The Path of Cathari

Nickname: Albigensians

Virtues: Conviction and Instinct

Bearing: Seduction. The Cathari are temptation incarnate, and they have an uncanny knack for knowing the desires of others. The bearing modifier affects rolls to tempt and seduce others.

Basic Beliefs: The Path of Cathari sprang from the Catharist heresy of the Middle Ages. A dualistic philosophy, Cathar doctrine holds that the world was created in equal parts by a good (“light”) creator responsible for virtue and spirit, and an evil (“dark”) creator who fashioned the material world and its vices. The original Cathars believed the soul to be the root of all that is pure in humanity, while the material body was a shell in the corrupt physical world. Cathars pointed to the noble aspects of the spirit — compassion, sacrifice, honesty, and the like — as proof that the only true good lay in the ephemeral. The material world, with its suffering and misery, bore obvious flaws and imperfections. After much persecution, this dualistic doctrine vanished from the mortal world, crushed by papal declarations of heresy. Over the years, the vampires who favored tenets of the philosophy adopted it as their own.

According to the vampires who follow this Path, the undead are minions of the evil creator, given eternal existence to tempt others with the lures of the material world. Followers of the Path believe that they fulfill a destiny as creatures tied to the physical world through vampiric immortality. Because vampires have been denied the spiritual realms of death, the Albigensians reason that they must serve the vices of the physical realm. Therefore, they seek to spread evil and corruption, seeing iniquity as their natural state.

The Albigensians have perfected a code of evils in which to indulge, however. Theirs is not a Path of pointless amorality. Taking the beliefs of the original Cathar priests and twisting them, these vampires deliberately search for means of spreading evil. They pursue sins of greed, lust, and pride avidly. Cathars seek material wealth and comforts, and they encourage others to do the same. A vampire can serve his proper purpose only by embracing the flaws inherent to his form and to the world, and accepting his duties as a purveyor of vice. Followers of the Path of Cathari thus ironically find spirituality in depravity.

The Ethics of the Path

• Indulge in vice. Wealth, sensuality, and material power are hallmarks of the physical world.

• Lead others to temptation. It is your role to promote the depravity of the world.

• Grant the Curse of Caine to those with great passion. Undeath is an evil curse, but those with great conviction can use it well.

• The entire material world and its denizens are corrupt. Expect betrayal and wickedness.

• Your role as a creature of evil is predestined. Accept it and fulfill your purpose.

• Death simply leads to reincarnation. Mortals return after you kill them. However, you should avoid Final Death, since you will return as a mortal if you die.

History

The Path of Cathari grew out of the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade in the 13th century. The Man-icheanist beliefs in dualism influenced some members of the Church, leading to a 30-year war that many believe led to the creation of the mortal Inquisition. After Albigensian vampires resurfaced following the crusade, they developed this moral system out of the logical consequences of their philosophy, seeing vampires as tied to the mortal world and therefore purveyors of evil, while the spirits of humans possessed the only potential for good. Soon, many vampires took it upon themselves to fulfill their “duty” as providers of the mortal world’s corruption. Over the intervening years, the Path changed to include broader philosophies and less formal religious overtones. The Path continued to prove adaptable, keeping the core belief of vampires as traffickers in the vices of the material world. Quite a few vampires find purpose in the business of pleasure — and damnation.

Current Practices

The Albigensians lead others to temptation, despoil-ing the purity of the spirit. Neonates and elders alike can be found among the Albigensians. Many practitioners see the fast-paced, decaying modern world as a sign of success for the forces of the evil creator, and they seek out ever more challenging converts among mortals and vampires alike.

Description of Followers

Albigensians are hedonistic and impulsive, but they believe that they serve a purpose. The followers of this Path are not lazy; rather, they undertake their duties with fanatical abandon. Each Albigensian considers it his duty to embody the vices of the material world and to share those comforts and pleasures with others. The Cathari encourage others to explore their monstrous natures and to spread hedonism among mortals.

Following the Path