The Book of Nod

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  1. THE CHRONICLE OF CAINE
    I dream of the first times1 the longest memory
    I speak of the first times2 the oldest Father
    I sing of the first times and the dawn of Darkness
    In Nod3
    , where the light of Paradise lit up the night sky and the tears of our parents wet the ground
    Each of us, in out way, set about to live and take our sustenance from the land.
    And I first-born Caine, I, with sharp things4
    , planted the dark seeds5 wet them in earth tended them, watched
    them grow
    And Abel second-born Abel tended the animals aided their bloody births6 fed them, watched them grow
    I loved him, my Brother
    He was the brighest
    The sweetest.
    The strongest.
    He was the first part of all my joy7
    .
    Then one day our Father8
    said to us.
    Caine, Abel to Him Above9
    you must make a sacrifice a gift of the first part of all that you have
    And I, first-born Caine, I gathered the tender shoots the brightest fruits the sweetest grass
    And Abel, second-born, Abel slaughtered the youngest, the strongest, the sweetest of his animals
    On the altar of our Father we laid our sacrifices and lit fire under them and watched the smoke carry them up to
    the One Above
    The sacrifice of Abel, second-born, smelled sweet to the One Above and Abel was blessed.
    And, I, first-born Caine, I was struck from beyond by10 a harsh word and a curse, for my sacrifice was
    unworthy.
    I looked at Abel’s sacrifice, still smoking the flesh, the blood.
    I cried, I held my eyes
    I prayed in night and day
    And when Father said11 the time for Sacrifice has come again
    And Abel led his youngest, his sweetest, his most beloved to the sacrificial fire
    I did not bring my youngest, my sweetest, for I knew the One Above would not want them.
    And my brother, beloved Abel said to me,
    ‘Caine, you did not bring a sacrifice, a gift of the first part of you joy, to burn on the altar of the One Above.’
    I cried tears of love as I, with sharp things, sacrificed that which was the first part of my joy, my brother.
    And the Blood of Abel12 covered the altar and smelled sweet as it burned
    But my Father said
    ‘Cursed are you, Caine, who killed your brother. As I was cast out so shall you be.’13
    And He exiled me to wander in Darkness, the land of Nod.14
    I flew into the Darkness
    I saw no source of light and I was afraid.15
    And alone.

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    1. THE COMING OF LILITH
      I was alone in the Darkness
      And I grew hungry.
      I was alone in the Darkness
      And I grew cold.
      I was alone in the Darkness
      And I cried.16
      Then there came to me a sweet voice, a honey voice
      Words of succor.
      Words of surcease.17
      A woman, dark and lovely, with eyes that pierced the
      Darkness came to me.18

      I know your story. Caine of Nod."
      She said, smiling.
      "You are hungry. Come! I have food.
      You are cold. Come! I have clothes.
      You are sad. Come! I have comfort."
      "Who would comfort one so Cursed as I?
      Who would clothe me?
      Who would feed me?"
      "I am your Father's first wife, who disagreed with the One Above
      and gained Freedom in the Darkness.
      I am Lilith.19
      Once, I was cold, and there was no warmth for me.
      Once. I was hungry and there was no food for me.
      Once, I was sad, and there was no comfort for me."
      She took me in, she fed me.
      She clothed me.
      In her arms. I found comfort.
      I cried until blood trickled from my eyes and she kissed them away.2

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    2. LILLITH'S MAGICK
      And I dwelt for a time in the House of Lilith21
      and asked her
      "Out of Darkness, how did you build this place?
      How did you make clothes?
      How did you grow food?"
      And Lilith smiled and said.
      "Unlike you, I am Awake.
      I see the Threads that spin all around you, I make that
      which I need out of Power." 22
      "Awaken me, then, Lilith." I said.
      "I have need for this Power.
      Then, I can make my own clothes,
      make my own food,
      make my own House."
      Worry creased Lilith's brow.
      "I do not know what the Awakening will do for you,
      for you are truly Cursed by your Father.
      You could die.
      You could be forever changed."
      Caine said, "Even so, a life without Power will not be worth living.
      I would die without your gifts.
      I will not live as your Thrall."
      Lillth loved me, and I knew this.
      Lilith would do what I asked, though she did not wish it.
      And so, Lilith, bright-eyed Lilith.
      Awakened me.
      She cut herself with a knife bled for me into a bowl.
      I drank deep. It was sweet.23
      And then I fell into the Abyss.24
      I fell forever, falling into the deepest darkness.

