leaps and is caught by Seth. Now Seth leaps to Jimmy. Jimmy leaps...
3) Xerox (Skill)
This is for deep cover packs. Vicissitude or Mask of 1K necessary. Choose a random mortal, watch them and try to learn about them. Kill them, replace them, and try to convince their friends and family that they are who they pretend to be. This hones your infiltration skills, the goal is to be able to replace someone after a shorter and shorter period of observation.
4) Rat Race (Skill)
Find an office building where people are still working. The leader will find a person and explain the game to them, so that they know exactly how much danger they are in. The 'rat' will try to escape the building and the pack members must catch the rat will blind folded. If the 'rat' escapes, she is free and may even be exempt from the game during futures playings.
5) Stayin' Alive/Disco Inferno (Courage, Physical Prowess)
This game is played during the day, so the pack members will need to spend willpower to remain awake. The game is played in a dark room with loud Disco Music playing (for style purposes). Sunlight is bounced off of a makeshift disco ball hanging in the center of the room (approximately 8 facets on the "ball"). The members must jump and dodge the spinning beams of light. NOTE: Some members have been severely burned during this game, hence the alternative title "Disco Inferno."
6) Jacques Cousteau (Speed/Strength)
Kidnap mortals give them cement shoes, toss them in a pool/lake/ocean. Members must jump in and "save" them. The members must attempt to get the mortal above the surface or to shore before the mortal drowns. Once the game is complete and the mortals feel that they are safe from drowning, they are drained and killed.


Fire Dance
The packs of the city converge a few hours after sunset. Each member bringing forth fuel, wood, and the like to create a huge bonfire. The highest ranking Sabbat member (archbishop) leads the ceremony. "We are the sons and daughters of Caine, his blood is our blood, his gifts are our gifts, his curse is our curse. Caine was spurned by God for his sacrifice and cursed for his pride. We are his childer, his sacrifice is ours, we share his pride. As God made fire Caine's enemy, he has made fire our enemy and we will defeat it. As we took up the courage of Kupala, we will make fire our slave and we will master it. Give forth your pledge."

At this point each vampire brings forth his wood and fuel saying, "I am a son (daughter) of Caine, his enemy is mine."

When the bonfire is completed, the ritual leader then brandishes a flaming torch "Here is the enemy we face! Here is the one you must master! Honor your blood, honor your brothers, honor yourselves."

Lights bonfire - A Vaulderie is performed. After each member drinks she begins to dance around the fire. After the last member is finished and joins the dance, the members begin to jump across the fire. After completing the jump the dancers rejoin the circle to dance again and stand side by side to cheer on their companions. The celebration continues until the last member completed his last jump. A Vaulderie may or may not be performed after the last jumper.

Systems: The vampire must make a static Physical challenge to jump across the bonfire. The difficulty of the static challenge is dependent on the size of the fire; a campfire would have a difficulty of 5, a bonfire the size of a car 13. If the vampire in question lacks the ability Fire Walking, they must spend a Willpower to even attempt the jump. Fire Walking may be used as a retest for the static physical challenge; failure indicates that the vampire lands on the edge of the firepit and catches on fire. The vampire takes one aggravated wound, and will take one aggravated wound each round until he is put out. Putting out the vampire requires a simple test if an appropriate action is being performed (stop, drop, and roll; dousing them with water/blood, etc..).



Sermons of Caine
The sermons are based off brief excerpts from the Book of Nod. The quotes are constant, although the specific sermon will be targeted
towards current events. Most sermons tend to begin with

"Caine the first, was our father, his blood is ours, his gifts are ours, his wisdom is ours as well. His words have been brought through the millennia, lost, and found again. Listen, think, understand."

Possible topics for the sermon:

Sacrifice for the greater good: "I cried tears of love as I, with sharp things sacrificed that which was the first part of my joy, my brother [Abel]."

Power through freedom: "Caine said, a life without power will not be worth living. I will die then without my gifts for I will not live as your Thrall."

Freedom:
"God's messenger spoke to Caine and beseeched him "Will you not repent the evil that you have done, and let his mercy wash you clean?"
And Caine spoke unto God's messenger, "Not by His grace, but mine own will I live in pride."

Progeny: (Anti Cam Clans/Creation Rites)
"Thou shalt not Embrace those unworthy,
Thou shalt not use the youngest
Those who should live long before being
brought into My family, so that the wisdom
of our blood will grow."

