I'm presently debating doing another one of my articles for running the Sabbat in V5. However, I'm actually more interested in how to create a timeline for the events of the V20 Sabbat becoming the Sabbat of V5 as well as the consequences thereof.
Here's some ideas I've been exploring:
1. The Sabbat Civil War was won by the Loyalists
There's a joke that V5 has been everything coming up [strike]Milhouse[/strike] Anarchs and that is interesting to explore as a concept applying to the Sabbat as well. The Sabbat Civil War predicted in BJD could have ended with the Loyalists making another play for control of the Sabbat. It's very possible that the Antitribu "won" this round and instituted a bunch of reforms based around their ideas of how the Sabbat should proceed.
* All of us are Antitribu. There are no Clans among us.
* The Path is a much bigger focus of our lives.
* A focus on the pack at the expense of the national
* A maximization of freedom at the expense of territory and hierarchy.
* A renewed focus on the war against the Ancients.
2. The False Black Hand was defeated
The Special Forces of the Sabbat was something we learned were compromised completely by the True Hand and Jalan Aajav was going to war within his own faction in order to purge them from his ranks. This actually might be the start of the Gehenna War. After all, what would be a more accurate target for the Black Hand's wrath than the True Hand that worships Enoch and the Middle East? Unfortunately, with the rise of Ur-Shulgi, defection of the Assamite Warriors back to Alamut, and the fact the True Hand in V20 is NOT silly then its entirely possible Jalan lost this battle. The Black Hand was defeated and forced either underground or disbanded due to the tremendous casualties they suffered. They might also have had a number of their members Beckoned themselves.
Also, as much as I love the SI, I fully believe that it would be the True Hand manipulating them that resulted in Jalan's execution. The remaining True Hand proceeded to become the Servitors of Irad and Children of Enoch from the Blood Cults books.
3. Polonia was the last Regent
Going with 1#, Polonia managed to persuade a huge chunk of the Loyalists to rally behind him and the Gehenna War because that was the only way to direct the angry masses of Panders, Antitribu, and other rabble. However, what he intended as a snipe hunt became an all-consuming war once they arrived and ended up battling so many Elders summoned by Methuselahs in the Middle East as well as Ur-shulgi's armies.
Polonia was one of the Regents to die by violence, possibly killed by the Lasombra Antediluvian himself, and thus the Sabbat were once more leaderless. At that point, though, no single Cardinal could forward themselves as an alternative and were already engaged in battle with so many other Elders.
4. The Gehenna War is multiple fronts
The Gehenna War has multiple enemies:
* The Shepherds of Ur-Shulgi and other Loyalist Assamites
* The Ashirra
* The Elders Beckoned to the Middle East and Northern Africa who didn't disappear. They were summoned and fight anywhere their Masters compelled them.
* The Camarilla (which is the same people they've always been fighting)
* The remains of the True Hand who are still pretty potent Elders and now have the aid of Moloch's Baali.
* Places where ancients were spotted like Russia and going after Baba Yaga's childer along with the Crone herself (who probably used Obfuscate and/or Dominate to escape the Nictuku)
Destroying someone like Menele is a pretty huge commitment of resources for the Sabbat even if they succeed.
5. The Gehenna War is going well-ish
One of the biggest issues the Sabbat have ever faced is the fact that it is actually quite hard to find and fight vampires hidden across cities. The Gehenna War, by contrast, is quite easy to find 1000+ year old vampires who seem to be coming out of the woodwork to do battle. Almost like they have been summoned to kill and die by forces that feed on violence rather than just vitae (ahem). In the past 15 years, the Sabbat have destroyed dozens of Methuselahs of both the 4th as well as 5th generation. Arguably as many as they've destroyed in the past 600.
Their casualties have been IMMENSE. Much of their Ancilla population and countless Neonates have been destroyed but it has permanently changed the Jyhad. At least as far as they're concerned.
6. Abandoning territory was a strategic decision
The Camarilla broke virtually every one of their own self-stated rules by giving the Second Inquisition massive amounts of information on Sabbat strongholds thorughout the New World. It was a stupid and short-sighted decision that certainly solidfied the SI's impresion "blanks" were incontrovertibly evil as well as real. However, it also failed to do what the Camarilla thought. Yes, the Sabbat have abandoned Mexico, Montreal, and most other major cities. However, this is because they're an army of the march. Sabbat now "live off the land" and have far less need for domain than typical Kindred. It has also resulted in the Camarilla overstretching itself.