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    3. THE TEMPTATION OF CAINE
      And from the Darkness came a bright shining light fire in the night.
      And the archangel Michael revealed himself 25 to me.
      I was unafraid. I asked his business.
      Michael, General of Heaven, wielder of the holy Flame, said unto me,
      "Son of Adam, Son of Eve, thy crime is great, and yet the mercy of my Father is also great.
      Will you not repent the evil that you have done, and let his mercy wash you clean?"
      And I said to Michael,
      "Not by [the One Above]'s grace, but mine own will I live, in pride."26
      Michael cursed me, saying
      "Then, for as long as you walk this earth, you and your children will fear my living flame,
      and it will bite deep and savor your flesh." 27
      And on the morning, Raphael came28 on lambent wings, light over the horizon
      the driver of the Sun, ward of the East.
      Raphael spoke, saying Caine, son of Adam, son of Eve, your brother Abel
      forgives you your sin will you not repent, and accept the mercy of the Almighty?"
      And I said to Raphael
      "Not by Abel`s forgiveness, but mine own, will be forgiven."
      Raphael cursed me, saying
      "Then, for as long as you walk this earth, you and your children will fear the dawn,
      and the sun's rays will seek to burn you like fire where ever you hide always.
      Hide now for the Sun rises to take its wrath on you."
      But I found a secret place in the earth and hid from the burning light of the Sun.
      Deep in the earth, I slept until the Light of the World was hidden behind the mountain of Night.29
      When I awoke from my day of sleep, I heard the sound of gentle rushing wings30
      and I saw the black wings of Uriel draped around me -
      Uriel, reaper, angel of Death, dark Uriel who dwells in darkness.
      Uriel spoke to me quietly, saying
      "Son of Adam. Son of Eve. God Almighty has forgiven you your sin.
      Will you accept his mercy and let me take you to your reward, no longer cursed?31
      And I said to dark-winged Uriel,
      "Not by God`s mercy, but my own, will I live.
      I am what I am, I did what I did, and that will never change.”32
      And then, through dread Uriel God Almighty cyrsed me, saying.33
      "Then, for as long as you walk this earth, you and your children will cling to Darkness
      You will drink only blood
      You will eat only ashes34
      You will be always as you were at death,
      Never dying, living on.
      You will walk forever in Darkness, all you touch will crumble into nothing, until the last days.”
      I gave a cry of anguish at this terrible curse and tore at my flesh.

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    4. I wept blood
      I caught the tears in a cup and drank them 35
      When I looked up from my drink of sorrow the archangel Gabriel gentle Gabriel
      Gabriel, Lord of Mercy appeared to me.
      The archangel Gabriel said unto me,
      "Son of Adam, Son of Eve, Behold, the mercy of the Father is greater than you can ever know
      for even now there is a path opened a road of Mercy and you shall call this road [Golconda].36
      And tell you children of it, for by that road may they come once again dwell in the Light.”
      And with that, the darkness was lifted like a veil and the only light was Lilith’s bright eyes.
      Looking around me, I knew that I had Awakened.
      When my energies first surged through me I discovered how to move like lightning[Celerity]
      how to borrow the strenght of the earth [Potence]
      how to be as stone[Fortitude]
      These were like breathing once was to me.
      Lilith then showed me how she hides herself from hunters [Obfuscate]
      how she commands obedience [Dominate]
      and how she demands respect [Presence]
      Then, Awakening myself further, I found the way to alter forms [Protean]
      the way to have dominion over animals [Animalism]
      the way to make eyes see sight [Auspex]
      37
      Then Lilith commanded that I stop, saying that I had over reached my bounds
      That I had gone too far That I threatened my very essence.
      She used her powers and commanded me to stop.
      Because of her power, I heeded her, but deep within me a seed was planted a seed of rebellion
      and when she turned her face from me, I opened myself up once more, to the Night,
      and saw the infinite possibilities in the stars and knew that a path of power, a path of Blood
      was mine for the taking, and so I awakened in me this Final Path, from which all other paths would grow.
      With this newest power, I broke the bonds that the Lady of Night put on me
      I left the Damned Queen that evening, cloaking myself in shadows,
      I fled the lands of Nod and came at last to a place where not even her demons could find me.

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    5. ZILLAH'S TALE

      Let me tell the tale of Zillah38
      first loved of Caine, first wife of Caine, the sweetest blood, the softest skin, the clearest eyes.
      Alone of Caine's newest Childer, did Caine desire Her,39
      and she was not mindful of his desire, turning away from Him.
      Not gifts, not sacrifices, not perfumes, not doves, not beautiful dancers, not singers, not oxen,
      not sculpture, not beautiful clothes, nothing would turn Zillah's heart from stone to sweet fruit.
      So Caine pulled at his beard40
      and tore at his hair and took to roaming the wilderness at night, thinking of her, burning for her,
      and one night Caine came upon an old Crone singing to the moon
      Caine said to the Crone,
      "Why do you sing so?"
      And the Crone replied,
      "Because I yearn for what I cannot have ..."41
      Caine said to the Crone,
      "I yearn also. What can one do?”
      The Crone smiled and said,
      "Drink of my blood this night, Caine, Father of Kindred, and return tomorrow night.
      Then will I tell you the wisdom of the Moon."42
      Caine drank at the Crone's bare neck, and departed.
      The next night, Caine found the Crone sleeping on a rock.
      "Wake up, Crone."
      Caine said.
      "I have returned."
      The Crone opened one eye and said,
      "I dream of the solution for you this night. Drink once more of me, and then return tomorrow night.
      Bring a bowl of clay.
      Bring a sharp knife.
      I will have your answer then."
      Once again. Caine took blood from the Crone, who immediately fell back into a deep slumber.
      When Caine returned the next night, the Crone looked up at him and smiled,
      "Greetings, Lord of the Beast," the Crone said.43
      "I have the wisdom you seek."
      "Take some of my blood, into the bowl you have, and mix in these berries and these herbs,
      and drink deep of the elixir."
      "You will be irresistible.
      You will be potent.
      You will be masterful.
      You will be ardent.
      You will be glowing.
      The heart of Zillah will melt like the snows in spring."
      And so. Caine drank from the Crone's elixir, because he was so in love with Zillah,
      and he so desired her love in return.