On Kine
"Thou shalt guide the Kine as a shepherd guides his flock and cull them as they are needed. Thou shalt cleanse their blood and keep all
of them free from disease. Let them be your cup, let them be your holy bread."

On blood bonds: (And how Caine will rise up to fight the Antediluvians) "Know that there is no greater Bond than Caine has with his
Children and through me, all chains are broken, all shackles are shattered."

Caine's Vengeance:
"I will root out the bad seed, I will weed out the worst of you, I will prove myself free, in the manner that my father, Adam, taught me."

On the Right of the Beast:
"Vengeance is best when the blood is still hot."
Ride the Beast, do not let it ride you.

On Demons and Infernals
"Bargain not with Darkness, in times it will take us all."

On Gehenna:
"On the Last Days the Founders will rise from the ground. They will break their fast on us. They will consume us whole!"

The Preaching Noddist adds whatever slant he wishes to put onto the words, always leaning towards his sect political viewpoint and whatever his personal goals and attitudes tend to be. Normally, at the end of the sermon a Vaulderie is performed to add impact of loyalty and brotherhood as well as the ecstasy of the ceremony.


Festivo dello Estinto
The Festival for the Dead, held in the second week of March. The scale and detail of the Festivo is beyond the scope of this document; contact the office of the AMST Sabbat for role-playing guidelines, scripts, and hints to running a Festivo..


Palla Grande
The Grand Ball, held on Halloween. Similar to the Festivo, the scale and majesty of this rite preclude it being included in this document. Contact the AMST Sabbat for more information.

The Ignoblis Ritae
The following is from the Player's Guide to the Sabbat:

The Ignoblis Ritae are rituals created and observed by various packs. Most packs observe one or more rituals of this type. These rituals may or may not require the use of the Sabbat clergy. Most of the Ignoblis Ritae are held during the packs' weekly meetings - the esbats. Many of these rituals are more along the lines of protocol and tradition rather than ritualism. Keep in mind that all packs are not the same,so the type and number of rituals they employ will vary. Most packs use somewhere between three and ten rituals as their own Ignoblis Ritae in addition to the Auctoritas Ritae common to almost all packs. Some categories of Ignoblis Ritae are as follows:

Acceptance Rites:
Almost all packs have a specific ritual that they use to recognize a new leader, accept a probationary member as a full member, and accept a Sabbat recruit as True Sabbat. The nature of the acceptance rites varies from pack to pack, but usually involves all members of the pack recognizing the new position of their fellow Sabbat, as well as that Sabbat taking some sort of oath of allegiance.
Farewell Rites:

This ritual is used to bid a fellow Sabbat, or an entire Sabbat pack, farewell. This ritual is used when a visiting pack leaves, when a fellow pack member leaves for a long period of time, and occasionally to honor the recently destroyed. The farewell Rites usually involve the leader of the pack praising those who leave.
Initiation Rites:

The initiation rites are an important tradition for all Sabbat. This ceremony transfers rights to the individual, making him or her a Sabbat. This ritual differs from the acceptance rites in that the acceptance rite involves the entire pack. Initiation rites generally occur before the acceptance. For instance, defectors from the Camarilla go through initiation rites, but it may be years before they get the acceptance rates. The initiation rites are used to confer the power of the sect, not the power of the pack.

Welcoming Rites:
Packs use these rites to greet other Sabbat. The welcoming rites of both packs are combined for the celebration, with both bringing some new aspect to the festivities. The rites are more like a party, but at two points certain protocol is carried out. At the beginning of the welcoming rites, all pack members greet each other individually, presenting their names and their home. At the high point of the celebration, a gift is usually exchanged from pack to pack. The two leaders often use this ritual as an opportunity to discuss Sabbat plans.
Some examples of types of Ignoblis Ritae are below:

Blessings: The pack invokes a blessing upon itself or another for some important purpose.
The ritual is used before dangerous missions and occasionally before a Jyhad. It serves primarily as a morale boost.

Call to Caine: These are various speeches that call upon the guidance of Caine for some great mission or event.
The Sabbat priest is not the only one that leads this ritual; all the pack members get a turn.

Confession: This ritual is less a confession than it is a bragging contest. It is used at celebrations where each individual
vampire relates his best, greatest and vilest accomplishments.

Consecration Rites: These rituals sanctify an area or building. Usually a sacrifice of some kind is used and the area
is then marked with signs representing its sanctity.