It still does hold SOME territory but its consolidation in those cities is to provide money, IDs, and other things. It only need about 20% of its former territory because it's focused on all out war.
7. The Sabbat leadership has pulled back
The percentages of shovel-headed brainless cannon fodder to genius eldritch priests of darkness has shifted a bit but it's not been lost. Basically, the Sabbat have a substantial number of "armchair generals" who are the ones pulling the strings on their army of zerg. Vykos and the False Lucita are just some of them but they are in no danger of being the brainwashed stooges that other Sabbat are stereotyped as.
The shovelheads have gone from, say, 20% of the Sabbat ranks to 60% but it doesn't matter because they're disposable minions from beginning to their end. The remaining 40% are protected by their "essential" positions and carrying out the sect's real business.
8. The defections are not ideological
This is just me but virtually every Lasombra defector is stil on a Path and there's no plans to change. They just claim to be "human" and carry on their previous beliefs in secret. The Sabbat who have defected whether Vasantasena (who recognized what it was becoming and failed to save it) or the Lasombra generally did so because they recognized the Sabbat no longer had a place for them. They are practical not ideological. Indeed, the Camarilla and Anarchs have both become a LOT more Sabbat-like due to the defections rather than the opposite.
Against the rules or not there's a bunch of Path followers in the Anarchs and Camarilla now.
9. The Inquisition was betrayed
Lucita's faction of Sabbat reformists were primarily based around the Inquisition and those who wanted to make sure the Sabbat's principles of freedom as well as fighting the Antediluvians plus other supernatural evils were carried on. The True Hand (now corrupted by the Baali), Shaitan, Montreal, or Mary the Black may have been the parties behind it but whatever the result was the Inquisition was the first against the wall when the revolution came.
Who profited from the destruction of one of the Sabbat's oldest and most venerable institutions? Is Lucita dead? Who is the fake Lucita? Vykos herself? Veyla? Gratiano? The Sybil? A revived Melinda Gailbraith?
10. The Vinculum SHOULD have stopped the Lasombra defection
It didn't. Indeed, Sabbat loyalists (small l) like Talley didn't show any hesitation.
Why?
Here's some ideas I've been exploring:
1. The Sabbat Civil War was won by the Loyalists
There's a joke that V5 has been everything coming up [strike]Milhouse[/strike] Anarchs and that is interesting to explore as a concept applying to the Sabbat as well. The Sabbat Civil War predicted in BJD could have ended with the Loyalists making another play for control of the Sabbat. It's very possible that the Antitribu "won" this round and instituted a bunch of reforms based around their ideas of how the Sabbat should proceed.
* All of us are Antitribu. There are no Clans among us.
* The Path is a much bigger focus of our lives.
* A focus on the pack at the expense of the national
* A maximization of freedom at the expense of territory and hierarchy.
* A renewed focus on the war against the Ancients.
2. The False Black Hand was defeated
The Special Forces of the Sabbat was something we learned were compromised completely by the True Hand and Jalan Aajav was going to war within his own faction in order to purge them from his ranks. This actually might be the start of the Gehenna War. After all, what would be a more accurate target for the Black Hand's wrath than the True Hand that worships Enoch and the Middle East? Unfortunately, with the rise of Ur-Shulgi, defection of the Assamite Warriors back to Alamut, and the fact the True Hand in V20 is NOT silly then its entirely possible Jalan lost this battle. The Black Hand was defeated and forced either underground or disbanded due to the tremendous casualties they suffered. They might also have had a number of their members Beckoned themselves.
Also, as much as I love the SI, I fully believe that it would be the True Hand manipulating them that resulted in Jalan's execution. The remaining True Hand proceeded to become the Servitors of Irad and Children of Enoch from the Blood Cults books.
3. Polonia was the last Regent
Going with 1#, Polonia managed to persuade a huge chunk of the Loyalists to rally behind him and the Gehenna War because that was the only way to direct the angry masses of Panders, Antitribu, and other rabble. However, what he intended as a snipe hunt became an all-consuming war once they arrived and ended up battling so many Elders summoned by Methuselahs in the Middle East as well as Ur-shulgi's armies.