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    6. And the Crone laughed. The Crone laughed aloud.
      She had tricked him! She had trapped him!
      Caine was angry beyond compare.
      Caine reached out with his powers, to rend this Crone apart with his strength.
      The Crone cackled and said, "Do not"
      And Caine could do nothing against her.
      The Crone chuckled and said. "Love me."
      And Caine could do nothing but stare into her ancient eyes, desire her leathery skin.
      The Crone laughed and said, "Make me immortal."
      And Caine Embraced her. She cackled again, laughed with the pure ecstasy of the Embrace,
      for it did not pain her.
      "I have made you powerful. Caine of Enoch, Caine of Nod, but you will forever be bound to me.
      I have made you master of all, but you will never forget me!
      Your blood, potent as it is now, will bond those who drink it, as you did, once a night for three nights.
      You will be the master.
      They will be your thrall, as you are mine.
      For though Zillah will love you, as you wanted, you will love me, forever. Go now, and claim your
      lovely bride, I will wait for you in the darkest places, while I brew more potions for your health."
      And so, heavy hearted, Caine returned to Enoch.
      And each night, for three nights,
      Zillah drank from her Sire, though she did not know it.
      And, on the third night, Caine announced he would marry44
      Zillah, his sweetest Childe, and she agreed.

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    7. THE TALE OF THE CRONE
      For a year and a day45
      Caine labored in service to a Crone, who with blood-wisdom, bound him as surety as any prisoner.
      She would visit him at night force him to give up his blood for her secret elixirs and potent formulas
      She would take his Childer's Childer, and they would never be heard from again.
      But Caine was wise. He did not drink from her ever again.
      And she did not ask him to, thinking that he was ever in her Thrall.
      One night.
      Caine went to the Crone in the forest, and told her of terrible dreams that he had during his sleep.
      "I fear for my life, Crone.
      I fear the prophecy of Auriel, and my Children's lust for my blood.
      Tell me secret knowledge, that I might be powerful against my own."
      And the Crone went to a tree made of gopher wood,46
      and broke off a limb.
      She took a sharp knife and sharpened the limb.
      "Take this piece of living wood, sharp, strong, pierce the heart of your wayward childe.
      It will render him still, and yours to command.
      Instead of feasting on your heart's blood, he will feel the weight of your justice."
      Caine said. "Thank you, Mother," and with that, moving in quick movements,
      Caine took the stake of gopher wood, seized it and drove it deep within the Crone's heart.
      Because Caine, wise Caine had fed not upon her for a year and a day and because he forced his Will through
      his hands, he broke the Bond she held on him, and turned his fortune.
      She laughed again, as blood welled up and poured out of her mouth.
      Her eyes poured out hate.
      Caine kissed her once, kissed her cold, withred lips, and left her there to Raphael’s gentle smile:
      the sun that rises.

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    8. THE TALE OF THE FIRST CITY
      In the beginning there was only Caine
      Caine who [sacrificed] his brother out of [love].47
      Caine who was cast out.
      Caine who was cursed forever with immortality.
      Caine who was cursed with the lust for blood,
      It is Caine from whom we all come,
      Our Sire's Sire.
      For the passing of an age he lived in [the land of Nod].
      In loneliness and suffering
      For an eon he remained alone
      But the passing of memory drowned his sorrow.
      And so he returned to the world of mortals,
      To the world his brother [Seth, third-born of Eve,]
      and [Seth's children] had created.
      He returned and was made welcome.
      [For none would turn against him due to the Mark that was laid upon him]
      The people saw his power and worshipped him,
      [He grew powerful, and his power was strong, his ways of awe and command were great]
      [And the Children of Seth made] him
      King of their great City, The First City.
      But Caine grew lonely in his Power.
      Deep within him, the seed of loneliness blossomed, and grew a dark flower
      He saw within his blood the potence of fertility
      By calling up demons and listening to whispered wisdom
      He learned the way to make a child for his own.
      He came to know its power, and, doing so, decided to Embrace one of those near him.
      And, lo, Uriel, Dread Uriel, revealed himself to Caine that very night and said to him,
      "Caine, though powerful you are, and marked of God, know you this: that any Childe you make will
      bear your curse, that any of your Progeny will forever walk in the Land of Nod, and fear flame and sun,
      drinking blood only and eating ashes only.
      And since they will carry their father's jealous seed, they will forever plot and fight amongst themselves.
      Doom not those of Adam's grandchildren who seek to walk in righteousness. Caine!
      Stay your dread Embrace!"
      Still, Caine knew what he must do, and a young man named Enosh,
      who was the most beloved of Seth's kin, begged to be made Son to the dark Father.
      And Caine, mindful though he was of Uriel's words, seized Enosh,
      and wrapped him in the dark Embrace.
      And so, it came to pass that Caine beget Enoch and, so doing, named the First City Enoch.
      And so doing, did Enoch beg for a brother, a sister, and Caine, indulgent Father,
      gave these to him, and their names were Zillah, whose blood was most-favored of Caine,
      and Irad, whose strength served Caine's arm.
      And these Kindred of Caine learned the ways of making Progeny of their own, and they
      Embraced more of Seth's kin, unthinking.