Dance Macabre: The Dance of Death is held simply to celebrate being a vampire. The entire pack participates.
Its members dance around, wrestle and drink each other's blood. Many packs dress in costumes and masks representing death.
It is not uncommon for participants to frenzy.

Ghost Dance: This special dance is held to honor the dead. The dance is not only for fallen members of the pack,
but also for its human victims. The dance is carried out in many different ways.

Harvest Rites: The harvest represents the in mortal food supply. The Rites are held to bless the Hunt. The pack calls for aid
in catching prey and covering the evidence. The Rite usually involves the Blood Feast before or afterward.

Jyhad Rites: The pack it asks for a blessing in upcoming Jyhad through this ritual. It often acts out a mock battle, though
Sabbat have been known to get carried away and seriously hurt each other.

Oaths of Fealty: This is a less this is less a ritual than a swearing of mutual allegiance to one another. All the Sabbat of the pack
profess their loyalty and responsibility to one another.

Pack Creed: The pack creed is a short, emotional speech about the duties of pack members and the honor of the pack.

Running the Gauntlet: The pack actually forms two parallel lines with a few feet between them. Then all pack members in
turn or one chosen pack member, runs between the two lines while the other vampires beat him.

Sacrificial Rites: This is a ritual involving the sacrifice of the human, Lupine or vampire. The pack may hold the sacrifice as part
of another ritual or separately for some special reason.

Sun Dance: The Sun Dance is a ritual dance held from sunset to sunrise without pause. The ritual is always held on a full moon.
Pack members usually dress in masks or paint. The Sun Dance often involves a pack member acting as a sacrifice by taking the test
of pain known as the Indian stick trial for the length of the sun dance.

Sunrise Service: This is a ritual of bravery. The Sabbat perform some special ceremony, then wait outside. The Sabbat prove their
courage by seeing who among them can longest remain in the open as the sun rises. Many Sabbat have died during this ritual.

Tests of pain: During this ritual a Sabbat willingly puts herself to a test to see how strong of spirit he or she is. The ritual is used by
some on all who would claim leadership, and by some as a form of punishment. There may be any number of reasons the test is used.
A few examples of the kinds of tests are the Indian stick trial (where the pack hangs the subject up by a stake poked through the chest),
the trial by fire (where various body parts of the subject are singed) and fasting. Various forms of torture are also commonly used.

Thanksgiving Ritual: The vampires give thanks for some accomplishment in this ritual. They recognize someone or something as the
reason for their success.

Visionquest: In some packs, if an individual wishes to become a leader or simply seeks advice, she must go on a visionquest. The
Sabbat's visionquest is similar to that of the Plains Indians. The Sabbat must go alone to a desolate spot. There he or she must fast,
drinking only enough vitae to avoid torpor. She must pray constantly, meditate, and mutilate herself to induce a vision.

War Dance: The war dance is a ritual dance similar to the Jyhad Rites, but the war dance is held before the commencement of a war
party. The war dance may also be held during crusades.


***

Other ways that packs can customize themselves are as follows, and are not Ignoblis Ritae, but merely differences in style by which one may identify himself with his pack.

Manner of dress: Packs dress in a variety of styles. They may dress a certain way during a particular ritual, or for all rituals. Some ideas for particular features include facemasks, face and/or body paint, ceremonial robes and clothing of a certain color.

Songs: Packs often have unique songs which they sing on a regular basis. The songs can have any purpose: to show pride, to show disdain for the enemy, for historical reasons were just for humor.

Symbols: Packs often have their own symbols that they wear on their clothing and use to mark their territory.

Tales: Packs often tell tales at their esbats. Most packs develop their own collection of tales based upon pack war, pack heroes, the Camarilla and Sabbat history as they see it.

Trials: while the entire sect has procedures for trying a person accused of a crime, many packs prefer their own brand of justice. They often conduct trials their own way, with their own judge and jurors. They even mete out their own forms of punishment. Among the punishments are burning, drawing and quartering, making the guilty a Blood Feast victim, making him or her ^Walk the plank off a high-rise building, and permanent imprisonment.

All these special customs are of course voluntary and vary from pack to pack.

***

Oftentimes, Ignoblis Ritae are held at certain significant times. Some examples of these times are as follows:

Summer solstice, winter solstice, vernal equinox, Autumnal equinox, first or last day of the month, certain day of the week, first day of the moon phase, a full moon, new moon, waning moon. Naturally, these are only examples, and your pack may very well be on a different schedule entirely.