Domus

Quotes

“The beast is a fearsome creature and the embodiment of chaos and destruction, let loose it would destroy us all. While it is impossible to destroy the beast, we do know the chaotic path it seeks to draw us down upon, through an orderly society we can use social order to close down that road.”

“Social order is enforced by two major factors, respect and fear, these are the chains that bind a society together. Through these factors the key principal of an orderly society the oath or deal is enforced, fear of the repercussions of breaking their oath or the enticement of greater respect of one’s peers.“

Overview

• The Domus (also known as the descendants of Horkos) take the concept of the word is your bond to the next level, their word is their very survival. Members of the bloodline have been to the edge of the abyss and looked over, and come back.
• Through their control of fear and seduction (nightmare and majesty) they have sought to control their own beast and influence kindred society to become more orderly and controlled in order to battle the temptations of the beast.

Background

Progenitor Mortal Days

• Roman born lands of Corsica, his father a retired Legionary, his mother a freedwoman of the native Corsicans an influential woman in the village.
• His mother's tribe still followed greek religious practices in secret.
• Joined the Roman Legion in a hope to escape his home and his mother's cult, and to live up to his father’s glory days.
• Appeared to have inherited his father’s aptitude in killing people on battlefields, and his mother’s ability to bring people together.
• Was promoted several times

Progenitors first kindred years

• Was embraced during the Gallic wars, in response to ongoing battles with the Gallic kindred whom were showing more resistance than originally considered, his Sire a half a decade old Daeva whom had be tasked with assisting to bring order to the Gaul lands had lost two childe to the the local kindred.
• Little is known about the progenitors sire other than was stalwart supporter of the invictus whom has been lost in time.
• His first nights were a brutal affair, setting the tone of the next decade as his sire dragged him between conflicts, seeking to create order and control for the Invictus.
• During these conflicts he grew to respect his enemy, their berserk nature and the underlying feral grace which upset his sire. He began to reflect his foe in conflict until the point he lost himself to the beast.

The Awakening of the Bloodline

• In his final battle of the Gallic wars, the legionary found himself surrounded by his enemy’s mortals, he gleefully tore them to pieces with only his blade, having long cast his shield aside finding it slowing down the carnage. His beast roared in pleasure at the feast of death and blood and took control.
• He found himself watching from within his body as the beast leapt through the battlefield killing enemy and allies alike, and for the first time he understood his sire’s commitment to order. Only when it had disappeared did he understand the worth of his bond, in desperation he called out to anything that could hear him, offering anything in order to so, something answered back and agreed.
• It is upon this point that many kindred scholars would argue that the Lineages creation story is clearly impossible, if the progenitor lost himself to the beast he would never had returned, let alone by his own will. But in reply those of the bloodline would agree he couldn’t have returned himself, no he made his great pact and bound his beast in the chains of his oath and commitment.

The War with Chaos

• The legionary returned to his home Corsica, released from his duty on the war front, his duty to fighting the chaos that bred the beast was clear, his path wasn’t.
• Over the next century, he built himself a domain within Corsica, and traveled serving the invictus and enforcing their order. It was during this time that he came to understand the upheld Oath or agreement was the most important pillar that supported a society. Without knowing an agreement would be upheld led to mistrust, mistrust led to hatred, which led to the beast.
• During this time he took up the mantle of Horkos the greek deity from his mother's cults pantheon whom punished those who broke oaths.
• It was through his time watching and understanding of society did he finally come to understand the way the chain upon his beast worked. People were influenced to obey rules in two ways through fear of repercussions if they break something or through the belief of the reward, these two forces where a direct reflection of the kindred abilities of Majesty and Nightmare. Understanding this he went on to expand the power of the chain and gained the power to
• For close to a millenia Horkos didn’t embrace instead sought out the deserving to provide redemption too, bring them back to his domain before returning them to the world to enforce his belief. Much to his frustration, he hadn’t been able to provide the bloodlines gift of a second chance to those who weren’t of his clan, which plagued him.
• He felt the tide of the years pulling upon him, and in his haze he decided to embrace his first child, a native to Corsica, a scholar and adviser to mortal leaders. He had hoped where he was failing due to haven fallen to the beast his uncorrupted childe would succeed.
• Unfortunately for Horkos he found himself as a failure of a sire, his attempts in order to raise his childe that wouldn’t make the same mistakes failed horribly. Instead his childe was a monster who only appeared to uphold the tenants. Feeling responsible he offered redemption and uplifting to the bloodline. After attempting to bring him back to the light, Horkos slipped into slumber.
• In years during his sires slumber the childe created the Invictus House ‘Casa di Temperance’ (House of Binding) in honor of his sire, and it grew to be quite famous through the known world as notaries and advisers regarding kindred oaths.
• But when Horkos awoke from his slumber in 825 AD he shunned the gift, concerned that his Childe was too cruel to maintain leadership, and thought his creation was flawed.
• It’s unknown if during this dark time for the bloodline Horkos slept, but many members of the bloodline abandoned the ancestral home of Corscia, during different times of Signore’s rule. What is know that some time in the early 1300’s he was active again, leading his armies for the Invictus once more. Mind devoted to duty, he sought out rumours of a girl on the Isle of Corsica gifted with the sight. With an Oracle at his side, his armies would be unstoppable, and so he sought out the validity of the rumours. There he found the girl Selene kept in a temple on the cliffs of the bay. After his first attempt to see her was denied, she gave him the words he needed to hear. He asks the question “Will my army be victorious, am I undefeatable?”. Not only does her reply confirm his wishes, but she indicates that she knows of his immortal nature. He immediately returns to his city to request permission to embrace this girl, believing that this time he will make the better sire. He leaves his Vassal Decimus, a Gangrel Knight to safeguard his prize.
• Selene is Embraced in 1340 after serving as Oracle of the army for 4 years. They takes the name Delphi. Delphi is seldom seen far from their sires side, and close by, the ever loyal Decimus.
• Little is known of the events that took place in 1582, but whispers among the House say that Horkus and his favoured childe Delphi confronted Signore di Tirruri. At the end of that evening, the Signore had been destroyed, and a new head of the house had risen to power.