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    9. And then wise Caine said. "An end to this crime.
      There shall be no more."
      And as Caine's word was the law, his Brood obeyed him.
      The city stood for many ages,
      And became the center of a mighty Empire.
      Caine grew close to those not like him.
      The [children of Seth] knew him
      And he, to turn, knew them
      But the world grew dark with sin.
      Caine's Children wandered here and there, indulging their dark ways
      Caine felt anger when his children fought
      He discovered deceit when he saw them make word-war
      He knew sadness when he saw them abuse [the children of Seth]
      Caine read the signs in the darkening sky, but said nothing.
      Then came the great Deluge, a great flood that washed over the world.
      The City was destroyed, the children of Seth with it.
      Again, Caine fell into great sorrow and went into solitude.
      And he left us, his Progeny, to our own ends.
      We found him, after much searching, deep in the earth, and he bade us go, saying
      that the Flood was a punishment, for his having returned to the world of life
      And subverting the true law.
      He asked us to go, so that he might sleep.
      So we returned alone to find the children of Noah,
      And announced that we were the new rulers.
      Each created a Brood
      In order to claim the glory of Caine,
      Yet we did not have his wisdom or restraint.
      A great war was waged, the Elders against their Children, just as Uriel had said,
      And the Children slew their parents.
      They rose up
      Used fire and wood
      Swords and claws
      To destroy those who had created them
      The rebels then built a new city.
      Out of the fallen Empire, they collected the
      Thirteen clans that had been scattered by the Great War, and brought them all togethe

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    10. They brought in the Kingship Clan [Ventrue],
      the Clan of the Beast [Gangrel],
      the Moon Clan [Malkavian],
      the Clan of the Hidden [Nosferatu],
      the Vanderer Clan [Ravnos],
      the Clan of the Rose [Toreador],
      the Night Clan [Lasombra],
      the Clan of Shapers [Tzmisces],
      the Snake Clant [Setites],
      the Clan of Death [Giovanni],
      the Healer's Clan [Saulot],
      the Clan of the Hunt [Assamites],
      and the Learned Clan [Brujah].
      They made a beautiful city, and the people worshipped them as gods.
      They created new Progeny of their own, the Fourth Generation of Cainites.
      But they feared the Jyhad, the Prophecy of Uriel,
      And it was forbidden for those Children
      To create others of their kind.
      This power their Elders kept for themselves.
      When a Childe was created, it was hunted down and killed, and its Sire with it.
      Although Caine was away from us, we did feel his careful eye watching us,
      and we knew that he marked our movements and our ways.
      He cursed [Malkav], when that one defamed his image and doomed him to insanity, forever.
      When [Nosferatu] was found indulging his tastes in foul ways with his own Children,
      Caine laid his hand on [Nosferatu], and told him that he would forever wear his evil
      and twisted his visage.
      He cursed us all, for killing the first part of his Children, the Second Generation,
      As we had hunted them down one by one, Zillah the Beautifu, Irad the Strong, and Enoch First-Ruler.
      And we mourned them all, as we were all of a kind, and all of the families of Caine's childer.
      Though this city was as great as Caine's, eventually
      It grew old.
      As do all living things, it slowly began to die.
      The gods at first did not see the truth,
      And when they at last looked about them it was too late.
      For, as Uriel had said, the seed of Evil planted blossomed as a blood-red rose
      And [Troile], the Child of his Child's Child rose up, and slew his Father, Brujah.
      And ate of his flesh.
      Then war wracked the city
      And nothing could ever be as it was.
      The Thirteen saw their city destroyed and their power extinguished,
      And they were forced to flee, their Progeny along with them.
      But many were killed in the flight, for they had grown weak.
      With their authority gone, all were free create their own Broods,
      And soon there were many new Kindred,
      Who ruled across the face of the Earth.
      But this could not last.

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    11. Over time, there came to be too many of the Kindred
      And then there was war once again,
      The Elders were already deep in hiding,
      For they had learned caution,
      But their Children had founded their own cities and Broods,
      And it is they who were killed in the great wave of war.
      There was war so total, that there are none of that Generation
      To speak of themselves any longer.
      Waves of mortal flesh were sent across continents
      In order to crush and burn the cities of the Kindred.
      Mortals thought they were fighting their own wars.
      But it is for us that they spilt their blood.
      Once this war was over,
      All of the Kindred hid from one another
      And from the humans that surrounded them.
      In hiding we remain today,
      For the Jyhad continues still.
      And none will say when Caine will arise again, from his sleep in the earth, and call for the city Gehenna,
      the Last City, the City of Judgment.
      The Jyhad continues sti

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    12. THE CHRONICLE OF SHADOWS OF PROGENY
      These are the words that Caine said, regarding our Progeny as he ruled in Enoch, as King.
      Hear the words of Caine Law-Giver:
      "Thou shall not make Progeny against
      My will and if you are given leave, then choose of those
      Children of Adam well, think of them as your future Brother or Sister.1
      Look to the everlasting night ahead, and know Auriel's Prophecy:
      that forever shall Childe rise up to slay Sire.
      Know thou that. as in all things, the Father overcomes the Childe, the Mother her Daughter:
      Only through Me will you come to Truth,
      Only through Me will you come to Peace,
      Only through Me will you come Awake to your Power.2
      Know thou that the right of life or death, as it was in My times, will ever be the Sire's over the Childe's,
      for it has been set in Heaven as well as in this world, the way of things.
      My Father, Adam, over me, I, over you, You, my Children, over all Progeny you get.
      Thou shalt not suffer your Childe to live
      If it is found that he has killed one of your Brothers and has drunk his hearts blood.
      This is the Serpents Way, and I will not abide it.3
      Thou shalt not Embrace those who are unworthy,
      Thou shalt not use the Embrace as punishment,
      Neither shall you Embrace the youngest, who should live long before being brought into
      My family, so that the wisdom of our line will grow.
      Thou shalt not Embrace those who are diseased, insane, or full of ill humors,
      for they will taint the Blood.4
      Never shall there be more Kindred of Caine than Kindred of Seth in a place,
      neither should there be one of Caine for every three of Seth.5
      All Childer should learn from their Sire
      The Law and the Traditions
      The Rites and the Customs, as I have given them to you
      Thou shalt not Embrace the Moon-Beasts, for these should be outcast and called Abomination.
      Neither should you taste of their blood, for they are forbidden, they bring Death to our door.6

