CHAPTER 5 & APPENDIX I: Templates & NPC's (aka, Players & Haters)

About Angellis Ater, the path of Hevenly Abode and Monçada:
As you can all see there is a paragraph dedicated to Monçada right before the description of the Angelis Alter in Gattison's post. I believe it's made on purpose (especially how they describe his silence about the theological debate):
1) Monçada have alway had strong ties in the church and the inquisition (cf. Cb Lasombra 1ed)
2) The Angellis Ater are known followers of the Road of Night. Imho they might be the one following the version called Path of Heavenly Abode... It fits perfectly the pattern.
3) Don't you find it strange that someone like Monçada doesn't follow the Road of Night, the Righteous Path of Night or even the Path of Night since:
_He is supposed to have developed the path of Night (see Children of the Night)
_He is known for being one of the model for the path of the Righteous Night (Cb Lasombra p.68)
_He is a true believer (true faith 3)
And WW tells us he is following the Path of Power and Inner Voice developed by Lord Marcus and refined by Lord Alexandre of the Lasombra clan?
That doesn't makes any sense... or does it ?

Other related facts:
At the time Monçada was embraced, there was only 2 Roads available for Lasombra members of the Church. (I'm guessing that if you read the Assamite clan novel you don't believes he's following humanity of the regular Road of Heaven)
_The Road of Night: Your Damnation is the way other will find redemption through Fear and Pain
_The Path of Heavenly Abode: same as above + when redeemed kill them.
The latter is what might have been the path of the first Angellis Ater.

Angellis Alter have been known to escape the inquisition someway by having contact into the church... The kind of contact someone as Monçada might have. There is also a rumor that some Infernal powers have ground in the inquisition...

The following is me connecting dots:
from what's above, it seem to me that Monçada might be an Angellis Ater
The Road of Night is bringing more and more criminals into it's rank (its part of their beliefs to embrace only those who are beyond redemption cf DA companion)
Monçada is having true faith + the position of a confessor: It seem at the time his Road is close to the Road of Night or even to the Path of Heavenly Abode... (He's using his position to gain access to personal secrets he uses later, and the modern version of the Path of Night is clearly more inclined toward being evil and killing than )
Moncada have some special links with the church... He might even be one of the Angellis Ater (protecting them from the church).
When the Sabbat is created Monçada slowly twist the Road of Nigh into something closer to his beliefs: the path of Night.
Imho, that happend in 2 time:
1)From the part: Your Damnation is the way other will find redemption through Fear and Pain
It became: You are fallen angel and you should be proud of your actions as they are holly
2)From the Part: when redeemed kill them
it became: when you want kill them

That correspond to the passage between the Road of Night dedicated to serving god's big scheme, and the modern Path of Night centered on killing.

Quote :

Hell as a political tool (see Hannah Arendt: what is Authority ?)
The Myth of Hell for Plato is a political tool that was used latter on by the Christian religion. It was designed to replace - for those who were not educated enough - the persuasive force of logic by the strength of fear.
Its one of the philosophical origin of the political usage by the church of secrecy and lies.
If you see through it, for Christian hell is not in the afterlife: it's this world! And only through your actions you can go to Heaven. The judgment day is not the day where everything will go Wrong, on the contrary its the day when Satan will be vanquish. It is the day when the world will become perfect, arranged according to logic - the good will be put in the right place as well as the criminals will be punished - In a word: Ideal. On the contrary Matter is the source of the error in the world - since without matter, everything would be ideal - therefore matter is assimilated with Satan. And the Afterlife or the judgment day are purely Ideal.

Known Abyss
Mystics

With Abyss Mysticism being such an enigma,
it's fair to say that the practitioners are doing a great job at keeping their
mouths shut and a low profile. After all, it's hard to find what hides in the
darkness. Storytellers hunting these mysterious characters in a World of
Darkness can easily find themselves taking on the role as a detective instead
of chronicle designer, and that's where we want to ease your burden. Although
they can be hard to find, there are several vampires out there that has been
confirmed as being part of the rare breed known as Abyss Mystics.

