Dark Baptism
From LanceaSanctum
Used in the Diocese of Delaware and developed by Bishop J.W.Ghoren, this Rite celebrates the conversion of an already-Embraced Kindred into the Church. It is most often performed only among the Sanctified of the diocese, and frequently involves only those close to the convert. On rare occasions, the celebration may be opened to the whole domain. This Rite is frequently performed within - as a part of - Midnight Mass, in which cases certain prayers said during the Mass may be left out of the Rite.
Call to Prayer
Celebrant: In the name of God the Father, the Man and the Holy Spirit,
All: Amen
Celebrant: To Almighty God, Let us Pray...
Through the teachings of our Dark Father, the Centurion Longinus,
who did reveal the Divinity of Christ,
And through the guidance of Vashtisael,
who did reveal unto Longinus our Purpose in God's Plan,
In the tradition of Saint Monachus, St. Daniel and all our Dark Saints,
tonight we come before You to celebrate a new brother/sister's acceptance of our Holy Purpose.
(Name or Names), please step forward.
(The convert(s) should step up to the bottom of the dais.)
May the Lord be with you.
Convert: And also with you.
A Statement of Damnation
Celebrant: Before your brethren and God,
please proclaim the Commandments given unto the Damned by Longinus:
Convert:
One, That though you are Damned, your Damnation has purpose. It is the will of God that you are what you are, and the will of God is that the Damned exist to show the evils of turning from Him. The evil become Damned; God has taken those worthy of His love to His own side.
Two, That what you once were is not what you now are. As a mortal is a sheep, so are the Damned wolves among them. That role is defined by nature — wolves feed on their prey, but they are not cruel to them. The role of predator is natural, even if the predator himself is not.
Three, That an ordained hierarchy exists. As man is above beasts, so are the Damned above men. Our numbers are fewer so that our purpose is better effected.
Four, That with the power of Damnation comes limitation. The Damned hide among those who still enjoy God's love, making themselves known only to exemplify fear. The Damned shall make none of their own, for such is a judgment of soul that is the purview only of God. The Damned shall suffer yet more should they slay a fellow to take his soul from him.
Five, That our bodies are not our own. Our purpose is to serve, and when we stray from that purpose, we are to be chastened. The light of the sun excoriates; the flames of a fire purify fleshly evil. The taste of all sustenance other than Vitae is as ash upon the tongue.
Questions of Faith
Celebrant: Do you believe in the One True God, Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth?
Convert: I do.
Celebrant: Do you believe in the Divine Purpose of the Damned as revealed to us by the Dark Prophet Longinus?
Convert: I do.
Celebrant: Do you pledge to uphold and spread belief in the Testament as recorded by St. Monachus, and in the teachings of his Church?
Convert: I do.
Celebrant: And do you, before God and your fellow Damned, swear to hold dear the Traditions and community of the Sanctified, and to work each night to understand and fulfill your Holy Purpose?
Convert: I do.
Blessing of Purpose
Celebrant: Let us pray.
Lord, we know that our sins make us unworthy of your light and grace, yet we thank you for the guidance of Longinus and the community of his church. Through our Saints and the Host, we pray for Strength and Wisdom for all Sanctified.
As this Damned creature stands before you, O Lord, I ask for your hand and the wisdom of Our Dark Prophet to guide him/her to a Purposeful Requiem. Gird his/her faith, and strengthen his/her mind - make him/her strong, and able to withstand the long, hard trials of our Damnation.
Yet in those very trials, let us find that Purpose we seek. In the blood, for which we are cursed ever to hunger; In our banes of Sun and Flame, for the sparks of God's Light are denied to our dead eyes; In our constant battle against the Beast, for Hunger is the end of our sinful lives; let us know that we are Damned.
Ours is not a grand place in creation.
Our house is that of shadows;
our family a pack of wolves;
our bread is the blood of men.
Help this Damned Wretch, O Lord, to serve the Purpose you have set us all:
To abide in darkness and sin,
To keep the pack strong and purposeful,
And to show men the price of their wickedness.
The Purification
Celebrant:
Even as we praise you, Lord, for bringing another wolf into our righteous pack,
We must lament the great sin which has brought him/her here: the Embrace.
Take mercy, O Lord, on the sire of this childe.
Though he sinned, yet his childe has found the Dark Path.
Help this childe of a sire to bear the sin of both.
And help the sire of this childe to find his way from further sin, to Your Purpose for him.
Step forward, Damned Wretch, and feel God's wrath at your Embrace and Damnation.
For every year of blood taken without purpose,
one lash shall fall upon your back,
that you may feel the glorious burden of the Path you have now found.
(The Convert strips his/her shirt, leans against the altar, and accepts one lash per year of undeath. The following three lines are repeated, one per lash, in a cycle, and are finished out even if the lashes fall one or two short of a full final recitation.)
UNDERSTAND ITS PURPOSE
OBEY GOD AND BE SANCTIFIED
(After the lashes, the Celebrant drapes each Convert in a white robe, pressing to wipe clean the blood as he leads the convert back to the foot of the altar, before revealing, if within the convert’s ability, newly whole flesh underneath at the end of the lines below.)
Yea, the power of our Damnation is strong,
In the blood we find strength, charm and power.
Yet a Curse it is also, for ever do we need more blood
Ever must we keep the Beast at bay, even while its hunger drives us on.
In this world of sin, this purgatory for men, we are Damned.
Our Purpose lie in shadow, in the fear men feel for the paths that lead from God.
Like our curse, our Purpose is in Blood: the Blood of Men, taken for Him.
From the Lord God, all things come, and unto him all righteous things go.
Feel your Damnation, Understand its Purpose, and find Righteousness in your Hunger.
It is God’s will that you are Damned to this curse, and in obedience to it, thou art Sanctified.
Baptism by Blood
(Taking the blood-stained cloth, the celebrant squeezes a few drops of blood onto his fingers, and smears the form of a Spear upon each convert’s forehead while saying:)
Let us Praise the Lord this Night,
As we welcome our Brother/Sister to his/her Purpose,
Let us Reaffirm our own Duty to Him,
As the ranks of our Church increase, and our Pack grows ever stronger
Let us Congratulate [N.],
For tonight he/she has come to know our Purpose for the Flock,
[N], tonight we call you Brother/Sister
For through the Testament, you have been Sanctified!
Do you know what his Mercy has given you?
Cut off from Grace but not Purpose, do you know what you are?
Convert: Sum Sanctus— I am Sanctified!
Celebrant: Then let us all go forth, and fulfill our Holy Mandate.
In the name of
God the Father,
God the Man,
And God the Spirit,
All: Amen.
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