      Embrace not the blood of the Enlightened, rather listen to their words, watch their actions, and move swiftly
      against them should they strike:
      a useful sword, but often too sharp.7
      Taste not the blood of the Wild Ones, for in it is Madness, neither should you
      Embrace them: for you will not survive it.8
      Embrace not Love, for Love in My Embrace will grow cold, wither, and die

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    13. THE RULES OF THE CANAILLE
      These are the words that Caine said, regarding the Children of Seth, as he ruled in Enoch, as King.
      Hear the words of Caine Law-Giver:
      "We are given Dominion over the line of Seth, third son of Adam, as he is our youngest Brother,
      we will watch over his Children as if they were our own, we will show them the right way, and in return,
      they will serve us all of their days.10
      They will serve us while the Sun rides the sky, and watch over our houses,
      with quenching water, against Michael`s Fire.11
      They will feed us. and provide us with clothes,
      They will dance for us, and provide us with song,
      They will lay with us, and provide us with comfort.
      They will advise us, and we will listen to their advice.
      They will worship us, and we must not allow their worship.
      Thou shall not become as a God to the Children of Seth.
      for the One Above, growing jealous in his sky, will strike down the line of Caine forever.
      Remember gentle-faced Ashtareth,
      Remember golden-fat Baal.
      Remember strong Tammauz,
      Know thou that the Children of Seth will rise up with weapons from the One Above,
      and conquer us, should we be as Gods to them.12
      Thou shall guide the Children of Seth as a shepherd guides his flock, and cull them as they are needed.
      Thou shall cleanse their blood, and keep all of them free from disease.13
      Of the Feeding
      Find you a place that is yours,
      And the mortals that dwell there,
      let them be your sheepfold,
      let them be your cup,
      let them be your holy bread14
      Of the Gifts of Caine
      Mark ye that a Mortal who, marked with the Power of another Cainite, does a thing, yea verily
      He does it as if that Childe of Caine did it, and that Kindred will pay the price of crime or retribution, just as he
      had done the thing, for in this way, there is an Accounting to be made, and the
      Children of Seth not be merely swords in the hands of dark strangers.15
      Mark well the threefold drinking, the Bond of Blood, and let those of Seth's Children with great skill,
      come to serve the Children of Caine, as it is we are the first part of Wisdom, and should be served.16
      As well, in Blood Bonds, know that there is no greater Bond than Caine has with his Childer,
      and through Me, all chains are broken, all shackles are shattered.17
      Mark well the Children of the One Above, the Cherubs, the Seraphs, the Archangels,
      for their touch will burn you as does the Flame of Michael.18
      Mark well the Children of the One Below, the Serpent's Kin,
      for their touch will burn you as well, and their tongues will delude and deceive you.19
      In need, you may feed the Beasts of the field, of your Blood, and husband them:
      they will grow strong and loyal, but beware of the Beast with the Beast within,
      and feed not a Hunger that may not abate.

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    14. Of Those Who Serve
      Those you choose to bless with the Potence of Caine,
      may come to live within your house, to protect you,
      let no one Embrace these guardians, let them be given blood at the appropriate time:
      let their Strength be your Strength,
      Strength that does not abate with the sun,
      let their Eyes be your Eyes,
      Eyes that can see in the day.
      Let their Ears be your Ears,
      Ears that can hear while you slumber.
      Let those who serve be named greatest of the Children of Seth. and most privileged.
      Let them enjoy the fine cloth of the Kindred.
      Let them enjoy the gentle music of the Kindred.
      Let them know the sweetness of our wine.
      Let us protect them from those who would hinder and hurt them,
      and let us all rise up in outrage should one of those-who-serve
      be shin by another Kindred, for no Kindred has the right to kill another's Servant without provocation.20
      Of the Moon-Beasts
      The Moon-Beasts, the ones-who-change, they are the Oldest of all,
      before my Father they roamed the lands.
      Tarry not in the path of them,
      Avoid them, they are set upon us like wolves in the sheepfold.
      For we are of one kind, and they another.
      Beware their sacred ground, walk softly through their wilderness.
      Their bite is as our bite,
      Their claws are as our claws
      Tarry not in the path of them, they are of one kind, and we are another.21
      Of the Wild Ones
      Of the mad ones, the wild ones, I say, first, drink not of their blood!
      But watch them,
      For they are beautiful in their wildness,
      They are enchanting in their mystery,
      They are deadly in their war skills.
      Alone among the creatures of the night
      They kept me company in the earth and brought me water when I was thirsty and could still breathe.
      Like Me, they were cast out,
      Like my Children, they are homeless,
      Like my Children's Children, they wander,
      Like my Mother and Father, they know too much,
      But they keep their own counsel, and, of them, I say
      Mark me well: keep silent!
      Say nothing.
      Watch, and learn.

