"Evil comes to this world in many forms. As the harbingers of the Father’s curse, vampires are the pioneers of all those forms."

- Fabrizia Contreraz, Archbishiop of Miami.

Nickname: Albigensians

Basic Beliefs: The path of Cathari Sprang from the Cartarist heresy if the middle ages. A dualistic philosophy, Cathar doctrine holds that the world was created in equal parts by good ("light") creator responsible for virtue and spirit, and an evil ("dark") creator who acts as the counterpoint, fashioning the material world and its own vices. The original Cathars believed the soul to be the root of all that is pure in humanity, while the material body was the shell in the corrupt psychical world. Cathars pointed to the noble aspects of the spirit – compassion, sacrifice, honesty, and the like – as proof that the only true good lay in the ephemeral. The material world, with its suffering and misery, bore obvious flaws and imperfections. After much persecutions, this dualistic doctrine vanished from the mortal world, crushed by papal declarations of heresy. Over the years, the vampires who favored tenets of the philosophy adopted it as their own.

       According to the vampires who follow this path, the undead are minions of the evil creator, given eternal existence to tempt other with the lures of the material world. Followers of the path believe that they fulfill a destiny as creatures tied to the physical world through vampirc immortality. Because vampire have been denied the spiritual realms of death, the Albigensians reason that they much serve the vices of the physical realm. There for, they seek to spread evil and corruption, seeing iniquity as their natural state.

       The Albigensians have perfected a code of evils in which to indulge, however. Theirs is not a path of pointless amorality. Taking the beliefs of the original Cathar priests and twisting them, these vampires deliberately search for means of spreading evil. They pursue sins of greed, lust, pride, and the likely avidly. Sabbat Cathars seek material wealth and comforts, they encourage others to do the same. A vampire can serve his proper purpose only by embracing the flaws inherent to his form and to the world, accepting his duties as a purveyor of others’ vices. Followers of the path of Cathari thus find spirituality in depravity.

Indulge in vice. Wealth, sensuality and material power are hallmarks of the physical world.

Lead others to temptation. It is your role to promote the depravity of the world

Grant the Curse of Caine to those with great passion. Undeath is an evil curse, but those with great conviction can use it well.

The entire material world is corrupt. Expect betrayal and wickedness because almost everybody is corrupt along with it.

Your roll as a creature of evil is predestined. Accept it and fulfill your purpose.

Death simply leads to reincarnation. Mortals return after you kill them. However, you should avoid Finial Death, since you will return as a mortal if you die.

The Cathari indulge in vice and depravity, thus necessitating strong Conviction and Instinct.

       The Path of Cathari grew out of the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade in the 13th century. The Manicheanist beliefs in dualism influenced some members of the church, leading to a 30~year war that many believe led to the creation of the mortal Inquisition. After Albigensian vampires resurfaced following the Crusade, they developed this moral system out of the logical consequences of their philosophy, seeing vampires as tied to the mortal world and there for purveyors of evil, while the spirits of humans possesses the only potential for good. Soon many vampires took it upon themselves to fulfill their “duty” as providers of the mortal world’s corruption. Over the intervening years, the path changed to include broader philosophies and less formal religious overtones, eventually gaining acceptance in the Sabbat during the formation of the sect. The path weathered the internal struggles of the sect and continued to provide adaptable, keeping the core beliefs of the vampires as traffickers in the vices of the material world. Quite a few Sabbat still fins purpose in the business of pleasure and damnation.

       The Albigensian lead others to temptation, despoiling the purity of the spirit. Neonates and elders alike can be found among the Albigensians. Many practitioners see the fast paced, decaying modern world as a sign of success for the forces of the evil creator, and they seek out ever more challenging converts among mortals and vampires alike.

       Albigensians are hedonistic and impulsive, but they believe that they serve a purpose. The followers of this path are not lazy; rather, they undertake their duties with fanatical abandon. Each Albigensian considers it his duty considers it his duty to embody the vices of the material world and to share those comforts and pleasures and others. Among the Sabbat, the Cathari encourage others to explore their monstrous natures and to spread this hedonism among mortals.

       Cathari are usually quite passionate, devout to vulgarity and pleasure. They see the mortal world as a vast playground, wherein they may satiate their base urges and encourage other to do likewise. Believing themselves to be agents of immorality, the followers of this path are often highly social, befriending and using others to serve their own purposes of spreading debauchery.

       Followers of the Path of Cathari indulge freely in vices and materialism, and they seek to spread these excesses, Thus, Social Abilities like Subterfuge and Streetwise are most useful. Some Albigensians also use Finance and Bureaucracy to make money, so as to make their unlives more comfortable. A few of the more studious followers of the path indulge in Occult knowledge and Academics in order to study the roots of the path.

       Albigensians prefer Discplines that allow them to fulfill their grim purpose. Dominate and Presence are most valued for the ability to coerce mortals into cooperation. They regard the Discipline of Animalism highly as well, due to its reflection in the powers of Scripture, from which the followers of this path take some of their beliefs.