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The Testament of Longinus is the holy book of the Lancea Sanctum. It explains the origins of their faith, and charges them with the divine task of showing mortals the price of sin. Some of the book was allegedly written by Longinus, while other parts were written by The Monachus or unknown authors. Naturally, the Fog of Ages has made discovering the truth a nigh-impossible task.
Contents |
The Testament
The Testament of Longinus consists of five books: The Malediction of Longinus, The Torments of Longinus, The Rule of Golgotha, The Sanguinaria, and The Book of Eschaton.
The Malediction of Longinus
This book chronicles the life of the man who would become Longinus (his birth name is never given). Born to a prostitute named Livia, Longinus lived an extremely sinful life that left his predestined to strike Jesus Christ with the Spear of Destiny on that fateful day. During his life, Longinus violated each one of the seven deadly sins, which in egregious ways, which ultimately caused him to be present at Golgotha when Jesus was crucified, and to attack Jesus (his final sins, Sloth and Gluttony, respectively). Later, outside Jesus's tomb, Vashishtael confronted Longinus and explained the nature of the curse of damnation to Longinus.
The Torments of Longinus
This book describes how Longinus came to terms with his damnation, his embrace of The Monachus, and the founding of the Black Abbey. It tells of how Longinus came to accept the fact that he could feed from the blood of mortals (except Christians), and how eventually even their faith waned and no longer prevented him from feeding on them. It also tells of Longinus's journey to Europe, and the abbey of sinful monks that he happened upon and slaughtered (all save one, who would later become The Monachus). The choice that The Monachus made to be embraced is a pivotal part of the book, and is later echoed in the Third Canon. From there, the book goes on to describe the embrace of the Dark Apostles and the spread of the Lancea Sanctum's faith across Europe.
The Rule of Golgotha
This book contains the laws and precepts to govern Kindred society and morality. It is the shortest of the five books of the Testament, but it is perhaps the most important to the Lancea Sanctum's faith. Much of the book is later echoed in the Sanguineous Catechism. This is the book most often quoted by Kindred who are not members of the covenant.
The Sanguinaria
This book, while complicated and awkwardly-written at times, addresses the fate of the Dark Apostles as they spread the Sanctified faith across the world. Five of the Dark Apostles were murdered, and would later become the Black Saints of the Lancea Sanctum. In addition to this historical account, this book also contains philosophical treaties on damnation and vampirism in addition to proverbs and sayings attributed to The Monachus and Longinus.
The Book of Eschaton
This book contains cryptic prophecies spoken by Longinus to guide the Lancea Sanctum through the ages. In addition, this book also tells the Sanctified that those who survive until Judgment Day and fulfill the role God charged them with playing (namely, that of the Damned), will be allowed to seek absolution for their sins and, should their contrition be genuine, be welcomed into the Heaven. The book also cautions that those who seek absolution on their own (such as Golconda) will be guilty of the sin of Pride, and thus unwelcome in God's Kingdom.