CATHARI

By Matthew Morris (morris.113@osu.edu)

History

Long before the inquisition, long before the Akratai, Judges, and perhaps even before the Watchers, stood the Cathari. The Cathari were Hunters from the Mythic age, and like much of the mythic age, their history has been obscured by both time and the Technocracy. They were defenders of the weak, protecting humans from the creatures that hunted the night, working in and with the Byzantine Empire. They claimed swaths of land as their dominion, much of what is now today Southeastern Europe.

To combat the monsters that roamed the lands an order of warriors were formed, the Nightstalkers. Equipped by their mages with weapons of magical strength, the Nightstalkers rode forth, to take back the night from the supernatural creatures that claimed it.

Unfortunately the Cathari were doomed to defeat, both from within and without. When the Arabs first expanded north and the Bulgars expanded west, some of the Cathar lords, seeing their power base threatened, sent their Nightstalkers to fight against the invaders. The leaders did not notice their loss of Numina, and the mages that supported them backed their leaders with Mind magic, through their talismans and foci. The Cathar were slowly, but inexorable driven back, until at last a peace was signed. The Nightstalkers were betrayed, left to die by their corrupt leaders, and the Annex in Constantinople was allowed to survive, under the careful monitoring of the conquers.

Many of the Nightstalkers were killed by their former leaders, and many others by the Vampires and Garou they had hunted, but a few found refuge in the new Arab rulers and their tolerance. This tolerance was shattered in 1074 by the rise of the Seljuk Turks, in part influenced by the actions of Setite Vampires, reversed the liberal policy of the Arabs. The Last known Cathar priests and few Nightstalkers still in the city were killed trying to defend their Annex. The Annex was seriously damaged and left for destroyed by the attackers. Many of the Mages had escaped, again abandoning their faithful and leaving them to perish. Some of these mages later went on to fill out the ranks of the Verbena, Celestial Chorus, Order of Hermes, and the fledgling Technocracy. This left defense of the Annex to the warriors and Hedge Wizards, who were unable to complete their tasks and as a result took what they could into hiding.

The true end for the Cathari came at the hands of the Church. Empowered by the Crusades, and gearing up for the inquisition, the Crusaders sacked Constantinople, and razed the Annex to the ground. They believed the Cathari destroyed and began including their name with heretical sects such as the Bogomils, Novatians, and Albanese.

Unknown to the members of the inquisition, some of the final defenders of the Cathari survived, and escaped with their artifacts north, to the city of Kiev where they helped form the Akratai. Even this flight was short lived as the last of these were killed in 1240, and the Akratai was forced to retreat to Moscow.

The Cathari today

As far as is known the Cathari no longer exist. Though there might be some who remember it (Immortals, Vampires, Oracles, possibly some Gargoyles) it is generally assumed that there are no surviving annexes, or practicing members.

Awakened in the Cathari

Like the Church itself the Cathari did have a few Awakened members. Most were mages, members of what later would become New World Order and Iteration X, but some Orphans as well. A legend persists that one or two Vampires were members, and maybe even revered figures in the lore. Another Legend persists that a Ronin Werewolf was also a member of the Cathari, but this is again, speculation.