Circle of the Crone

From SuspireWiki

“The gods who keep you company

are hardly more important than

the company you keep.

Pick the wrong friends tonight

and you’ll meet your gods before you’re ready.”

---

The Circle is a secretive and mystic group of Kindred, holding its own belief about vampiric nature and even its own Discipline. The so-called Acolytes believe that vampires make up a natural part of the world and can learn, grow, and find enlightenment instead of wallowing in the guilt-ridden angst of other groups, which focus on penance. Therefore, members of the Circle of the Crone often find themselves dismissed as political outcasts and heretics of vampiric existence, especially by the more religious Kindred. The Circle believes that creation is power. Vampires must face their static condition and overcome it by creating and cultivating whatever they can. Acolytes also cherish testing themselves, believing that only by overcoming their physical, mental and spiritual limitations can they become something more than creatures of the night. This belief can also lead to persecution, as their strange rituals of testing can seem barbaric and even unholy to some Kindred.

Benefit: Members of the Circle of the Crone may learn Crúac. This Discipline is a form of blood sorcery based on pagan rituals and observances.

taken with permission from :: ordodracul.com ::

Contents 1 House Rules 1.1 Blood of the Gods 1.2 Factions 1.3 Cruac Rituals 2 Crone Important Links 3 Covenant Ascendancy Information 4 Current Faction Views 4.1 Views of the other Covenants

House Rules

Blood of the Gods

For purposes of our game, we have decided to take the Blood of the Gods inset from the Circle of the Crone book (pg. 41) and utilize this in a manner for the Crone to find and use what the Ordo Dracul refer to as "nests".

However, because we don't want people to confuse the Ordo Dracul's methods (see the Ordo Dracul section below if you want more information on theirs) with the Circle of the Crone's, we have comprised a different terminology and system for players to use when they look into and for places of the Gods' manifestation. We are not, however, allowing these areas to be places of "visions" and "divinations" - that is why we are allowing this alternative system:

Tombs - equivalent to the Ordo Dracul's "Haunts".
Groves - equivalent to the Ordo Dracul's "Fontals".

Finding Tombs and Groves
Requires an Occult Specialty in "Tombs and Groves" or "Places of Power".
Use the same rules as Finding Wyrm's Nests for the Ordo Dracul, except, use Wits instead of Intelligence, due to the fact that their system is more intuitive than scientific.

Finding Leylines
Use the exact same requirements and rules as the Ordo Dracul's Finding Leylines.

Factions

The Sipan are not approved for usage in our game.

Cruac Rituals

Cruac Rituals approved can be found on the House Rules' Ritual List.

Crone Important Links

• Category:Circle of the Crone Supplemental
• Circle of the Crone Player Characters
  • Category: Circle of the Crone Titles
  • Make-Your-Own Pagan Rite

Covenant Ascendancy Information

Circle members find it very easy to develop small groups of mortal followers. Most of these people are typically convinced that they’re involved in nothing more than a pagan worship circle. By making requests for help in ritual research or observances, a Circle member can use these mortals to help out with large rites (provided they don’t violate the Masquerade), or to perform tedious and mundane research and acquisition of materials involved in rites. This is represented in a few ways, systematically. Those followers performing research or other tasks are assumed to have 5 dice for doing them. Teamwork rules can apply, but only as many followers as the Acolyte has Covenant Status plus one may be used for the teamwork rolls. This is also represented by Occult Allies 1. Additionally, without the common-struggle for power, the Acolytes have more time to devote to ceremonies and ritualistic practices, thus, the ascendant Crones may purchase one ritual at half experience cost per month of ascendancy (but must be purchased within that month - months don't stack or "roll-over").

Current Faction Views

The Acolytes in Atlanta are forward looking and subtle. There is a concerted effort to present the city with a more balanced view of what exactly it is they do than the assortment of rumors and Lancea propaganda that dominates the opinions of most outsiders. The Circle has a genuine fear of crossing the line into evangelism, which stunts and slows this effort, but still, an opening of sorts is on the agenda, and it's increasingly apparent to the city.

Views of the other Covenants

Carthian Movement: Why even bother with the Carthians? For all their whining and political rhetoric, they haven't managed to actually do anything besides breach the Masquerade and play at being harpies. We'll just wait to see if they fall under their self-imposed Tribulations or actually pull themselves together enough to create something worthwhile.	Invictus: For a covenant built on the beliefs that they're the landed aristocracy, the First Estate is surprisingly pleasant to be around. Of course, we're probably just a means to an end but for now we'll play along. That's not to say we won't be just a little heartbroken when they inevitably leave us for their first love, the Sanctified.
Lancea Sanctum: The Sanctified are growing, slowly, but surely. Even worse, they aren't nearly as useless as the last bunch. We'll wait for them to make their move and with the gods favor, they'll overreach and be humbled once more. Will the Circle be the one to bring down the rod this time?	Ordo Dracul: The Dragons have the praxis. The Dragons have our Tombs and Groves. The Dragons have the power. But the Dragon's are notoriously bad at holding praxis in Atlanta. We will wait and honor our gods while the Dragons try to play at being their own. When the hammer falls, we'll build a temple over their ashes and show Atlanta what true divinity looks like.
Unaligned: Most unaligned believe they have no covenant by choice, but the reality is most unaligned are unaligned by default. Still, the Circle won't refuse those who generally wish to honor the gods with both Tribulation and Creation. The trials they'll have to face to prove their devotion will be terrible, however. The gods favor the bold, the brave, and the devout.