Lancea Sanctum
The Sanctified rejoice, for they know the truth: They are Damned. Those instruments of the Lord who are called to reveal the truth of this world to the living: It is a purgatory, and only by placing their faith in God, can they be saved. For nearly two thousand years, the Lancea Sanctum has stood strong as the spiritual center of the Kindred. Bringing them meaning and purpose through the Testament of Longinus. And they shall stand until judgement day.
A Sanctified City
For almost eight centuries, the Lancea Sanctum has served as the Second Estate to the Invictus. Bishops and priests blessed the Invictus Princes and Knights of Amsterdam, and provided spiritual counseling to the Unconquered. But things changed in the last winter of World War 2. Almost overnight, the Invictus seemed to disappear from the face of the earth, leaving the Sanctified to pick up the pieces. Severijn took the reigns of the city, fully aware, as most Sanctified are, of the bitterness their allies, the Unconquered must have felt. And still do. And they are not the only ones to resent Sanctified control over the nation's capital. It isn't immediately obvious to everyone, but Amsterdam is a city under siege. Spiritually and Politically
Relations
The Carthian Movement: The Carthians tend to trouble Conservative Sanctified, though all but the most stubborn Kindred will recognize the potential for conversion that the Movement represents. More progressive Sanctified might actively engage in proselytizing to these Kindred, but even they often find the Carthian movement’s aspirations misguided.
Still, the Sanctified of Amsterdam are justified in being cautious in regards to the Carthians, after all, they violently ended the Requiems of many Kindred, including Sanctified, with their revolt in 1805, a fact that the Prince will not let the Carthians forget when dealing with them. He has allowed them entrance back into the city in recent years, but has made it clear to the Covenant’s leaders that they must respect and maintain the Traditions and Laws of the Domain. Many see the current incarnation of the Movement in Amsterdam as the real test of the fledgeling Covenant’s future; will they manage to prevent themselves from descending into anarchic rabble and break the deal with the Prince? Or will they honor that agreement and become genuinely useful additions to Dutch Kindred society?
The Circle of the Crone: Few are the Sanctified who have any amount of love for the Pagan Acolytes, though the time of grand open warfare being waged between the two groups throughout the country is long gone. The Sanctified have instead turned inward in past centuries; preferring to work on the unity of the Covenant rather than call endless crusades against the Acolytes. Since the thirty year war, centuries ago, the Acolytes have lived on the fringes of mortal and Kindred society alike, their cults rarely existing in the open (though the city of Nijmegen is a prominent exception). In the 20th century however, with pagan revivalism as well as the rise of new-age religions such as Wicca, the Acolytes have enjoyed a great surge in membership, and have subsequently become more and more visible, seeking to be acknowledged into the greater society of the Damned once more.
The Invictus: When not in the presence of others, Sanctified might well discuss the potential threat of the Invictus, whom are undoubtedly planning to have Amsterdam revert back to Invictus rule. In public however, they tend to play up the ancient bonds between the two Covenants, and show a great deal of respect (which is certainly not faked by any Sanctified except the foolish and the young) towards prominent members of the First Estate. The Prince, nor other Sanctified in power, are particularly eager to get on the bad side of the Unconquered, and have made sure that the Invictus has more than it’s fair share of power in the Domain. By and large, the Sanctified of Amsterdam see the Invictus as their brethren, far closer kin than any of the other Covenants, but at the same time recognize that perhaps that closeness is what makes them all the more dangerous.
