Black Dagger Brotherhood Wiki
Advertisement
in: Vampire, Brotherhood, General Info

Black Dagger Brotherhood

Sign in to edit

"The Black Dagger Brotherhood, To Defend and Protect, Our Mother, Our race, Our Brothers."

-Black Dagger Brotherhood motto[1]

The Black Dagger Brotherhood are a group of warrior vampires who protect their race against Lessers. Until recently, only those born of the Chosen and the Primale could become Brothers, although those strictures have been loosened to allow for candidates who fit the needed criteria. Brothers possess immense physical and mental strength as well as rapid healing capabilities. They are inducted into the Brotherhood upon nomination by the Brothers.

Aggressive, self-reliant, and secretive by nature, they exist apart from civilians, having little contact with members of the other classes except when they need to feed. They are the subjects of legend and the objects of reverence within the vampire world. They may be killed only by the most serious wounds, e.g., a gunshot or stab to the heart, etc.

Heraldry[]

  • Gules, two daggers saltire sable[1]
  • Motto: The Black Dagger Brotherhood, To Defend and Protect, Our Mother, Our race, Our Brothers[1]

Ceremony[]

Allegiance[]

To declare or reaffirm their allegiance to the king, the Brotherhood kneels and pounds the floor or ground with their fist. For the queen, they stab the floor or ground with a dagger.[2]

Fade[]

When a Brother lost a shellan or young, his Brothers pledge their condolences by cutting their arm and bleeding over a bowl of salt. That salt's then used to set the wound caused by a branding iron atop the name of his loved one.[3]

Induction[]

The indoctrination ritual takes place in a cave on the same mountain as the Brotherhood's mansion. First, the Brotherhood dons black, hooded robes and approaches the candidate, who has not been notified prior to the ceremony, usually in his sleep. Note that they are all barefoot and wearing nothing under the robes. The rite is conducted in the Old Language, however, if the candidate does not speak it, the words are repeated in English. Wrath typically takes the lead, for the sake of brevity, assume the candidate's responses as appropriate to the questions asked.

Wrath: "There is no going back from the question that shall be posed to you this night. You shall be given it only once and your answer will stand for the rest of the life you lead. Are you prepared to be asked?"

Wrath: "Then I shall say to you now, [candidate's name and lineage], will you join us?"

Wrath, handing the candidate a black robe: "Tender this to your skin, raising the hood unto your head. At all times, you shall say nothing unless spoken to. You shall keep your eyes on the ground. Your hands shall be clasped at the small of your back. Your bravery and the honour of your bloodline shall be measured in every action you take."

The candidate is offered the option to use the bathroom before they leave for the Tomb. They usually take the Escalade.

"You are unworthy to enter herein as you stand now. Nod your head."

"Say that you are unworthy."

The Brothers protest in the Old Language.

"Though you are not worthy, you desire to become as such this night. Nod your head."

"Say that you wish to become worthy."

The Brothers cheer in the Old Language.

"There is only one way to become worthy and it is the right and proper way. Flesh of our flesh. Nod your head."

"Say that you wish to become flesh of our flesh."

The Brothers chant and sway back and forth, then left and right, with the candidate while moving forward into the main cavern. There, the candidate is led to the dais and stands facing the wall of names.

The Scribe Virgin or Wrath: "Who proposes this male?"

One of the Brothers says: "I, [name], do."

The Scribe Virgin: "Who rejects this male?" (Note that no rejection has been written in any book thus far).

In the case of Butch's indoctrination, the Scribe Virgin says: "On the basis of testimony from Wrath son of Wrath, and upon the proposal by Vishous, son of the Black Dagger warrior known as the Bloodletter, I find this male before me, Butch O'Neal, descended of Wrath son of Wrath, an appropriate nomination unto the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As it is within my power and discretion to do so, and as it is suitable for the protection of the race, I have waived the requirement of the maternal line in this case. You may begin."

At Qhuinn's ceremony, Wrath changes the pronouns to "we" and adds: "... and further, as the laws have been reconstructed to provide that this is right and proper, I have waived all requirements of lineage."

Wrath: "Turn him. Unveil him."

The candidate puts their back to the wall and grips two pegs set into the wall. Wrath then scores a wrist twice with a black dagger; he bleeds into the silver cup set into the skull of the first Brother and says, "My flesh."

He bites the candidate hard on the neck. "Your flesh."

Then he punches the candidate on the chest with an antique silver glove with barbs at the knuckles. The rest of the Brothers repeat these steps.

Wrath holds the skull high and says, "This is the first of us. Hail to him, the warrior who birthed the Brotherhood."

The Brothers give a war cry.

"Drink and join us."

Energy slams into the new Brother. It's not uncommon for them to pass out. The circle brand of the Brotherhood is made on the chest and set permanently with salt. Vishous carves the new name into the black marble wall and the new Brother gets dressed in the robe again.

Codes[]

"18" in a text is code for someone's in a fight and there's trouble.[4]

The Brotherhood, Date of Induction[]

Trainees and Soldiers[]

Allies[]

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lover Unbound, Ch. 12
  2. ↑ Lover Avenged, Ch. 50
  3. ↑ Lover Reborn, Ch. 72
  4. ↑ Blood Kiss, Ch. 40
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
Advertisement