The Cults of the Blood Gods discussion thread

[schwartzpedro]

Shalim is the Canaanite god of dusk, hence a Lasombra cult of Oblivion erecting itself around this figure. There's nothing relating to Judaism in the write-up of this cult, implicitly or explicitly, beyond the fact that some scholars believe the name "Jerusalem" stems from the word "Shalim".

Since I assume you missed it, I'll post here the most relevant parts of the Shalimite content:

1- Making one of the most proeminent figures of an Oblivion cult a Rabbi ( Rabbi Basaras)


2- As per Page 93:
"Gematria
They write using a coded cipher that involves translating their writings into numbers using the system of gematria. For that reason, all the coded letters are written in Hebrew and priests are required to learn it by rote to ensure their messages can be understood. These letters are often disguised as missives being sent to their distant sires or friends and it is not entirely strange for such correspondence to be encrypted, to preserve not only any secrets inside but also the Masquerade should the letters be intercepted."

3- As per Page 94:
"It is rare for cultists to identify themselves by such outward signs. Instead, they speak the phrase “Shin-lamed-mem” to identify themselves to each other. This simple greeting is unusual enough for cultists to recognize it without being suspicious to outsiders, since it is the root of the traditional Hebrew greeting, “shalom,” and of their cult’s eternal master."

As you probably have seen before , especially during the Corona crisis, on social media, the rise in anti-semitic content and posts. As it has been argued before, by characterizing a persecuted group in such a light, you are only giving ammunition to anti-semites (or anti-gay, or anti-woman,etc) to continue their rethoric.
I hope I dont need to show the obvious anymore.

[Dwight]

Just because a cypher is written in a language doesn't mean it's anti that language......

[Pleiades]

I think it's nice that they made them jewish,

I was getting tired of nihilistic cults always being Catholic or Indian (though I still like them),
and I liked that one jewish Lasombra abyss mystic in Mexico by Night

[The Gentleman Gamer]

Since I assume you missed it, I'll post here the most relevant parts of the Shalimite content:

1- Making one of the most proeminent figures of an Oblivion cult a Rabbi ( Rabbi Basaras)


2- As per Page 93:
"Gematria
They write using a coded cipher that involves translating their writings into numbers using the system of gematria. For that reason, all the coded letters are written in Hebrew and priests are required to learn it by rote to ensure their messages can be understood. These letters are often disguised as missives being sent to their distant sires or friends and it is not entirely strange for such correspondence to be encrypted, to preserve not only any secrets inside but also the Masquerade should the letters be intercepted."

3- As per Page 94:
"It is rare for cultists to identify themselves by such outward signs. Instead, they speak the phrase “Shin-lamed-mem” to identify themselves to each other. This simple greeting is unusual enough for cultists to recognize it without being suspicious to outsiders, since it is the root of the traditional Hebrew greeting, “shalom,” and of their cult’s eternal master."

As you probably have seen before , especially during the Corona crisis, on social media, the rise in anti-semitic content and posts. As it has been argued before, by characterizing a persecuted group in such a light, you are only giving ammunition to anti-semites (or anti-gay, or anti-woman,etc) to continue their rethoric.
I hope I dont need to show the obvious anymore.

1. Basaras is an example cult member and his Jewish faith has little to nothing to do with his being sucked into an Oblivion cult,
2. beyond his knowledge lending itself to giving the cult a cipher for coded communication.
3. See above. The cult appropriate another language and mangle it for their own purposes. They're not Jewish and don't claim to be Jewish.

Further, this cult was written before the COVID crisis.

I rarely have to bring this bear, but as someone of Jewish heritage myself, I'm confident this content isn't written as anti-semitic, and a character of Jewish background (before he was Embraced) is just as capable in Vampire of being murderous, nihlistic, or abusive as a former Christian, atheist, or [pick a religion]. A cult is just as capable of misusing Hebrew as it is Russian, Sanskrit, English, or [pick a language].