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    15. On the Enlightened
      The Mother of Power, dark Lilith, is of the greatest of them, but there are others, and more yet to come.
      Drink not of their blood, for they will ensnare you,
      Keep wary of them, they are crafty.
      They know Adam's knowledge, and Eve's wisdom.
      they are the bringers of fire,
      the tillers of soil,
      the husbanders of animals,
      the bringers of writing,
      they are the Sun-children,
      the Rising Stars.
      They will seek to involve you in their journey.
      Resist! Resist! their path disregards hunger, blood, and body.
      Trust not the ones with bright eyes towards the dawn:
      Remember always, it is the Dawning that brings your death.23
      Of Those Spirits of the Dead
      Mark you well: there is a place beyond spirit, beyond life which is Darkness.
      Shadow, and there Shadows dwell.
      An island, a fortress, a land of the Dead,
      I have traveled there through a pathway of doom and
      I have witnessed the dread king of the Stygian City as he sat at court.
      I have seen the faceless hooded ones traversing River Styx.
      They swarm about us like flies on a putrefying corpse, and like us, feed on fear, ecstasy, and anger.
      Dead they are, but undead, and they are closer to us than we will ever know.
      The Blood of my Brother cries out to me as I sleep as the Sun crosses the sky,
      I hear my brother, second born Abel, screaming.
      Mark well the spirits of those who have died,
      Know their strength is not your own,
      Listen to their words: they carry wisdom.
      Listen not to their songs: that way is oblivion.
      Do not seek to bind them, but free them if you can,
      Such is the commandment of Caine, who himself has been imprisoned and freed.24
      OF THE COMMANDMENTS TO THE KINDRED
      Thou shalt not slay thy Sire and drink his heart’s blood
      Thou shalt hold the eldest among you as Lord, even as I am your Father, the eldest is closest to me.
      Thou shalt honor each other’s Domain.
      Thou shalt not reveal yourselves as Gods to the Children of Seth.
      Honor always your Sire.
      Thou shalt teach your progeny the ways of the Kindred.
      Thou shalt not Embrace Love
      Thou shalt not feed of the Moon-Beasts, the Wild Ones the diseased, the insane, or the drunken.
      Thou shalt protect always those-who-serve.
      To your Brothers and Sisters, always give hospitality. To your Sire's Brothers and Sisters, always give the best
      part of your house, to your Progeny's Brothers and Sisters give a roof from the Sun and the blood of a sheep, no
      more.
      Never forget your Sire's Sire, Caine the Wanderer.

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    16. THE WORDS OF THE CLAN CHIEFS26
      Brujah's Commandments27
      Throw off the Elder s shackles of the mind, reach into thyself and see the truth revealed.
      The Truth, as truth is seen, will illuminate your soul and heal your wounds.
      Know who you are, first, and be true to your self.
      You are my children, all, but I would sooner shatter you like flawed pottery than have your weakness
      be that you are but a flawed copy out of my mold.
      The Words of Gangrel to his Childer28
      Lo my Children, you will walk the earth, wander far and carry these Words.
      Move one step before those who see by the Moon.
      Never abide weakness.
      Keep your children loyal.
      Walk with your head high.
      Let the Beast rule you.
      Mark where you hunt, so that your brothers and sisters will know and not intrude.
      Take all you need, but be mindful that the hunter can become the hunted and
      there are those who find us no matter how we flee.
      Should you become confused go and eat only of animals for a moon sleep
      in the earth and drink in sweet water
      You will hear my voice in your ears like a distant bird's cry or lion's roar,
      And you will know what to do.
      Let no one say that the House of Cangrel is a dishonorable one
      Let no one say that we are not brave.
      Let no one say that we are not fair.
      You, a child of the Beast, a child of Darkness, are first among Kindred.

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    17. Malkav’s Words29
      In the singing… midnight
      By the coral …… of time
      Through the …… gates of heaven ...the ... in my mind
      Bring about the change so quickly
      Bring about the terror’s night
      Bring about the blood of lovers
      Bring about the smell of fright
      I see you watching where I walk
      Through the moonlit jasmine field
      Listen closely as I talk
      About the stars and their lovers past
      Past fields of poppies, burning bright
      Into towers of Blackened Bone
      Follow me, Bastard of Caine
      Come with me, I have no home
      As I drain your live’s blood sweetly
      As you sigh into my warm hands
      As I suck your madness nearly
      Streaming down like crimson bands
      I dance the dance of the fool
      And pray you find me mad
      For if you lay hands upon the root
      You’ll know me without illusion
      And find me guilty of the truth.
      Nosferat's Words30
      You are the children of Shadow
      You are the sons and daughters of Darkness
      Seek the darkest place
      Make it your own
      Feed on the wicked, feed on the sinful.
      Feed on the ugly souls
      For such is our diet, such is our
      Father`s wish, our pre-ordained meal.
      My childer, look not at your visage to curse me, for I know the beauty that lies within,
      and no greater beauty will there ever be.

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    18. The Words of Toreador to his Childer31
      In quiet, you will know beauty, in beauty you will know truth,
      in truth you will know love, in love, you will know quiet.
      My children, my creations my beautiful things
      Watch and listen, listen and watch.
      Use your sight, to see the truth in beauty.
      Use your speed, to stay still,
      Use your beauty, to know truth.
      My children, my creations, gentle roses all
      I have called for your sculpture
      I have called for your pictures
      I have called for your song
      I have called for your dancing
      Beautiful children, beautiful creations
      Gold is not as precious Honey not as sweet
      Milk not as pure
      Like the tiger, you bite like the hawk, you dive, like the cat, you stalk.
      Beautiful predators!
      Sweet succubi!
      Daring incubi!
      Taste virgin’s blood and find bliss!
      Find your greatest part of Joy,
      Follow your greatest part of Joy, and know that I watch you, enthralled, my children, my creations,
      my beautiful ones.
      The Words of Ventrue to his Childer32
      We ruled in Enoch! We ruled in [the Second City]
      Dumuzi! Gilgamesh! Zeus! Jupiter!
      We are every great man, every perfect man.
      We rule, not by strength, but by right.
      Be the law-giver, the tool-maker,
      Carry the sacred [Me] to the people,
      Keep the covenant,
      Bind those that rebel,
      Glory in those who fight and win,
      Keep strong swords about you always, and sharp eyes at your back.
      Cower not in fear of the Sun!
      Shrink not from Fire!
      Though cursed we may be
      We are the Lords of the Earth, and all things fall under our dominion.

