Black Sun

By Diane Keating (unshetek@best.com)

History

The Sept had been nervous for a long time. The Rite of Caern Building would be performed the next day and the crescent moons had been sequestered in the pro-tem Sept Shrine for many hours. Twenty minutes ago, Thierry, the hideous but wren-voiced Galliard from the dark Pack, the Hollow Sun, went into the Shrine at the request of the Seers. He hadn't come out yet.

The embryonic Sept looked at each other grimly. They only numbered a handful and the secret of their gathering and the unborn Caern location had been heavy on them. We must be crazy, they thought: this is New Orleans; the Kindred rule here. They always have. And the Rite of Caern building is lethal -- who will die? Which of us? All of us? I mean...isn't there a Black Spiral Hive right next door in Jefferson?

Just then, the lights went out and the Sept could smell the sacred Kyphi incense. Deep Crinos voices chanted, and the horrible, horned, ridged and spiked body of Theirry Beausoleil, Galliard of the Hollow Sun, stood before them limned in weird blue-silver light. No details of his monstrous countenance could be discerned in the backlighting, but the Sept caught their breath as one as surely as they did when the Louisiana sun fell on him full.

'Listen to me!' Thierry thrummed in the darkness. 'The Seers have had a vision. There is a house in New Orleans, but it will not be called "The Rising Sun." It will be called the Black Sun.

'The Celestines are pleased with us, our vision and courage, and have promised us a boon. Tomorrow, to see us through our rite, Luna and Helios themselves will join in embrace and give to us a great new Sept Totem, the Black Sun! They know our need -- they know we have no warriors -- they know that we need a never-before-seen totem to protect, aid and empower us as we hold our caern.'

And the next day, on the Winter Solstice, the newborn Sept of the Black Sun watched the skies for their cue. The skies gradually blackened as Helios and Luna ran across the heavens to embrace. The Seers gave the signal, began the ritual, and for many hours the mighty Theurges that had come together for this great work struggled and chanted. The Sept were helped by some Kindred who made friends with them, mostly Gangrel; a pack of Red Talons came out of the Bayou and fought for them; and the whole of New Orleans and Jefferson Parish were thrown into chaos as the total eclipse of the sun made them all remember that Gaia Herself was capable of a greater darkness than any oil slick, boardroom underbelly or cloacocumulus could ever pretend to.

The Black Sun Celestine was born at the same time as the Temple of the Amentet and the clutch of Crowned Mokole that were to be the new Caern's defenders. The caern was the first of its kind, and showed the Garou that night wasn't the only time the Rite of Caern Building could be performed. The Black Sun reigned supreme in the sky as the triumphant Sept continued the ritual and carried it through by sheer dint of spiritual elation, wrighting a Level 5 caern that was as rare and powerful as the total eclipse of the sun.

The Black Sun

The Black Sun is a Lesser Celestine that serves under Helios. He grants that caerns created while His face shines upon Gaia stay hidden until He shines on them again, wherein they blaze with the power of Helios crystalized. This young god is known to have only one Incarna thus far, the Diamond Sun. Certain Eastern Garou believe that the chant "Om ma ne padme hum," which means "Hail the Jewel in the Lotus" refers to a total solar eclipse and the totem Dorje Phamo, the Diamond Sow, may be connected with Him.

Caerns

Caerns created during a total Solar Eclipse will blaze with the effects of the Gift: Halo of the Sun with an intensity equal to the infliction of ten dice of damage to any Kindred within a mile of the caern. The only way to avoid this damage is to Earthmeld. This effect continues for 24 hours after the creation of the caern, when it turns to effects similar to the Gift: Blissful Ignorance until the next solar eclipse, total or partial. During a partial eclipse the caern will blaze with regular-strength Halo of the Sun until the eclipse is over.

In regular (non-occluded) sunlight, the eyes of everyone except the tending Sept and whatever allies will skip over the caern and ignore its existence.

Fetishes

The Black Sun can power fetishes and talens with Jagglings and Gafflings. These are fairly rare, though, as they must always include a diamond of any colour (preferred), or any black stone (jet, obsidian, onyx, hematite, black diamonds, etc.).

Gift Lore

Gifts that have in their effect a huge, spectacular, last-ditch effort to throw back darkness and evil, such as Coup de Grace, Blissful Ignorance, Halo of the Sun, etc.; Gifts of Enigmas, Willpower traits, and Honour are also connected with Him.

Material correspondences

Black, brilliant stones, diamonds, blue flames, pale light and dark light.

Chiminage

The Black Sun is always willing to help His followers but more often than not He simply isn't there. He automatically falls asleep until Helios and Luna come close and/or embrace.

Followers and servants of the Black Sun have learned very quickly to develop their own powers and shift for themselves, never relying on their patron until they see His face. When He does He makes up for not heeding the prayers and pleas of His children during their isolation. The Black Sun doesn't charge spiritual Chiminage: He knows that His Children have enough imposed on them.

Meditation

"What does the interior of the sun look like? All dark, I should imagine: and that is why He is so bright on the outside."
-- Nebt Unshetek Horapollo, Theurge of the Sept of the Black Sun.