The Recent Years

• The bloodline has kept strong ties with the Casa di Temperance since the Signores death, and a series of new leaders have taken up the mantle. But have remained behind the scenes awaiting the hatred of their Progenitors first born to settle before returning to the light.
• Since that night Delphi has remained a constant presence in the house, bringing new childer into its walls, and holding all members together like a family. Their visions of the future have become something of legend, and their words of guidance are respected by all.
• Members of the bloodline have be known to take pilgrimage back to their ancestral home in Corsica most of its population is spread across most western nations and a few pilgrims into Asia seeking to spread the word of order.

The Becoming:

Unlike most other bloodlines, more members of the bloodline are avused into the bloodline than members awakening their sires blood. This due to the bloodlines strong belief that only once you have lost yourself to the beast can you understand the true need for order, in addition to the fact most of the bloodline who sire don’t want their childe to walk the path to chaos first.

Those Avused into the bloodline are normally selected for their commitment to some duty, which has forced them to fall towards the beast in order to fulfil it. This duty varies, from a soldier's commitment to their nation to a Paladin walking the fine line of commitment to faith and the punishing of the fallen.

There is a general belief that those of the blood are not the strongest, but weak who have been given a second chance to prove themselves in their duty they once nearly failed.

Stereotypes:

• Soldier seeking redemption for past evils
• Monster starving off the beast
• Paladin walking the fine line of commitment to faith and punishing the fallen
• Fallen leader who did whatever it took to win

In the Danse Macabre:

• Due to the wide variety of skills and backgrounds that descendants have, they find themselves in many different positions within kindred society, as leaders, enforcers, scholars and often mentors. But no matter at what level within an organisation they reside their need to uphold the social order is always apparent.
• The bloodline has strong ties with the Invictus due to their commitment to their word and their progenitor’s alignment, but they aren’t the only Covenant who strongly believe in this commitment and members can been found in all the Covenants.
• Unsurprisingly due to their devotion to the Greek Gods the bloodline has many members within the Circle of the Crone. They are valued by the Crone due to their determination to ensure commitments to the Gods and similar being are upheld by themselves and others. In addition they are often found to be proponents of peaceful interactions with the other Covenants, and internal peace keepers when underlying faiths battle.
• While it does cause some occasionally internal family strife the with the primary Invictus members of the bloodline, some of the more radical members have found a home within the Carthians. These members are seeking to find a better model of order to help kindred keep control of their beasts. But even within the polar opposite politically these individuals still promote the need to up keeping a promise and the sanctity of an agreement.
• Not all members of the bloodline seek order through external means, some have taken a slightly different path, one that has led them to the Ordo Dracul in their self-exploration. Destruction of the curse is one possible way to beat the chaos and those within the Ordo Dracul are the most determined and selfless scholars seeking enlightenment. As in the other Covenants they often find themselves enforcers of the Ordo Draculs rules and practices or emmeseries to other Covenants.
• It is only within the Lancea Sanctum has the bloodline not found a foothold, their ties to ancient greek faith grinding against the core Lancea Sanctum beliefs.
• Members of the bloodline within the Invictus have a strong ties to the House ‘Casa di Temperance’, but there isn’t any requirement for this alignment over another.

Clan:

The Progenitor was a Daeva, but clan Nosferatu are known to successfully avus into the bloodline as well.

Bloodline Disciplines:

Daeva: Celerity, Majesty, Nightmare, Vigor
Nosferatu: Obfuscate, Majesty, Nightmare, Vigor

Nicknames:

• Chained
• Oathkeepers
• Oath-punishers

Bloodline Gift and Bane:

Bloodline Gift: The Chains that Bind

Vampires of the Domus bloodline find an extra level of resolve in their commitment to their oaths and duty. When making a roll to resist Frenzy, Domus vampires may roll twice and take the better roll. This benefit does not apply when the Frenzy check is induced by a breach of an oath or a broken commitment or promise.

Bloodline Bane

The Domus' commitment to oaths is so deeply ingrained in their Beast that a broken a promise or oath induces a Frenzy test with an equivalent penalty to destruction of important property (-1). If they fail this test, their Beast is driven to punish the offender – even if that offender is themselves. This Bane does not trigger if the vampire is not personally connected in some way to at least one of the people involved.

Lineages

Please note these are Lineages whom carry the bloodline, not all individuals are necessarily members of the bloodline.

Domus Lineage (Descendants of Horkus)

1. Horkus (58-50BC)NPC
   1. Signore di Tirruri (524AD) NPC
   2. Delphi (1340)
      1. Elya Korda (NPC) (1534- 1582)
      2. Xacobe (NPC) (1690- 1901)
      3. Margarete Wulfhild (1801)
         1. Teresia Pieretti (1935) NPC
            1. Onryō (2012)
               1. Gahbrielle_Chou (2013)
         2. Albert Robert Green (Ventrue- Adopted) (1998)
      4. Sundae Rest (1907)
      5. Jamie Mahina (1922)NPC (Chakori)
         1. Isaac Foxe (1971)- adopted
      6. Irving Wallace (NPC)
         1. Valerie Fitzchambers (1931)
            1. Brandon Fitzchambers (1988)
            2. Melanie Reyes
      7. Celene (1967)Adopted

(date of embrace)
Character is deceased