Banjoko aka Francisco Ruiz - Acting
Seraph of the Black Hand. Descendant of the Lasombra (antitribu) Methuselah
Montano. Mentored by his sire on the Path of Night and Abyss mysticism, but
instead turned to embrace Hand and Sabbat politics. It is unknown in which
extent Banjoko mastered the secrets of the Abyss, but he remains in good
reputation with noddists and other occult minds
(and the Lasombra).
See: Caine's Chosen: the Black Hand

Cardinal Mysancta
– dedicated of the mysteries of the Abyss and advocates that forsaking the
flesh is the key to true mastery over darkness. Once a middle-aged woman but
now almost exclusively in Shadow-form. Her Cardinal's robes hang over a silver
frame which she moves around using shadow arms, and her glass crown is
supported with spiraling wires.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Cardinal Menuven – not
outspoken as a mystic, but there are stories of he/she/it as a creature of pure
Abyssal intellect. The Cardinal is composed of several bodies – former templars
and pack priests – which is joined together with thaumaturgically created
carbon rods, inserted into each cainite's brain. Shadows is seen constantly
moving through the rods, the cainites shows mastery of shadow manipulation, and
talks with the same whispery voice.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Roxana – mentioned as a Abyss
mystic. Some few decades undead, looks like a wrestler. Member of Bishop Andrew
Emory's hunting pack. May enter the Abyss with little effort, but is having a
harder time with avoiding the hostile entities her entry attracts.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Ignacio Rinieri – the second in
power in the circle of summoners. Escaped the attack on the Castle of Shadows
by shadow-stepping through the walls and ended up in the nearby castle of St.
Rafael the Archangel. Had a personal chat with the Founder a about a week
before the great revolt, when he was a young vampire, and revisits that place
and time in a vision he believes comes from the antediluvian. Have since learnt
all the most dark and secret of words, and languages long since forgotten by
mortals.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Gotzon - was a competitive ally to
Hardestadt, and Jürgen's confessor. He and Hardestadt both wanted to embrace
Jürgen, and made him choose between the crown and the cross. Jürgen obviously
chose the crown and ended up Ventrue instead of Lasombra.
Gotzon used to be one powerful Abyss mystic. He was part of a circle that tried
to learn The Cry That Slays the Light,
the level 8th ritual from GttHC. Gotzon himself (but not known by that name
back then) is said to have been favored by the Shadowed One and the Abyss, a
true master of the art, and the most worthy to learn the word. He could command
the shadows to show every person or place he ever met, reach them by stepping
through them, and more.
Centuries and countless atrocities later, Gotzon witnessed a miracle and turned
to the Road of Heaven. He made a sacred promise never to use his fearsome dark
powers ever again (he could still kill a vozhd single-handedly and reach out
mentally from torpor!). During the Dark Ages he became a dark crusader, bringing
death to those he considered ungodly. He believed that the Command over
Darkness was a gift from Satan to the first of his Clan.
The thing is Gotzon was still tainted from what he wrought upon the world. It
was obvious to every person that met his dark eyes that he has literally seen
Hell. Every lapse in self-control resulted in that the darkness he still held
inside of him lashed out, and horrible shades manifested. At one point humanoid
looking ones, but with too many legs. Gotzon said that this is what he now had
to repel, every moment of every night. "These creatures use my mind as their
conduit to God's Earth."
No one knows what became of Gotzon in the modern nights, or if he won the holy
battle within his dark soul.
See: Dark Ages Clan Novel Ventrue.

Caridad de Flores - or
the Charity of Flowers - as she calls herself, is not only a powerful Abyss
Mystic, but also a teacher of the sinful Cathari Path and a member of the
notorious Black Hand. With her green fingers combined with the powers of the
Abyss Mysticism, Caridad creates drugs and poisons that not only made her
important to the cainite junkies in Mexico but also made her a crucial factor
for some discrete Black Hand assassinations.
See:
Mexico City by Night

Zadkiel ben Aron -
The leading teacher of Abyss Mysticism in Mexico City and the local spiritual
advisor of his clan. Not only does he teach the Path of Night but he also councils followers of other paths. Known
as the Grim Rabbi, Zadkiel has taken his closest pupils under his wings and
reawakened the dead Abyss Mystic lineage he once were embraced into; The Schichiriel.
Not often seen in human form, Zadkiel haunts the mild Mexican night as a
Skeksis-looking shadow, leaving half drained victims either confused or
terrified - but always ice cold.
See:
Mexico City by Night

Archbishop Ambrosio Luis Monçada -







Possible
Abyss Mystics

Tracking down Abyss Mystics are a
challenge, and even though a lot of cainites have potential - we can't know for
sure. Some on this list are probably powerful enough to wield abyssal powers,
but it doesn't necessarily make them Mystics in that sense. Some has strong
ties to Abyssal elements but we don't know enough to make the call. That's why
we put together this list so we don't have to, we leave that up to you to use
however you see fit in your chronicle.

