Lancea Sanctum
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The Lancea Sanctum is a fictional group of vampires in the Vampire: The Requiem role-playing game. They are followers of Longinus, the Roman soldier who, according to Christian mythology, speared the side of Christ as he hung on the cross. (The name Lancea Sanctum refers to the Holy Lance wielded by Longinus.) According to the Lancea Sanctum's own account of events, some of Christ's blood fell on Longinus, granting him eternal life, but also cursing him to walk only at night, and to drink the blood of mortals. The Lancea believe they were Chosen by God to act as His enforcers among the Undead.
- "That though you are Damned, your Damnation has purpose. It is the will of God that you are what you are, and the will of God is that the Damned exist to show the evils of turning from Him. The evil become Damned; God has taken those worthy of His love to His own side."
- —Testament of Longinus, Vampire: The Requiem
The Sanctified, as they are commonly known, are zealots whose mission is to bring all vampires to the will of God. Unlike their mortal counterparts, however, the Sanctified do not feel that they are on a mission of redemption. Rather, the Sanctified explain that their state as monsters clearly indicates that their divine purpose is one of holy terror. Sanctified Kindred therefore exalt their undead state, and consider it heretical to suppress one's vampiric urges or nature (a belief that leads directly to friction with the Circle of the Crone and the Ordo Dracul). The main focus of this belief stems from the Sanctified document called the Testament of Longinus, ostensibly a semi-Biblical account of Longinus' wanderings and philosophies after his transformation.
While many other Kindred would be inclined to dismiss the Sanctified as deranged religious zealots, the Lancea Sanctum has two very effective means of backing its dogma: First, the covenant's extreme age means that it has many allies, especially among the Invictus, who consider themselves the nobility to the Sanctified's priestly role; and second, the use of Theban Sorcery, a strange practice of invoking "dark miracles" that supposedly show the wrath of God. The maledictions of Theban Sorcery show a decidedly Biblical slant - causing beetles to swarm from the mouths of liars, for instance. Sanctified claim that this theurgy is further proof of the legitimacy of their divine mission, although the Circle of the Crone might argue that any Kindred could devise knacks for a range of trickery with the magic inherent to the vampiric condition.
The Testament of Longinus is composed of five books. The Malediction of Longinus: A history of Longinus’ life, from birth through damnation. The Torments of Longinus: The story of Longinus’ Requiem, including the Embrace of the Monachus and the foundation of the Black Abbey. The Rule of Golgotha: A collection of laws and precepts describing the proper behavior and morality of Sanctified vampires, collectively referred to as the Rule. The Sanguinaria: The tale of the first Dark Apostles, including the Five Martyrs. The Book of Eschaton: Cryptic verses of prophecy foretold by Longinus.
Divisions inside the Lancea Sanctum Creeds: Sub-sects within the Lancea Sanctum, usually based on the teachings or writings of a Sanctified vampire with progressive or alternative interpretations of the Testament of Longinus. Many are small, limited to just one or two parishes. Mentioned are the Monachal Creed (more than half of the Sanctified belong to this Creed), the Westminister Creed, the Tollison Creed and others such as the Iblic Creed (Muslims), the Dammitic Creed (Jewish) and the Exotheists. Factions: Political divisions within the Lancea Sanctum. Examples are the Hardlines, the Proselytizers, the Unifiers, the Neo-Reformists and the Mendicants. Minor factions include the Exorcists, the Godslayers and the Monastics.
The term "Lancea Sanctum" is questionable Latin, as lancea is a feminine noun, but sanctum is a neuter form. A more correct construction would be Lancea Sancta.