Resources and Additional Reading
History of the Sanctified in The Netherlands
Structure of the Sanctified in the Netherlands
Sanctified Sermons
They who are Sanctified
The Scions of the Sanctified (Status 4-5)
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Name: Antonius Severijn (NPC) Severijn is the Prince, and unparalled when it comes to the Theban Arts. Yet he has only a priest. Political realities prevent him from simply declaring himself Bishop. He can only be named Bishop by a formal decree from the Cardinal of Utrecht, who has so far not seen fit to do so. This has caused more than a few hardliners and members of Wesp's Monachal Creed to whisper in the dark. |
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Name: Cato Wesp (NPC) The Bishop of Amsterdam is regarded by many to be a sneaky bastard. Everyone but the members of his own congregation seems to suspect him of foul play, though nothing has ever been proven. Nobody questions his faith though. He is most assuredly a believer, and as Bishop and favourite of the Cardinal, someone to be shown respect and deference. That doesn't mean you don't have to watch your back around him though. |
The Revered Anointed (Status 3-4)
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Name: Johannes Berkhof (NPC) Berkhof is one of the eldest creatures in the city. And someone that few Sanctified want to spend any amount of time with. It's not just he's a Nosferatu (and a particularly nasty-looking one at that). But the fact that he's the grand-inquisitor. Rumors of his love for devicing the most torturous interrogation methods possible are commonplace, and a good incentive not to come under his scrutinizing gaze. |
The Anointed (Status 1-2)
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Name: Stefanie de Haan (NPC) Stefanie has only recently joined the ranks of the Ancillae, and has likewise only recently been given the position of Ostiary. In that capacity, she and the coterie of Kindred under her command, patrol the main routes into the city, in an effort to catch those Kindred who travel into the Domain without the proper permission. Many see her as an example of Clan Gangrel done *right*. She does not give in to her Beast with the wild abandon that others do, and posessive a remarkable degree of intelligence and wit. Others however, particularly amongst her own clan, view her as a chained beast, under the command of her superiors in the Spear, and neutered by her own strong Faith. |
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Name: Kirsten Stil-Zwart (NPC) Kirsten might just as well not exist, as far as most Kindred are concerned. Rarely, if ever showing up to court, and locked away in the Necropolis most nights, she's rarely seen. And even when she is, she seems to not be entirely present, speaking only when absolutely neccesary, and even no more than is needed. Her Sire, Johannes Berkhof, appointed her as the Keeper of the Bleak Annals in Necropolis early on in her Requiem, and only she seems capable of fully understanding that place and the information contained within. |
The Laity (Status 0-2)
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Name: Aloysia Cohenno (NPC) Amongst the older Ancillae in the Domain, it is often rumored that she was a prostitute in life, servicing men in the Jewish quarter of the city. They are rumors she neither confirms nor denies, seemingly thinking them irrelevant so long as they don't interfer with her duties as Seneschal, a position she was appointed to shortly after the Prince's ascension to the throne; her intelligence (of a surprising degree, considering her supposed background), talent for intrigue, and genuine-seeming faith having earned her his attention. |
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Name: Elizabetta-Lucia Sangiovanni (NPC) Twisted and depraved, the Sangiovanni seem to pop up like roaches more and more in the modern nights. As the Matriarch of the Sangiovanni coven in Amsterdam (and indeed, the rest of the country), Elizabetta-Lucia enjoys a greater deal of power and influence than her meagre status in her covenant and the court would indicate. She and her brood emerged in the Danse Macabre of the Netherlands in the late 19th century, and are an ever-present wildcard in the politics of the Dutch Requiem; Though she is officially a member of the Sanctified, few believe her to be a fervent believer, choosing instead to serve her own interests, or that of her family, first. |
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Name: Euginio Sangiovanni (NPC) Euginio shows up at mass, closes his eyes, and then goes on his way as soon as he gets a chance to slip out. It seems that, like his Sire, he's not much of a believer. Or rather, not a fervent one. Just another of the laity, coasting along on the power of the Church. People would dismiss him entirely, were it not for his blood. |
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Name: Decimus Quinctilius Curio (NPC) Decimus Quinctilius Curio…that's not his real name, of course. He adopted it either to honor the early nights of the Lancea Sanctum, or to closer fit in with that of his Sire, Didderic Regis Comitus; the details change each time he talks about it. Most Kindred of the city try to avoid him, due to a few nasty rumors going around that he might be Afflicted. It would certainly explain a thing or two about his behaviour. But then, at the same time, most people are afraid to openly voice their concerns; after all, his Sire is a powerful Elder of the First Estate, and likely to take exception to any insult regarding his Blood. |
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Name: Ricardo Seym (NPC) If there's one thing that Ricardo is known for, it's his violin, and the way he plays it. He performs frequently, when music is required for an Elysium affair, or even mass from time to time. The pieces he performs that have been especially written for performers using the celerity discipline are particularly impressive. |