The World of Darkness contains characters who have fallen from faith, humanity, and God's grace, in many cases. People of Jewish faith aren't exempt from this, and this cult evilly uses Basaras as a means to further its ends without any consideration toward his mortal beliefs.

I hope this puts your mind at ease. If not, please submit your feelings to the errata form.

[schwartzpedro]

I think it's nice that they made them jewish,

I was getting tired of nihilistic cults always being Catholic or Indian (though I still like them),
and I liked that one jewish Lasombra abyss mystic in Mexico by Night

I also liked how they handled transexual people with the Wu-Keng too if you want to go that way

[Pleiades]

I also liked how they handled transexual people with the Wu-Keng too if you want to go that way

does that mean you're transphobic?

[CTPhipps]

I also liked how they handled transexual people with the Wu-Keng too if you want to go that way

You were asked to leave this thread and continued posting. I am banning you for one week. Please come back when you're done.

Or don't.

Guys, this thread has not been very productive. As much as I love Cults of the Blood Gods and appreciate Matthew Dawkins showing up, I think we need to either shut this down or really overhaul it.

So, any further issues and this will be locked.

[Matt the Bruins fan]

That might be for the best all around, as the impression is being strongly given that any critical opinion of the work being discussed will result in the ban hammer.

[CTPhipps]

That might be for the best all around, as the impression is being strongly given that any critical opinion of the work being discussed will result in the ban hammer.

I'm kind of hoping that people have something to talk about other than how much they hate Oblivion. Maybe the 20+ awesome cults in the book.

But I admit, if you want to bash a book, maybe the best place isn't the company's website.

Just Sayin.

[Japheth]

I'm kind of hoping that people have something to talk about other than how much they hate Oblivion. Maybe the 20+ awesome cults in the book.

But I admit, if you want to bash a book, maybe the best place isn't the company's website.

Just Sayin.

I must admit that I was surprised that Obtenebration and Necromancy was merged together, but with both Disciplines drawing the same type of energy from basically the same place, it makes sense that they did that.

Besides, the only new edition of any current ttrpg that I really would like to bash would be Shadowrun 6th Edition...... Now that's a ruleset that completely FUBAR.

[TakeoChan]

SR6 is rather nice ^^" then again, I can play the german Version from nice guy Pegasus...

Back to topic: My favourite from CotBG has to be the church of Caine. As I play a Malkavian catholic Priest with his own 'version' of the Church of Caine. It has a Bit more of catholicism in it. The sacraments are realy cool and helped me to recruit another of my fellow Players in the cult.

I use the shalimites in the Tokio chronicle I ST as some sort of perverted Budhism (bringing the nothingness of Nirvana to the World). The Fukuoka writeup was a real help with that.

The only rather.. shallow(?) Cult of the mayor ones would be the children of Michael as they are like some toreador on Steroids

[Japheth]

I especially like The Family Reunion (Dinner?).

[Grumpy RPG Reviews]

The combination of Obtenebration and Necromancy surprised me, but did not offend me - and also happened in a different book. I had thought of Obtenebration as closer to chimistry (just the "illusions" are simple and black and shadowy). But connecting it to necromancy works for me. I'm easy that way. I don't have a backers copy, because I'm not a backer, but I'm cautiously optimistic. That said, which of the cults which are arguably the most dangerous and Lovecraftian? That interests me more than some inverted Catholic Church gobbledygook.

[TakeoChan]

Its hard to define the most dangerous as you'd have to ask dangerous to whom. On a most Basic level I'd go with the church of Set, Bahari or Church of Caine. The first two have a long history of building their cult, with the Setites having infiltrated the Anarchs through the Ministry. As far as I see it, the Church of Caine is not the Path of Caine part of e.g. the Sabbath, but could subvert and anex them.
The award for most lovecraftian would go to the Shalimites. I'd argue theres nothing more lovecraftian than Worshipping a Herold/God of nothingness who wants to devour reality itself.

[trueann]

Sorry for stupid question, but did clans curse change for those who were embraced before the family reunion?