Path of the Hive

## **The Path of the Hive: Via Hyron**

**Nickname:** Abelenes

**Virtues:** Conviction and Instinct

**Bearing:** Justice. Abelenes carry an atmosphere of divine retribution. Their bearing modifier affects rolls to convince others of the righteousness of their actions.

**Basic Beliefs:** As shepherds, Abelenes have been tasked to guide and protect Creation against demonic influences. The true accursed and enemies to all of creation are the children of the Lightbringer: demons, devils, and fallen angels. These ancient intelligences, birthed before the Word of the One Above unleashed Creation, wait in slumber, trapped by the One Above. Should these horrors be awakened, Creation would be flayed of all life.

The blasphemous titles of these entities are tremendously puissant, and each call uttered by infernal tongue rouses them further from rest. To ensure the preservation of this great duty of keeping the sleepers passive and trapped, the Methuselah Moloch developed Via Hyron for his disciples — the ancient ethos of the Baali Clan. To accomplish his work, Moloch consumed one of the sleepers, and it spoke in his soul with the voice of a swarm. The chittering clicks translated by Moloch gave unity to the Baali. He learned the secrets of the sleepers and how to ensure they remain dormant on the edge of existence.

In order to maintain their slumber, the sleepers must be appeased through tireless efforts to flatter their horrendous dreams and desires. Chaos and destruction are the only lullaby that pacifies, and so a requisite balance is struck by the Abelenes: burn half the world or watch all of Creation erupt in flame. Though it revels in demonic trappings and profaning Christian iconography and text, Via Hyron is not infernalistic. Infernalists are believed to be especially dangerous to the Abelenes.

The names of the sleepers fuel infernal power, allowing them to patiently inch their way into Creation by devouring the souls of their supplicants. Therefore, all trace of their names must be erased from Creation. The misplaced faith of those corrupted to follow Lucifer’s churches has ever repelled the angels of the One Above and stunted humanity. The recently discovered Abelene Heresy (nearly stricken from the Guarded Rubrics but vouchsafed by the Molochim Old Clan Tzimisce and Baali) enhanced Moloch’s original teachings.

The writings contend that when the farmer Caine failed to sate the hunger of the One Above with his offering of herbs, grains, fruits, and flowers, his brother Abel showed him the way. Abel, the shepherd, ceased the beating heart and stained crimson the white coat of the most majestic goat in his flock in blood-offering to the One Above and was blessed for his sacrifice. Caine, seeing the path, wept as he lanced the heart of his brother Abel, sacrificing the first part of his joy with the branch of a pomegranate tree hewn from his unwanted oblation.

The One Above cursed Caine, marking him and his progeny for all time to gain no sustenance from the Earth without sacrificing joy for toil. Revoking the curse of death levied on mankind in Eden, he resurrected Abel to an immortal angel of vengeance, tasking Abel to be his brother’s shepherd and cull from Caine’s flock to reclaim the blood his brother had stolen from him. Abel’s broken heart was replaced with that of the beast Abel had offered.

However, the One Above could not heal Abel’s sorrow despite the Beast tucked in Abel’s breast; the spiritual scar of Caine’s spear would perpetually wound him. Seeing his trickery in Eden undone, the fallen angel Lucifer, bringer of morning and herald of the sun, grew jealous and spiteful that a child from the tribe of Adam was shown immortal favor and station that he himself had lost. He cursed Abel to the night, so the light from the One Above (presaged by the Morning Star Lucifer) would scorch and burn him evermore. Abelenes believe that all vampires are children of the light, shadows cursed to darkness, angels of vengeance blessed by the One Above, shepherding humanity and protecting creation against the Children of the Night.

### **The Ethics of the Path**

• Be the Angel of Vengeance. Exact the toll of Abel and retrieve his stolen blood from Caine’s children, like a shepherd shearing his flock.

• Combat the authority of religion. Institutional worship and dogma are masks and forgeries for Lucifer’s church, including the Book of Nod. Only the Abelene creed holds the truth. The Molochim are the shepherds.

• Always be within a Nest. The Nest within the swarm of the Hive is the means of salvation to counter the infernal and demonic.

