The Lancea et Sanctum

Read Blood and Smoke for an exploration of the Lancea et Sanctum mindset and covenant aims. Our notes below give an idea of how they will function socially and politically within Dark Metropolis.

Please bear in mind that these are still early notes and are not set in stone, especially as more setting information becomes available from White Wolf. However, we do not anticipate deviating from these notes drastically when we run Dark Metropolis.

The Lancea at Sanctum

The Sanctified, the Second Estate

Mask: The historians and scholars of Kindred society, doing God’s work

Dirge: The dark morality of the Kindred, loyal only to tradition and stability

Who Are They?

The Lancea et Sanctum (the chapel and spear) are the organised church of Kindred society.  They believe the Embrace is damnation, but a Kindred’s unlife can be turned to a holy purposes by doing God’s work - no matter what dark purpose that might be.  They act as the archivists and librarians of Kindred society, keeping records and histories of dating back centuries.

Or at least that’s what the upper ranks do.  Down on the streets of the Dark Metropolis, it’s all a little more chaotic than that.  It’s less the rarefied atmosphere of delicate politics, and more footsoldiers for God and punk street preachers bringing the Testament of Longinus to anyone who’ll listen. 

Where Did They Come From?

Ever a religious city, the history of the Lancea et Sanctum in Norwich mirrors the fortunes of the mortal church.  The Sanctified can trace their history in Norwich back to its Norman foundations and have shepherded its population, Kindred and kine alike, since then.

They are a constant pillar of tradition to the city, and have firmly earned their title among the Invictus as the Second Estate.  However, this isn’t to say they’re staunch supporters of the Invictus, but rather tradition and stability…

They’ve also been the constant prickle of paranoia among the Kine, the feeling of being watched in the dark, a cautionary tale in the making for those who stray from the path.  God may see all of your sins, but the Sanctified try their hardest to keep a catalogue of them as well.

What Do They Want?

To preach.  They act as a conscience for the Kindred, and a danger in the darkness for the kine.  They welcome members of other Covenants to their services, so they may too see God’s purpose for the Kindred and know they are Damned.

To uphold tradition.  The Lancea et Sanctum work to try and preserve the old ways, the ways things should be (or at least how the Sanctified believe they should be).  When the Lancea et Sanctum act, it’s to preserve the status quo, or remove a chaotic element from their plans.  A Prince comes to power through their political acumen, charisma or martial strength.  A Prince stays in power with the support of the Lancea et Sanctum.

To study.  Rare is the Sanctified who is not a scholar in at least one field.  They search out historical documents, and curate the largest vampiric libraries and archives the city has.  The Sanctified are the guardians of Kindred history - although at times they’re not above rewriting the history books.

What Do They Do?

The Lancea et Sanctum believe they are the thorn (or even perhaps, the spear) in the side of the mortal church.  They act to test the faithful, and remove the weak or sinful from the flock.  Fear is a potent tool in inspiring faith, and temptation an easy lure for those who would stray.  But the Sanctified’s efforts aren’t just limited to the mortal world.  The act as a morality for the Kindred, reminding them that there is only purpose in their damned state if they seek to work God’s will.

To help them improve Kindred society, they seek stability.  The Lancea et Sanctum work hard to maintain the traditions of Kindred society (at least the ones they approve of) and preserve the Masquerade.  They’re not above burning books, hiding diaries or fabricating evidence to support a prominent Kindred who works to maintain Kindred society.  Equally, they have large archives and long memories to dig out dirty little secrets or past misdeeds when Kindred start to rock the boat.  The Sanctified’s support is key for any Kindred to become Prince in Norwich, something that all of the members of the High Court are well aware of…

Of course, there’s a big gap between the High Court and Low Court Sanctified.  The High Court style themselves as lofty scholars, advisers to those in power, and a channel to God to hand our damnation or absolution.  The less charitable describe them as meddlers and puppet masters, bending the High Court to fit their vision of Kindred Society regardless of the cost.  Either way, the Lancea et Sanctum of the High Court don’t rule, but they like to think they have influence over every aspect of Kindred society.  No-one can deny they’ve got a lot of sway...

In the Low Court, it’s more of a struggle.  The politics of the street is a far more mercurial thing than in the High Court, and it’s frequently resolved in a more brutal fashion.  Speaking to the souls of your fellow Kindred is all well and good, but do they really care if they don’t know where the next drop of Vitae is coming from?  And the elders never seem to run out of seemingly random little tasks for the Low Court Sanctified to do.  Tonight you’re stealing and burning some financial papers, tomorrow you’ll be exhuming a body from one grave and burying it in the plot next door.  Last week saw you negotiating hard with the owner of a pawn shop for an old VHS player covered in marker-pen scrawled scripture at the Bishop’s request.  You know better than to ask why - just get the job done, and know that you’re doing God’s work - but you can’t help but be curious...

Development Notes

The Lancea et Sanctum have had a significant shift in focus between Vampire: the Requiem and Blood and Smoke.  There’s a much greater emphasis on tradition and curating knowledge than before, although elements of this may be more familiar to Shades of Norwich players who interacted with Lancea Sanctum NPCs in Ely and beyond.

They’re also have less of a mystical focus than before.  While Theban Sorcery is still a core element of the Covenant, they’re less focused on the occult than before, except where it overlaps with their social or religious interests.  The Ordo Dracul and Circle of the Crone are the mystics of this setting, while the Sanctified are the historians and preachers.  This isn’t to say that there won’t be conflicts between these groups - we’re aiming to pack as much potential IC conflict and tension in as we can - but by default the Dragons and Sanctified won’t be fighting too much over who gets the arcane amulet and who gets the elder’s Requiem diary.

It’s also worth mentioning that we see the Lancea et Sanctum being separate from, but complementing the mortal church.  You won’t see the Sanctified preaching directly to mortal flocks, but they will be watching saints and sinners alike from the shadows to prove their worth or tempt them into damnation.

Questions to think about with Sanctified characters

Which comes first for you - faith or tradition?  While the Sanctified value both highly, there’s a big difference between the preacher filled with zeal evangelising to his fellow Damned or the more pragmatically, politically minded members of the covenant.

What do you study?  Not every Sanctified is a historian, but almost all of them have an area of scholarly expertise - be it art, medicine, politics, sociology, literature or a science.

What have you done for the Lancea et Sanctum?  No Low Court Sanctified sits idle, and you’ll have done something you don’t understand or something regret at some point to be welcomed into the fold.