by James Seidel (Jul 94)
"The nosferatu do not die like the bee when he stings once.
His is only stronger; and being stronger, have yet more power to work evil.
This vampire which is amongst us is of himself so strong in
person as twenty men;
he is of cunning more than mortal, for his cunning be the growth of ages;
. . . he can direct the elements, the storm, the fog, the thunder;
he can command all meaner things; the rat, and the wolf; he can grow and
become small;
and he can at times vanish and come unknown.
How then are we to begin our strike against him?"
- from Bram Stoker's, Dracula.
"To avoid confusing our warriors with that soldiery which belongs to the Devil rather than God we will now speak briefly of the life these Knights of Christ lead on campaign or in the Convent, what it is they prize, and why soldiers of God are so different of those of the world."
- St Bernard of Clairvaux, De Laude Novae Militiae
All hope appears lost - with evil rampant in the Gothic Punk world. The control of the vampires is almost complete, with governments, churches, charities - all under their domination. But even in such a despairing and apathetic world there must be light: light enough to counter-balance the darkness. This light can be found in True Faith. Among the most devoted to restoring humanity's control over their destiny are the Church Knights. These mortal warriors of the Sword and the Word are blessed with Holy powers to give them a chance to change the world. But in game-play terms the Knights present an alternative and a tool. People uncomfortable with the role of Vampire may prefer that of righteous warrior. Vampires that have become too enamoured with their own power may become exposed to an opponent worthy of their fear. Nothing enforces the Masquerade more effectively than the threat of a Holy sword hanging above one's neck. Much emphasis is placed on the historical character of the Militant Orders. This is to facilitate game play in Medieval Times, when the Church Knights did not have to operate underground and enjoyed wide public and political support. Historical scenarios can be rich in mood and meaning - and serve to set the groundwork for contemporary scenarios. Most Vampire settings are in current times. Thus, a modern version of the Warriors of Christ is also presented. In both worlds, the Church Knights struggle to free the oppressed from the Cainite yolk. It is a daunting task, but those of the Sword have placed their fate in the hands of their God.