Francisco Domingo de Polonia -most certainly is no Abyss Mystic, but
he has learned great things with Obtenebration. He can push through the barrier
into the tenebrous realm, a half-light image, without colours, of the world of
the living. There he can make agreements with those he calls the
"envoys" that manifests there in seconds. They are only describes as
shapes, but must be human-looking enough to talk and bow. They can conjure
things to flatter, tempt or cajole in their realm, but Polonia uses one to -
with the help of a silver dagger that makes it possible to strike through the
barrier - try assassinate Vykos. The silver is also said to be harmful to these
shades.
Polonia sends his respect "to your lord and master and tell him that
Polonia has the honor to remain his good and faithful servant". When the
deed is done the shade asks Polonia to come among them soon, so the boon can be
repaid. It almost seems to be a deal between equals, rather than the shadow
slaves more often conjured with Obtenebration.
See: Clan Novel Tzimisce and
Children of the Night.

Azaneal - even though leader of the
youngest and smallest Baali lineage, Azaneal were - and still is - a force to
be reckoned with. Allied with the infernalist group of Lasombra known as the Angellis Ater, Azaneal uncovered big
portions of Nergal's dark secrets hidden within Chorazin's undercity -
dangerous knowledge who made the ambitious vampire something far worse than
just a mere Baali . Azaneal's new dark form was so profane that even the Abyss
too close to his presence showed signs of dislike and disgust. Angellis Ater's
impressive control over darkness was now just a mere shadow of the new powers
that Azaneal possessed, forever would he and his sterile offspring be the true
masters of darkness.
Azaneal's plan is not only to unite the Baali under his leadership, but also to
bring eternal darkness upon the world. Something he still - in modern nights -
hasn't managed to do. If rumors are true though, he may still be in the fabled
undercity of Chorazin, and very close to achieving his goals.
See: Clanbook Baali and Road of Sin.

Arishat - evil shadow priestess and
apparently the most gifted of Azaneal's twelve childer. On board the Dark
Magister Arishat took nearly full control
over the pit known as the Mouth of Hell - and used it as a tool for her Sire's
affairs of diplomacy. Said to share the same horrific attributes as Azaneal,
Arishat is a creature of darkness who commands abyssal powers way beyond normal
Obtenebration.
See: Road of Sin.

Alejandro Martel y Sandoval -
captain of the Dark Magister and a
member of infamous Angellis Ater,
this Lasombra Sinner abandoned the Road of Night for - not only the Road of Sin
- but also the extreme infernal Path of Screams. With his crew of human slaves
and fellow Sinners, Alejandro uses his pirate ship as a ferry between the
different "holy" sites of his twisted Path.
See: Road of Sin.

Louhi - Controversial pick maybe,
since this 5th generation Malkavian is taken from the First and Second Edition
of Vampire the Masquerade. Ruling Finland - or as they called it: The Land of Darkness - Louhi, together with her brood, is working on
a great thaumaturgy ritual to block out the sun. Earlier both allied and in
feud with the Brujah who ran the Soviet Union, it is unknown if this ancient
mad woman claims any membership to any specific Sect. Although, there are
rumors among the northern Kindred that she is allied with the Sabbat.
A modern update on Louhi might suggest replacing Thaumaturgy with Abyss
Mysticism, or adding Mystics to her brood or allies.
See: World of Darkness (1992) and
World of Darkness (1996)

Gratiano and Montano – maybe
not Abyss mystics in the meaning I use the
word, but never the less two extremely potent wielders of it's powers. Montano
admits “Gratiano delighted in the routine use of Abyss mysticism and related
powers”. While Montano knows himself to be the eldest Lasombra in the world and
his mastery of the Abyss is without competition. Montano knews that he is the
only one old and powerful enough to enter the Abyss without his body, for
instance.
See: Clanbook Lasombra, The Lasombra
Trilogy and Children of the Inquisition.

Known Abyss Mystics

With Abyss Mysticism being such an enigma, it's fair to say that the practitioners
are doing a great job at keeping their mouths shut and a low profile. After
all, it's hard to find what hides in the
darkness. Storytellers hunting these mysterious characters in a World of Darkness
can easily find themselves taking on the role as a detective instead of
chronicle designer, and that's where we want to ease your burden. Although they
can be hard to find, there are several vampires out there that has been confirmed
as being part of the rare breed known as Abyss Mystics.