• Vampires are shadows cast by the One Above. When the One Above shines into a pit of blackest gloom, shadows are the only darkness permitted to remain.

• The Sacred Mission of the Molochim is the sword duty of all Abelenes. Keep the sleepers in dream at the expense of all else.

• Listen to your Beast. The one above bestowed the Beast to his angels for a reason. Heed its counsel and release its fury when enraged.

### **History**

Via Hyron would have declined into obscurity were it not for the Tal’Mahe’Ra and Old Clan Tzimisce inculcating the Molochim Baali to form the Order of Moloch. In 1998, the demon Kupala awoke from its cage beneath the Carpathians. Molochim Baali flocked to the mountains in an attempt to quell the demon back to slumber. Only a few escaped extinction. Though failing, the Baali were not alone in their assault; Old Clan Tzimisce fought to restrain Kupala as well. The few Baali survivors found much in common with their new allies and pledged themselves to the Old Clan, sharing the Path’s sacred mission.

The Path went under serious revision by the Old Clan patrons. Its former ban on sorcerous practice of any kind was viewed as overly cautious and removed. The lack of its employment had crippled the Baali for millennia in their war and almost destroyed them entirely in their battle against Kupala. The Ethics of the Path and its Hierarchy of Sins were reconstituted to adapt the demonological knowledge of the Old Clan and formalize the mythos of the Abelene Heresy — a controversial 14th century Latin document thought to be derived from older sources unknown and considered dubious by the Rawi.

### **Current Practices**

The swarm needs to endure; to endure, the sleepers must remain imprisoned. Disciples of Moloch study demonology as a means to an end, collecting vast amounts of forbidden knowledge to learn the hidden resting places and true names of the sleepers that they may better supplicate them into perpetual dreaming. Abelenes are noted occultists and incredibly skilled blood sorcerers who congregate in Nests, fluctuating groups of three to ten in membership, with no central authority. The Path itself was rebuilt to espouse the precepts of the Order of Moloch and all followers of the Path are, without exception, members of the Order.

As it stands, the precepts of the Path are still in flux. A few artifacts from the previous Path still exist, but as its new patrons continue to exert influence, the Path of the Hive could become extinct, evolving into something new.

### **Description and Followers**

Abelenes seem distant and inhuman to those outside of the Path. The needs and demands of the swarm (members of the Order of Moloch) guide the Path’s adherents. Followers do not possess a “hive mind,” but do focus on issues related to the Path within Nests. Members are demonologists, not infernalists. They do not submit to the powers of Hell or relinquish authority over their own souls. Abelenes strive to acquire the secrets of the demonic and either enslave, eradicate, or steal power from demons. Acolytes of the Path actively seek converts, choosing candidates who have been touched by the demonic and resisted its influence.

### **Following the Path**

Nests of Abelenes support one another and keep each other in check to make sure none on the Path slip into infernalism. Unanimous vote guides the direction of a Nest, regardless of age or strength of the blood held by any member. Any within a Nest who disagree with a course of action chosen by the majority are required to leave.

This method of governance guarantees that dangerous undertakings are rarely pursued without the strength of numbers to support a goal. Given the potential risks of infernalism, the refusal to allow individual leadership limits the liability of more powerful Abelenes from eclipsing their peers, curbing possible infernalists hiding within the Order from rapidly seizing control and spreading their filth throughout an entire Nest.

**Common Abilities:** Those following Via Hyron are expected to be devoted Academics and students of the Occult (with an emphasis on languages, demonology, and apocryphal religious scripture). To assist in the hunt for sleepers and track infernalists, the Path encourages Investigation and intuitive recognition of the supernatural through Awareness, while covering one’s motives from suspicion by way of Subterfuge.

**Preferred Disciplines:** Auspex and Animalism are emphasized for their information-gathering capabilities. Animalism, on top of awarding an unobtrusive network of spies, grants power over the Beast within others. Familiarity with any form of blood sorcery is demanded by the Path to provide some defense against the enemies of the Order. The versatility of Daimoinon compliments Abelene methodology and enhances its tendencies for combating fire with fire.