Sabbat (VtR)

The Sabbat is a loose organization of Cainites who reject the Traditions and revel in their vampiric nature. Unlike the Anarchs, the Sabbat want more than to be free and independent; they want to rule over humanity as humans would livestock. They view humans as nothing more than tools and food to be used and discarded. As a result the Sabbat do not form close relationships with humans like the Camarilla or Anarchs would. They instead form Packs consisting of anywhere from four to over a dozen vampires, all bound together through the Vinculum. This unites the Sabbat into a giant family, and forms incredibly potent bonds between members of the Sect. This acts as both a boon and a bane to the Sect, as any feelings are exponentially multiplied. When members love and support one another, they do so in the extreme. When they hate one another, it borders on Sect-wide civil war.

History
'Like most historical entries, this is meant to be taken as a 'Dark Eras' entry. Use it wholesale, in bits, or never - do whatever you want.'

Culture
"Sabbat? No-no, I belong to the Mother. And he belongs to Caine. There is no Sabbat."

- Unknown Mother's Army member

The concept a singular Sabbat all but evaporated following the Covenant Law. The Sabbat had been effectively split along Covenant identities. When one claims membership of the American Sabbat, it is to a Covenant; not the Sect itself. This has naturally lead to indirect infighting, rivalry, and competition between the decentralized groups. To date there has never been any direct confrontation between Covenants, as most believes themselves to be all of the same family; and claim any infighting is merely familial in nature. After all, even the most tight-knit of families still have fights.

Ritae
"“In nomine Caine; et Patris, et Gladius, et Sanguis Sancti..."

- Sabbat doctrine

The Sabbat values its bonds of loyalty and fraternity above all else. To this end, the sect has established many rituals, which reinforce pack and sect solidarity and structure. The American Sabbat observes the same 13 Auctoritas Ritae as their European counterparts, while the Sacramentum Ritae are Covenant specific Ritae that may vary from city to city. The official corpus of ritae, as well as their authenticity and orthodoxy, is scheduled during Synods of high-ranking Noddists.

Clans & Bloodlines
Roughly a century and a half ago (c.1850s) the Sabbat was mostly Lasombra and Tzimisce (and consequently Ventrue) with a rough 70/30 spread respectively. However over the years Cainites from all Clans joined the Sabbat and now are as numerous as their Camarilla counterparts. This is half due to the fact that the Sabbat do not put taboo and restriction on the Embrace, meaning those who join the Sabbat can very quickly spread their blood.

Childer
The average Sabbat of note has anywhere from two to five Childer; with some exceptions. They are less picky and more prone to emotional or heat-of-the-moment Embraces than their Camarilla or Anarch counterparts. However during times of war, the Sabbat were famous for coining the Mass Embrace for a steady supply of shock troops. These unfortunate vampires are referred to as Shovelheads, as they are knocked over the head, Embraced, and buried. They then claw their way out (sometimes not) their earthen grave half frenzied. They are subjected to Vinculum and then directed toward the enemy. Most do not survive their first few weeks. Those who do are considered False Sabbat, and not worthy of the respect a member of the True Sabbat would be. Childer who are specifically chosen receive instructions and direction much earlier than a Shovelhead would.

Covenants
Following the Code of Milan, the Sabbat was organized into distinct divisions. Like the Camarilla, there exist Covenants which serve as main operating force of the Sabbat. They are as follows:

Sword of Cain
The Sword of Cain was formed sometime during the Dark Ages, and was a religious Knightly Order of Cainites who worshipped and revered Caine, the first murderer, as their god. The Sword of Caine is incredibly selective when it comes to its Squires and often only recruits two or three new members in a year.

Mother's Army
The Mother's Army is the backbone of the Sabbat. They are the rank and file and exist across North and South America in numbers too great to count. Mexico City is largely considered to be their capital and is widely believed to be home to over a thousand vampires; the single greatest concentration of Cainites in the world. The Mother's Army differs from the other Covenants in that they worship the Crone Mother.

Tal Maheera
The Tal Maheera are a Covenant of spies, saboteurs, and infiltrators. The Tal Maheera are largely considered to be an entirely separate Sect on their own; observing completely different Ritae and acting with a separate modus operandi. Their loyalty however, is largely to the Sabbat and to Caine. As a result they are some of the most loyal members to the ideals of the Sect, second only to the Mother's Army.