Banjoko aka Francisco Ruiz – Acting Seraph of the Black Hand. Descendant of the
Lasombra (antitribu) Methuselah Montano. Mentored by his sire on the Path of
Night and Abyss mysticism, but
instead turned to embrace Hand and Sabbat politics. It is unknown in which
extent Banjoko mastered the secrets of the Abyss, but he remains in good reputation
with noddists and other occult minds (and the Lasombra).
See: Caine's Chosen: the Black Hand

Felipe Toreaso Maguno - Lasombra Abyss mystic of the Sabbat in Cali, Colombia.
Uttered the words:
”I find no truths except in darkness. The world will not interest me until all
traces of light have been expunged from it forever. I act only to hasten the end
of the last day.”
See: Clanbook Lasombra Revised

Almira Veracruz - Lasombra Bishop of Oakland. Is probably the sire of Richard
B. Weinstein, whose
sire was an Abyss mystic. Or perhaps not, it's hard to tell, since Wienstein is
suffering from a not-yet-full-blown multiple-personality disorder. But there
seems to be some truth to it since Weinstein has an occult score of 3, with an
Abyss speciality.
See: Clanbook Lasombra Revised

Cardinal Mysancta – dedicated of the mysteries of the Abyss and advocates that
forsaking the
flesh is the key to true mastery over darkness. Once a middle-aged woman but
now almost exclusively in Shadow-form. Her Cardinal's robes hang over a silverframe
which she moves around using shadow arms, and her glass crown is supported with
spiraling wires.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Cardinal Menuven – not outspoken as a mystic, but there are stories of he/she/it
as a creature of pure Abyssal intellect. The Cardinal is composed of several
bodies – former templars and pack priests – which is joined together with
thaumaturgically created carbon rods, inserted into each cainite's brain.
Shadows is seen constantly moving through the rods, the cainites shows mastery
of shadow manipulation, and talks with the same whispery voice.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Roxana – mentioned as a Abyss mystic. Some few decades undead, looks like a wrestler.
Member of Bishop Andrew Emory's hunting pack. May enter the Abyss with little
effort, but is having a harder time with avoiding the hostile entities her
entry attracts.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Ignacio Rinieri – the second in power in the circle of summoners. Escaped the
attack on the Castle of Shadows by shadow-stepping through the walls and ended
up in the nearby castle of St. Rafael the Archangel. Had a personal chat with
the Founder a about a week before the great revolt, when he was a young vampire,
and revisits that place and time in a vision he believes comes from the antediluvian.
Have since learnt all the most dark and secret of words, and languages long
since forgotten by mortals.
See: The Lasombra Trilogy.

Gotzon - was a competitive ally to Hardestadt, and Jürgen's confessor. He and
Hardestadt both wanted to embrace Jürgen, and made him choose between the crown
and the cross. Jürgen obviously chose the crown and ended up Ventrue instead of
Lasombra.
Gotzon used to be one powerful Abyss mystic. He was part of a circle that tried
to learn The Cry That Slays the Light, the level 8th ritual from GttHC. Gotzon
himself (but not known by that name back then) is said to have been favored by
the Shadowed One and the Abyss, a true master of the art, and the most worthy
to learn the word. He could command the shadows to show every person or place he
ever met, reach them by stepping through them, and more.
Centuries and countless atrocities later, Gotzon witnessed a miracle and turned
to the Road of Heaven. He made a sacred promise never to use his fearsome dark powers
ever again (he could still kill a vozhd single-handedly and reach out mentally
from torpor!). During the Dark Ages he became a dark crusader, bringing death
to those he considered ungodly. He believed that the Command over
Darkness was a gift from Satan to the first of his Clan.
The thing is Gotzon was still tainted from what he wrought upon the world. It was
obvious to every person that met his dark eyes that he has literally seen Hell.
Every lapse in self-control resulted in that the darkness he still held inside
of him lashed out, and horrible shades manifested. At one point humanoid looking
ones, but with too many legs. Gotzon said that this is what he now had to
repel, every moment of every night. "These creatures use my mind as their conduit
to God's Earth."
No one knows what became of Gotzon in the modern nights, or if he won the holy battle
within his dark soul.
See: Dark Ages Clan Novel Ventrue.

Caridad de Flores – or the Charity of Flowers - as she calls herself, is not
only a powerful Abyss
Mystic, but also a teacher of the sinful Cathari Path and a member of the notorious
Black Hand. With her green fingers combined with the powers of the Abyss
Mysticism, Caridad creates drugs and poisons that not only made her important
to the cainite junkies in Mexico but also made her a crucial factor for some
discrete Black Hand assassinations.
See: Mexico City by Night

Zadkiel ben Aron -The leading teacher of Abyss Mysticism in Mexico City and the
local spiritual advisor of his clan. Not only does he teach the Path of Night but
he also councils followers of other paths. Known as the Grim Rabbi, Zadkiel has
taken his closest pupils under his wings and reawakened the dead Abyss Mystic
lineage he once were embraced into; The Schichiriel.
Not often seen in human form, Zadkiel haunts the mild Mexican night as a Skeksis-looking
shadow, leaving half drained victims either confused or terrified - but always
ice cold.
See: Mexico City by Night

Archbishop Ambrosio Luis Monçada - not yet written.