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    19. Saulot's Words33
      Know you are made to be unmade
      You are the white lamb
      The gentle sacrifice
      You are the greatest part of the bounty of Caine
      And on your shoulders shall be his greatest Sin, for alone among the children of Caine I have asked
      the One Above for forgiveness, and I have been visited by the worst of the One Below's demons
      Those snakes, which bit me in my sleeping,
      Those foul wyrms who suck my blood,34
      I learned from them to take the blackness from the blood
      The wounds from the flesh the evil from the soul.
      And though I may die, you, my childer will live on.
      Open thy Eye, and see the world truly, and know that what you do now goes on to heal another generation.
      A Valediction, Forbidding Diablerie35
      And the enemies of dine were great, and fell to fighting over his trail like hounds, the scent would not abate
      through flood and moon. and much travail
      The hunter's skill was great, as they looked for their Father, and they did see ... ancient Discipline
      used they to find the road to Shal-ka-mense
      They came at last to that secret place where Caine hid, amongst the waters
      Showing himself, Caine called them under,
      "Gentle sons, gentle daughters, Why do you disturb my slumber?"
      And they tried to embrace their Father with steely things and things of wood, but lightning Caine,
      fast-moving Caine, would not be stopped by such as them.
      Under the curling, blasting waters, beyond the pool of Veyd-sah-me, in the grotto of Shal-ka-mense
      did they gather, did they gather, to embrace their sleeping Father's form.
      Found him sleeping? Found him wakeful, battle-ready, eyes abright, smiling at his ancient Childer waging war
      in the waxing light.
      Now the stars they one by one blot their ways into lightning sky
      Now the fires burn hell and cinder
      Now the heat reveals the pyre.
      Too long! the hunters waited further,
      Too long! They did by Veyd-sah-me, tarry long enough to see the light of Dawn upon their Father's Face.
      And in the turning, burning Mark, they saw the Finger of Gods own hate, twisting, curling,
      God's own Word it Set apart Caine's lonely fate
      And as they burned in hell-bright fires, as they saw the melted flesh as they burned with their own Kindred
      Caine blessed more funeral pyres
      Taking in his bloody Sacrament.
      Seek not the blood of thine own Elder
      Seek not the blood of thy Sires Sire
      Seek not the blood that made thee Kin
      For thou will feel the funeral pyre
      When thou dost pay for thy immortal sin.

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    20. Caine's Law and Punishment36
      It is very hard. my children, to prescribe for you the punishment
      of burning,
      of exsanguination,
      of beheading,
      of torture,
      of paralysis,
      of the sundeath.
      You are my Childer: alone among the rest of existence, you are my only companions,
      forever will we be locked in the way that fathers are bonded to their sons and sons to their fathers.
      And yet. I will root out the bad seed.
      I will weed out the worst of you.
      I will prune my dark tree, in the manner that my Father, Adam, taught me.37
      Proverbs38
      "Go not to the Clan of the Rose for advice, for they will give no single answer.39
      "Watch Gangrel, and when they are uneasy leave."40
      "The first to die in any Jyhad are Nosferatu."41
      "Bless those who fight our natural enemies. Keep safe the water-bearer, the builder, the undertaker. These are
      not to be prey."42
      "Let not the priest, poet, or peasant see you feed. Not one of them will leave it be."43
      "Let Honor be your shield, your sword, and your cloak: let Ventrue save face, and you will go far."44
      "To rid yourself of an enemy, outlive him."45
      "Vengeance is best when the blood is still hot."46
      "Know that in all times there will be Caesar: pay him his due."47
      "Fight the first battle, win the first war."48
      "Watch your own Childer on the lips of all is the honey-taste of Diablerie."49
      "One sip of Blood, I take. Two sips. I accept. Three sips. I refuse."50
      "Bargain not with the Darkness: in time it will take tis all."
      "Ride the Beast, do not let it ride you."
      "Make not friends among the Poets, they till sing too much of you."
      "Be not known. Seek shadows."51
      "When the Cross has a point, find your safety."52
      "Take gently from women. Take directly from men. Take sweetly from children. Take haltingly from animals.
      From Kindred, share. From the Moon-Beasts, feast."
      "Be as a King: your sacred duty is to protect the weak and fight the mighty."