Polonia was one of the Regents to die by violence, possibly killed by the Lasombra Antediluvian himself, and thus the Sabbat were once more leaderless. At that point, though, no single Cardinal could forward themselves as an alternative and were already engaged in battle with so many other Elders.
4. The Gehenna War is multiple fronts
The Gehenna War has multiple enemies:
* The Shepherds of Ur-Shulgi and other Loyalist Assamites
* The Ashirra
* The Elders Beckoned to the Middle East and Northern Africa who didn't disappear. They were summoned and fight anywhere their Masters compelled them.
* The Camarilla (which is the same people they've always been fighting)
* The remains of the True Hand who are still pretty potent Elders and now have the aid of Moloch's Baali.
* Places where ancients were spotted like Russia and going after Baba Yaga's childer along with the Crone herself (who probably used Obfuscate and/or Dominate to escape the Nictuku)
Destroying someone like Menele is a pretty huge commitment of resources for the Sabbat even if they succeed.
5. The Gehenna War is going well-ish
One of the biggest issues the Sabbat have ever faced is the fact that it is actually quite hard to find and fight vampires hidden across cities. The Gehenna War, by contrast, is quite easy to find 1000+ year old vampires who seem to be coming out of the woodwork to do battle. Almost like they have been summoned to kill and die by forces that feed on violence rather than just vitae (ahem). In the past 15 years, the Sabbat have destroyed dozens of Methuselahs of both the 4th as well as 5th generation. Arguably as many as they've destroyed in the past 600.
Their casualties have been IMMENSE. Much of their Ancilla population and countless Neonates have been destroyed but it has permanently changed the Jyhad. At least as far as they're concerned.
6. Abandoning territory was a strategic decision
The Camarilla broke virtually every one of their own self-stated rules by giving the Second Inquisition massive amounts of information on Sabbat strongholds thorughout the New World. It was a stupid and short-sighted decision that certainly solidfied the SI's impresion "blanks" were incontrovertibly evil as well as real. However, it also failed to do what the Camarilla thought. Yes, the Sabbat have abandoned Mexico, Montreal, and most other major cities. However, this is because they're an army of the march. Sabbat now "live off the land" and have far less need for domain than typical Kindred. It has also resulted in the Camarilla overstretching itself.
It still does hold SOME territory but its consolidation in those cities is to provide money, IDs, and other things. It only need about 20% of its former territory because it's focused on all out war.
7. The Sabbat leadership has pulled back
The percentages of shovel-headed brainless cannon fodder to genius eldritch priests of darkness has shifted a bit but it's not been lost. Basically, the Sabbat have a substantial number of "armchair generals" who are the ones pulling the strings on their army of zerg. Vykos and the False Lucita are just some of them but they are in no danger of being the brainwashed stooges that other Sabbat are stereotyped as.
The shovelheads have gone from, say, 20% of the Sabbat ranks to 60% but it doesn't matter because they're disposable minions from beginning to their end. The remaining 40% are protected by their "essential" positions and carrying out the sect's real business.
8. The defections are not ideological
This is just me but virtually every Lasombra defector is stil on a Path and there's no plans to change. They just claim to be "human" and carry on their previous beliefs in secret. The Sabbat who have defected whether Vasantasena (who recognized what it was becoming and failed to save it) or the Lasombra generally did so because they recognized the Sabbat no longer had a place for them. They are practical not ideological. Indeed, the Camarilla and Anarchs have both become a LOT more Sabbat-like due to the defections rather than the opposite.
Against the rules or not there's a bunch of Path followers in the Anarchs and Camarilla now.
9. The Inquisition was betrayed
Lucita's faction of Sabbat reformists were primarily based around the Inquisition and those who wanted to make sure the Sabbat's principles of freedom as well as fighting the Antediluvians plus other supernatural evils were carried on. The True Hand (now corrupted by the Baali), Shaitan, Montreal, or Mary the Black may have been the parties behind it but whatever the result was the Inquisition was the first against the wall when the revolution came.
Who profited from the destruction of one of the Sabbat's oldest and most venerable institutions? Is Lucita dead? Who is the fake Lucita? Vykos herself? Veyla? Gratiano? The Sybil? A revived Melinda Gailbraith?
10. The Vinculum SHOULD have stopped the Lasombra defection
It didn't. Indeed, Sabbat loyalists (small l) like Talley didn't show any hesitation.
Why?
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