Possible Abyss Mystics

Tracking down Abyss Mystics is a challenge, and even though a lot of cainites
have potential - we can't know for sure. Some on this list are probably
powerful enough to wield abyssal powers, but it doesn't necessarily make them
Mystics in that sense. Some has strong ties to Abyssal elements but we don't
know enough to make the call. That's why we put together this list so we don't
have to, we leave that up to you to use however you see fit in your chronicle.

Francisco Domingo de Polonia -most certainly is no Abyss Mystic, but he has
learned great things with Obtenebration. He can push through the barrier into
the tenebrous realm, a half-light image, without colours, of the world of the
living. There he can make agreements with those he calls the
"envoys" that manifests there in seconds. They are only describes as shapes,
but must be human-looking enough to talk and bow. They can conjure things to
flatter, tempt or cajole in their realm, but Polonia uses one to - with the
help of a silver dagger that makes it possible to strike through the
barrier - try assassinate Vykos. The silver is also said to be harmful to these
shades.
Polonia sends his respect "to your lord and master and tell him that Polonia
has the honor to remain his good and faithful servant". When the deed is
done the shade asks Polonia to come among them soon, so the boon can be repaid.
It almost seems to be a deal between equals, rather than the shadow slaves more
often conjured with Obtenebration.
See: Clan Novel Tzimisce and Children of the Night.

Azaneal - even though leader of the youngest and smallest Baali lineage,
Azaneal were - and still is - a force to be reckoned with. Allied with the
infernalist group of Lasombra known as the Angellis Ater, Azaneal uncovered big
portions of Nergal's dark secrets hidden within Chorazin's undercity -
dangerous knowledge who made the ambitious vampire something far worse than just
a mere Baali . Azaneal's new dark form was so profane that even the Abyss too
close to his presence showed signs of dislike and disgust. Angellis Ater's impressive
control over darkness was now just a mere shadow of the new powers that Azaneal
possessed, forever would he and his sterile offspring be the true
masters of darkness. Azaneal's plan is
not only to unite the Baali under his leadership, but also to
bring eternal darkness upon the world. Something he still - in modern nights - hasn't
managed to do. If rumours are true though, he may still be in the fabled undercity
of Chorazin, and very close to achieving his goals.
See: Clanbook Baali and Road of Sin.

Arishat - evil shadow priestess and apparently the most gifted of Azaneal's
twelve childer. On board the Dark Magister Arishat took nearly full control over
the pit known as the Mouth of Hell - and used it as a tool for her Sire's affairs
of diplomacy. Said to share the same horrific attributes as Azaneal, Arishat is
a creature of darkness who commands abyssal powers way beyond normal Obtenebration.

See: Road of Sin.

Alejandro Martel y Sandoval - captain of the Dark Magister and a member of
infamous Angellis Ater,
this Lasombra Sinner abandoned the Road of Night for - not only the Road of Sin
- but also the extreme infernal Path of Screams. With his crew of human slaves and
fellow Sinners, Alejandro uses his pirate ship as a ferry between the different
"holy" sites of his twisted Path.
See: Road of Sin.

Louhi - Controversial pick maybe, since this 5th generation Malkavian is taken
from the First and Second Edition of Vampire the Masquerade. Ruling Finland -
or as they called it: The Land of Darkness - Louhi, together with her brood, is
working on a great thaumaturgy ritual to block out the sun. Earlier both allied
and in feud with the Brujah who ran the Soviet Union, it is unknown if this
ancient mad woman claims any membership to any specific Sect. Although, there
are rumours among the northern Kindred that she is allied with the Sabbat. A modern update on Louhi might suggest replacing
Thaumaturgy with Abyss Mysticism, or adding Mystics to her brood or allies.
See: World of Darkness (1992) and World of Darkness (1996)

Gratiano and Montano – maybe not Abyss mystics in the meaning I use the word,
but never the less two extremely potent wielders of its powers. Montano admits
“Gratiano delighted in the routine use of Abyss mysticism and related powers”.
While Montano knows himself to be the eldest Lasombra in the world and his
mastery of the Abyss is without competition. Montano knews that he is the only
one old and powerful enough to enter the Abyss without his body, for instance.
See: Clanbook Lasombra Revised, The Lasombra Trilogy and Children of the
Inquisition.