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    21. THE CHRONICLE OF SECRETS
      The Signs of Gehenna1
      Quiet! Hear the raven’s cry!
      The stillness of the wind rising hot on the street the towers hide the darkness of the day
      When Lasombra’s dreams-come true on the day when the moon runs as blood2
      and the sun rises black in the sky, that is the day of the Damned, when Caine’s children will rise again.
      And the world will turn cold and unclean things will boil up from the ground and great storms will roll, lighting
      will light fires, animals will fester and their bodies, twisted, will fall.
      So, too, our Grandsires will rise from the ground
      They will break their fast on the first part of us
      They will consume us whole
      On the second day, Caine will return
      And call his Children to the meeting place on the site of the First City he will beckon them, sitting on his basalt
      throne.
      And Caine will call aloud the names of those to be destroyed. for their crimes are too great and all those who
      have consumed the heart's blood of their sire will be brought before the Black Throne and made to drink of
      Caine's blood
      And Caine's blood will eat their blood
      And the Dark Mother3
      herself will be brought forth and there, in the valley of Enoch, will there be a battle a
      duel of Dark Father and Dark Mother
      The Demon Queen will bite deep
      The Damned King will bite deeper
      We will not know the thing which will happen, but the sky will tear apart, and the earth below
      And the forces of Hell will pour up out of the ground
      On the Third Day, there will be silence the crows will feed on the carrion plague will dance amongst the ruins
      the last of the Wild Ones will leave this place the last of the Moon-Beasts will fight and fall
      And the Antediluvians will make for themselves an Empire of Blood
      They will rule with iron talons
      They will wrench the hearts of all still alive
      And the full sum of the earth's living will come and live in the Last City, called Gehenna.
      And there will be a reign of one thousand years, and there will be no love, or life, or pity, the mighty will be as
      slaves the virtuous will be made foul every good gift, and every perfect gift will be tainted by the Father of
      Darkness, whose power will come from the nether realms.4
      When the snows consume the earth and the sun gutters like a candle in the wind then, and only then will thefe
      be born a woman, the last Daughter of Eve, and in her there will be decided the fate of all.
      And you will not know this woman, except by the mark of the Moon on her, and she will face treachery, hatred,
      and pain but in her is the last hope.5
      And you will know these last times by the Time of Thin Blood, which will mark vampires that cannot Beget,
      you will know them by the Clanless, who will come to rule6
      you will know them by the Wild Ones, who will hunt us even in the strongest city7
      you will know them by the awakening of some of the eldest, the Crone will awaken and consume all8
      you will know these times, for a black hand will rise up and choke all those who oppose it9
      and those who eat heart’s blood will flourish and the Kindred will crowd each to his own, and vitae will be as
      rare as diamonds1

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    22. Mark these signs, they are coming! Gehenna will be on earth.
      Mark the shadow which flies mark the dragon which rises11
      mark the darkness which moves
      mark the shadow of the moon
      mark the angel that dies
      mark the maiden who weeps
      mark the children
      Embraced
      mark the Clanless who run.
      And there will be a time when Sire will drive out Childer when Sire will abandon Childer to the sun’s mercy
      and there will be no mercy for the Clanless there will be no mercy for the Clanless, mongrel though they be
      upon their forgotten Sires shall be the curse of Auriel upon their hateful Sires shall be the curse that comes of
      crossing Caine upon their lazy Sires shall be the curse of the hunters hunted
      Those among the Clanless will have
      no path to follow
      no family to name
      no generation to hold
      no traditions to keep
      no customs to give
      no hospitality to give
      Why do you make these orphans?
      Why do you leave them in the street?
      They are the dark seed of our undoing
      they will band together with those who hate us
      they will follow Brujahs Childer
      they will make the blood run red
      they are going to kill the dead
      they are going to cat our kin
      they will scream and bash our doors
      they will cry aloud for justice
      Clanless, all, they will wash over our walls
      Clanless, all, they will know secret ways
      Clanless, all, they are Lilith's foul get
      Clanless, all, they are newly Awake
      Clanless, all! No family, no sign, no loyalty, no elder.12
      Beware those who walk without a clan, for they will be our undoing.
      Pity them! Adopt the orphans where you can.
      But watch them. In them is the bad seed of their Sire.

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    23. Of Love13
      And they asked Caine the old Father,
      "Why do you command us to not Embrace those we love?”
      And Caine said to them, "Love is the sweet rain which falls down from the One Above.
      Love is the gift of life.
      Remember ye not Auriel's Curse?
      That we are to eat only ashes, drink only blood?
      Blood is not sweet rain. Our drink takes Life."
      And then Caine's eyes got the look of Visions, and he quieted, then he spoke:
      "But if ever one of us is gifted with the love of a mortal without Command or Awe, without compulsion
      a Love given freely, then that Love will be as the gentle rain to even the lowliest of us.
      And though we shall not Embrace it,
      it will feed us as if we supped at our Father`s table
      it will satisfy our deepest thirst.
      But barken ye, my children!
      The Children of Seth will always hate us again and again, for we are their predators we are their Masters
      and they know this. deep in their soul.
      Look not for Love among them! They will not give it.
      Be not a fool."
      Of the Moon-Beasts
      "What of the Moon-Beasts who hunt us, Father? "
      "There will come a time, in the last days, when the Moon-Beasts will grow uneasy and
      they will be dying out like a sick wolf who must leave the pack
      they will fight rather than die sick and so
      they will find us and they will kill us.
      Mark ye well, the Clan of the Beast!
      For they will hold the key
      they will make the way of protection
      they will make the way of trickery
      they will make the way of peace”14
      The Time of Thin Blood
      There will come a time, when the
      Curse of the One Above will not be tolerated further when the Lineage of Caine will end
      When the Blood of Caine will be weak and there will be no Embracing for these Childer
      for their blood will run like water, and the Potence in it will wither
      Then, you know in this time that Gehenna will soon be upon you.1

      Delete

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