Custom Path of Enlightenment

THE PATH OF BROTHERHOOD

                Because brothers don't let each other wander in the dark alone.

                —Jolene Perry

                Nicknames: Brothers

                Basic Beliefs: Brothers gather those they would consider their family around them like a warm blanket. Anything or any one who would cause that family harm or distress is antithetical to the Brother's way of life and the tenets of the Path of Brotherhood. Highly protective, Brothers do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and success of their kin.

                The Path of Brotherhood centers around the pack mentality. This makes it immensely suitable for Sects such as the Sabbat, who already form themselves into small packs, but it can also be successful in the Camarilla where coteries struggle amongst themselves for power. This Path by no means, however, limits the pack mentality to a single small group or organization. Who is defined as being in the Brother's "pack" is a matter of personal interpretation for each follower, and one can quickly find that the seemingly unconnected person they assaulted one night has caused the Brother to hunt them the next.

                Brothers are by no means restricted in what they will do to ensure the survival, success, and victory of their pack. The wide gammot of murder, personal debasement, and influence among mortal society is all acceptable to a Brother with an agenda to fulfill. To them, there is no "good" or "evil"; only "with the pack" or "against the pack".

The Ethics of the Path

·Protect those important to you in all ways, for they are your pack and your kin.

·Treat your kin as good as, or better, than you would treat yourself.

·Fear prevents action. Overcome fear, in order to act in the best interests of your pack.

·Your beast is your closest kin. Let him free when his reign would not endanger your other kin, but restrain him when he would.

·Never break your word of honor to your kin.

·If a kin's actions endanger yourself or another of the pack, then remove them, for they are no longer your kin.

Virtues

                The Path of Brotherhood relies on the virtues of Conviction and Self-Control.

History

                The earliest followers of what would eventually become the Path of Brotherhood were the tribes of Western Africa. Tribal status made for an excellent environment for the Path to flourish, but the beginning of the slave trade in the 15th century stifled over three hundred years of success and brought the Path to an abrupt end. Many years later, in an attempt to reconcile his belief in both the Path of the Feral Heart and the Path of Honorable Accord within the Sabbat, a Serpent of the Light rediscovered it. As an Archbishop of the Sect, he took the wide view on the Path's beliefs, and now considers all Sabbat to be his pack.

Current Practices

                Brothers make their havens wherever it is most convenient for their pack. As the Path is found more commonly among the Sabbat in modern nights, most cities held by the Sect can profess at least one pack therein. While the Path isn't outright decried by the Camarilla, many of those who still cling to Humanity sneer at this Path and cause trouble for those who adhere to it, making most Camarillan cities unwise choices for a haven.

                Brothers in the same general area don't necessarily work together. What one Brother considers his pack can vary widely from that of another, and in many cases it is possible for those two packs to come into conflict. Ultimately, a Brother is responsible for the well-being of his own pack, and anyone else's be damned. On the occasions when two Brothers' agendas align, or even better, when their packs overlap, it is common for them to pool their resources to account for truly stunning displays of force and control within their environment.

Description of Followers

                To be a Brother is to take other's problems into account before your own. Self-sacrifice is a strange concept to most Cainites, so it can be difficult for many adherents to truly place others before themselves and most end up handling their pack's issues alongisde their own. By attaching themselves to a purpose, Brothers stave off the gnawing of the Beast upon their psyche.

                Brothers may come from any clan, but they are most commonly found among the Gangrel (both Country and City), Brujah Antitribu, Ventrue Antitribu, and Serpents of the Light. Since the Sabbat is founded on the principle of the pack, and such is the guiding philosophy behind the Path of Brotherhood, more members can be found within the Sword of Caine than any other Sect in the modern nights, although since its rediscovery is recent, that isn't saying much.

Following the Path

                Many Paths maintain scruples about how Cainites are allowed to pursue their goals. By comparison, the Path of Brotherhood has no such restrictions; rather, it provides the goal itself, one from which the Cainite must never waver. A follower of the Path should not let themselves be affected by things such as murder, diablerie, or torture, provided they are done for the pack. Conversely, there are moments when these things can be strictly prohibited, when they would cause potential harm to the Brother's kin.

                Common Abilities: With the success and safety of their pack in mind, Brothers can develop skills in a wide variety of fields, dependent upon what best serves their pack. A Brother in a large city environment may pick up stealth and streetwise, while those in more rural areas tend to learn Survival and Animal Ken pretty quickly. Regardless of surroundings, most Brothers possess an aptitude for Brawling, the better to defend their pack when push comes to shove.

                Preferred Disciplines: Most Brothers learn Animalism, viewing it as the best way to manipulate the beasts in others and prevent infighting amongst their kin. Potence and Dominate are also good choices, the former to defend their pack in times of crisis, and the latter to coax their pack's ambitions to life (or possibly cover up their mistakes).

The Path of Brotherhood Hierarchy of Sins

10. Turning down an invitation to a social gathering hosted by one of your kin

·Your pack must be supported in all ways. If they request your presence, oblige them.

9. Failing to engage or participate in a hunt with other kin when invited

·Communal activity brings the pack together. Fortify your bonds, so that they may never break.

8. Failing to uphold the shared precepts of your pack (ex. Camarilla - Blood Hunt, Sabbat - Diablerie)

·These are the laws by which the pack operates. Respect them as you respect your pack.

7. Refusing to remove one of your kin who endangers others of the pack

·True kin would not endanger their family. Those who do have lost the way, and must not remain.

6. Succumbing to frenzy when it would endanger your kin

·Although your Beast is your closest kin, it does not view your pack as such. It will harm them if it can, and this you must not allow.

5. Passing up a chance for personal power, or losing it, except to allow one of your kin to take it instead

·By growing stronger, you can better protect the pack. By growing the pack stronger, they can better protect each other.

4. Indiscriminate killing (killing without reason)

·Needless bloodshed strains the food supply and risks the safety of the pack. Every dead body is another chance at being caught.

3. Refusing to utilize whatever means necessary to protect your pack

·There is nothing you will not do towards the ends of your kins' safety.

2. Failing to show hospitality to your pack

·If one of your kin comes to you, treat him as if he were the best part of yourself, for he is.

1.  Refusing to pursue a threat to your pack or yourself unto destruction

·Those who survive, live to fight another day. Survive, and don't let your enemies live to fight you another day.