The Path of Re-emergence

By Bryan Rendall, for his re-work of the Setites.

"Morality, wisdom, ethics: These are all lofty and noble ideals, to which all should aspire. Yet what is their value, if they are never tested? What is the hope of their realization, if the way is misguided and unfruitful?"

- Ephrim, Setite Philosopher

Nickname

Awakeners

Basic Beliefs

All conscious entities in the world are embroiled in the constant conflict of their baser impulses to evil against their higher yearning to good. Also in the world are many things which lead one to evil. Setites are one of these.

Awakeners believe that for intelligent and self-aware entities, the pursuit of the good is the greatest and most worthy of goals. Yet the very worth of the good is intertwined with the possibility of a falling away into the evil. For the Awakeners, they strive for the good by ensuring the continued value of the good. Only by constant temptation and corruption can the virtue grow strongest.

Corruption also acts as a useful pruning method, cutting away the ones lacking self-awareness and introspection, those who have lost their way on the path upwards, or who have corrupted the process of the ascent. Only by stripping away all of these corrupt and useless values, leaving the base human animal, can the pure process begin again.

For those on this path, the role of the Setites as the great corrupters is viewed as being a necessary evil to ensure the greater good. Far the Awakeners, so long as they perform with this in mind, and not act gratuitously, then they have achieved a goodness as instruments of the process of the universe. As instruments of, rather than participants in, the universe, they themselves are not beholden to the usual moral standards which they themselves judge others against.

The Ethics Of The Path

• Always act with control and reserve. Your needs must not corrupt your own goals. Always fight the urge to Frenzy.
• Corrupt the evil and the ordinary people. The truly virtuous will flourish, the others need to reassess their beliefs.
• Tempt the virtuous. Remind them of the value of their beliefs, and discover those with flaws that need correcting.
• Protect the lives of the evil more than the good. The evil have yet to realize their own moral potential.
• Practise self-contemplation. Only then can you be sure you are acting in accordance with the process of the universe.
• Embrace only the virtuous. Only they perceive deeply enough to appreciate the need for ones such as we.

History

The Path of Re-Emergence is the youngest of the Paths practised by the Setites, emerging at the time of the Inquisition and the Anarch Revolt that spawned the Sabbat. The fervor and the faith demonstrated by the Inquisition in their war against the Kindred brought the realization among a small group of Italian based Setites that only through the practise of evil does good grow the strongest. The Path of Re-Emergence never captured the imagination of most Setites, and claims the least number of Setites of any Path.

Current Practises

Awakeners do not have any regular gatherings or meetings. They are far less likely to establish or rule a temple than other Setites, being often nomadic and concerned with an individual case of corruption. Possibly their most distinctive practice is the time and effort they spend in choosing and embracing a childe. Having established the virtue of their candidates, and embraced them, they begin the long and involved process of subtly corrupting them, while maintaining the depth of their understanding. This can take months, or even years. Young Awakeners generally have the highest virtues of any Setite neonate.

Description Of Followers

To human eyes, Awakeners seem in a state of self-contradiction. An Awakener may engage in deep ethical discussion, espousing the value of such, and then calmly perform some twisted and perverted act. They are extremely calm and controlled, often leading ascetic lifestyles of self-denial. Of all Setites, the Awakeners are generally the more learned and of philosophical bent.

Views About the Other Paths

Path of Typhon: "They are helpless and blind, seeing only what is already in their own hearts and souls. Still, they are our fellow instruments of renewal, although I wouldn't bother trying to make them understand this."

Following the Path

The character should maintain his composure and reserve at all times, avoiding situations that lead to frenzy. The character should spend time in self-contemplation to ensure his own continued purity and strength of purpose. The character should investigate matters ethical thoroughly, the better to corrupt it. The character should concentrate all efforts to corrupt a single individual or institution at a time. The character should disdain worldy power and possessions beyond what is required to corrupt a particular subject.

Common Abilities

Acting, Bureaucracy, Empathy, History, Meditation, Philosophy (Ethics), Setite Lore, Subterfuge.

Preferred Disciplines

Beyond the Clan Disciplines, Auspex is the most commonly exercised. Animalism is another common one.

Do's and Don'ts of Following the Path of Re-Emergence

1	You must corrupt the evil so that they may ascend.
2	You must tempt the good to renew their understanding of morality and to weed out those lacking true understanding.
3	You must corrupt the institutions of man, which harbour and reflect the values of the ones who control them.
4	You must sublimate your own needs to the will of the Universe.
5	You must engage in self-examination and meditation to ensure that your motives are pure.
6	You must resist frenzy, which blinds you to your task and the means of achieving it.
7	You must reject the blandishments of the world, such as material wealth and power, that distort your vision.
8	You must examine the idea of "goodness" in all its forms, so as to corrupt it better, and renew your conviction.
9	You must only Embrace those of sufficient ethical and spiritual depth to see the need for ones such as us.
10	You must not attempt to corrupt fellow Setites. They are tools as much as you, although followers of other paths may be blind to this fact.

Path of Re-Emergence Hierachy of Sins

If an Awakener ever acts contrary to humanity without the end of corruption in mind, or derives any gratification from the act itself, then she must make a Path roll exactly as if she possessed Humanity.

10	Failing to pursue an opportunity to expand your ethical understanding
9	Allowing evil people to die when saving them would endanger your own life
8	Diverging your focus of corruption from more than one target at a time; Failing to periodically engage in self-examination and assessment
7	Failing to attempt to corrupt an inaccessible target
6	Allowing evil people to die when saving them would involve some danger; Choosing to save good people over evil ones when this is the easier course of action
5	Riding the Wave during frenzy or acting in a way that may distort your perception of your purpose
4	Failing to attempt to corrupt an accessible target
3	Allowing evil people to die when saving them would present no apparent danger; Choosing to save good people over evil ones when this is the harder course
2	Embracing the evil and the non-virtuous
1	Deliberately choosing to corrupt yourself by seeking to frenzy or by reveling in worldy blandishments