Divinity's Pain
From LanceaSanctum
This information is here so that players wishing to join might know what the order is in general but the info is OOC since the level of secrecy is too high IC to know of them, let alone about them.... Please respect this in the game.
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[edit] Dolores Divinitatis
The Lancea isn’t the oldest of the great covenants of today. Yet It’s history goes back almost 2 millennia. A timespan greater than any Elder can cross. It is a covenant with a power structure that can best be compared to the roots of a large tree. The roots go wide and each branch grows another fork, deeper and deeper into the ground. The eldest of the Sanctified barely have a grasp on the totality of those under their command, the younger have no clue what secret covens and groups exist within their own covenant. Some are visible, some forgotten, others are infamous.
The Sanctified always had a public image to uphold. Sure, they are the bane of man and the shepherds of their kind but still they keep their noses clean towards the other covenants. This way, the covenant is guaranteed of new believers and recruits. As within each powerful organization of any kind, there are some things that need not see the light of day. Pardon the Pun. The Divinity’s Pain line was created just for that.
After the first persecution of the Sanctified, there were some Elders who got cautious in their actions. Not willing to risk death by proclaiming their superiority and righteousness they decided to act covertly, using pawn and hidden assets to do their bidding. After a couple of centuries these ‘hidden operatives’ proved to be composed mostly by Nosferatu, as their nature lends itself to the work. Even later, somewhere after the Spanish inquisition, it became apparent that most DP members were related by blood somehow. Those members could be tracked back to one Kindred who became the official originator of the line: Cardinal Mattheus Rosenthal, Nosferatu ancienne of St Petersburg.
The members of this faction worship the old testament vision of God; The Smiter, God the Punisher, The Vengeful God that beset Egypt, Sodom, Gommorra with plagues and punishments sparing nothing or no one. God cares not who he hits to get his message through, be it a 3 year old infant or a 40 year old mass murderer, all are equally guilty and deserving of the punishment that God has entailed for the region for a specific crime. Through this vision the members of the Order worship pain as a closer contact with God Himself. It corrects them in their Holy work even when they don't know that they might or might not be faltering from the appointed path set by God in the Grand Design.
The Dolores Divinitatis, or Divinities Pain as they have been called in the new ages, are a secretive bloodline faction working in cells. Each level or rank of status gives you knowledge of 1 member that outranks you as a contact. With a 'no questions asked' policy all are committed to work to the best of their abilities to complete the task given to them. All in the understanding that the 'King' (the illustrious leader of the Dolores Divinitatis Order) is designing a master plan to serve the darker needs of the Lancea Sanctum as a whole.
The order only admits Nosferatu and Gangrel into their ranks, mostly of a bloodline that is tracable to another member of the Order. Once allowed to become one with the order there is no leaving it. This is a mission from God that one takes up for the remainder of their unlife. Fanatically driven by Zeal and blind faith the members of the Order will do everything that their superior ask of them.
More often then not the high officials of the Lancea Sanctum turn to this Order when something needs to happen that cannot be linked to the Lancea Sanctum or cannot see the light of day alltogether. For they will make it happen or will perish trying. Due to this mindset most members have few friends outside the order and rarely stay longer then a few years in the same town or province, unless they are on a mission that requires them to do so. Nomadic they have more chance of covering up their actions and keeping their secrecy.
The nickname of those in the order is the 'Black Monks'
The order itself is referred to (if ever) as 'the bloodied point of the Spear'
[edit] Ranks
There are approximately 50 DP members active at this time. Each one of them is assigned a number of missions not to be linked with the “regular” Lancea. Most missions are of a solitary nature though on occasion a small group of DP (a cell) is sent out to accomplish the task. Because of this, a chain of command was put in place. Member classes were tailored to the pieces of a chess game.
- Pawn - Pawns are newly initiated monks who have yet to accomplish their first solo mission. They are still in training and most of them have a higher placed DP members as a mentor and guide - proving your worth means astounding your superior by dooing the task better then he would ever do.
- Knight - A knight has fulfilled his first mission with success. The monk will carry this title for a number of years to come. Most DP members are of this level. Only when the monk has sufficiently proven himself he will ascend to a higher status level, that of command - Knights are generally given more violant tasks than other ranks. Assasinations, killings, dissapearances and the likes are on the menu here.
- Bishop - This is where the monk gets noticed by its Elders and sets itself above his peers. The bishops are given missions of a higher degree of importance than a knight or pawn. It is also the first level where one can be given leadership over a cell. Only a handful exist - Bishops get longer term projects then Knights, mostly infiltrations, guarding places of power from evil forces, some of these assigments can take forever...
- Rook - There is only one Rook of the black Monks, though several Bishops hope one day to replace him or become one if the ranks of Monks swell. He is effectively the official leader of the Line in the field, taking only orders from the King. - Rooks are rare and mostly take on only the most faul and secretive tasks that would bring shame to the Lancea Sanctum should they ever come out - For God's greater glory offcourse!
- King - the Master mind of the Order, nobody knows who he is. All that exist are rumors and speculation.The originator of the line, Cardinal Rosenthal, is reported dead. But is he? the thruth is unknown to all but a conditionned ghoul known as the 'Legate Noxis' who serves as contact for the Rooks and Cardinals, Curia Cruentus or the Dark Pope when assigning a task to the order.
[edit] Members
Are obviously secret... though generally old and powerful, and capable of horrible acts in the name of God! Most members are of a Hardliners point of view though few have other Creeds, all are however uncorruptable and devote their unlife to serving the greater good of the Lancea Sanctum. When on a mission there is no force but death that can bring down the collected effort of the order. This allso entails that they might not adhere to the chain of command outside the order or the covenant. The mission is brought down through the Orders chain of command from the highest officials that the Lancea Sanctum have to offer. This can upset the ruling body within the targetted Parish and Court. Especially because the Orders member can not explain why it is gooing in against the normal officials wishes due to their Vow of Secrecy. The Order however does not protect it' s members against represailles from said officials due to the Devine Providence of Pain.
[edit] Line laws
- DP members are forbidden to know what mission another member is on unless they are part of the same cell.
- There is no obstacle that can stand in your way to fulfill your mission, except breaking the traditions
- Members will train themselves rigorously in physical and mental skills
- Members will always appear reserved and under control
- Other Lancea will not be informed on the exact specifics of your mission.
- All members will be obligated to hunt down traitors and defectors to the line.
[edit] Appearance
Almost all initiated DP members wear black in diverse styles. Some modern, some old fashioned. All of them do tend to stick with ornate or “classy” fashion. There is no street wear , even on the more younger members. All members do have one purple item of clothing , be it a scarf, a pin, a belt… When initiated, all black monks receive a stylized “D” tattoo, preferably in the neck or anywhere else visible.
[edit] Roleplay Hints
DP are focused. They always keep their mind on the mission and see to it that everything they do is in light of its culmination. They are stern and grim Kindred. When they, very occasionally, are in a lighter mood they tend to mock non members with dry and sarcastic wit. Most of them are perfectly able to function isolated from the rest, as the most of their tasks are individual, still when there is a gathering, DP members tend to keep an eye on their fellow monks.
