According to the teachings of Haqim, his Clan is charged to judge other Cainites and punish the unworthy. Of all the tenets Haqim passed down to his childer, this is the strictest. Each member recognises that Caine’s blood is a gift, not a right, and not everyone deserves to have it. The Road of Blood formed around this rule, setting out a set of rigid guidelines to adhere to in order to find clarity in purpose and ensure correct judgments.
Most Banu Haqim following the Road of Blood belong to the nomadic warrior sect, taking up the mantle of judges and executioners for the rest of the clan. A few non-Banu Haqim join the ranks of the Sentinels, but most view them with a wary eye, assuming they only seek the power of diablerie. Despite the proclivity for Amaranth that comes with being an adherent of the Road of Blood, much of the Road’s doings go unnoticed by Cainite society. Sentinels are careful in their actions, taking pains to ensure each judgment is correct and deserved before acting. Careless decisions and wrongful deaths degrade the integrity and sacred duty of the orders handed down by Haqim. Judgments often work on extended timescales, following the idea that a vampire’s lifetime is too long for hasty decisions. Those who abuse the charge for diablerie or attract unwanted attention are dealt with immediately. Sentinels spend as much time policing their own ranks as they do on the rest of Cainite society, ensuring that every single member retains a constant vigil against corruption and failure.
That said, in the time of the Anarch Revolt, things are less clear. The elders of Europe have been found unworthy en masse of the blood in their veins. To compound their crimes, they have brought the Blood Hunt against the entire Clan of Haqim. The teachings of the Road of Blood are clear: Sentinels must not submit to the will of the elders of Europe, especially the Camarilla, and their blood must be returned to Haqim.
Sobriquet
Sentinels
Preferred by
Banu Haqim
Ethics
- The blood of Caine is a gift that must be earned
- Purity, honour, and discipline are the hallmarks of a warrior
- Do not act with haste – every action requires careful consideration
- Allowing the Beast to take control is a sign of weakness and unfitness to retain Caine’s blood
| Level of Sin | Description |
| 1* | Acting impulsively in any situation; allowing actions to be dictated by emotion |
| 1 | Succumbing to frenzy |
| 2 | Failing to diablerise an unworthy vampire; acting cowardly or dishonourably |
| 3 | Allowing the unworthy to go unpunished; showing weakness before the unworthy |
| 4 | Failing to honour an oath |
| 5 | Submitting to the will of an unworthy elder or Prince; becoming oathbound to another Cainite |
*: only for someone with Road rating of 6
Organisation
Traditionally, Sentinels often worked alone and kept to themselves. They tended to set up areas to cover and rarely encounter one another. Most of their organisation followed a mentor/student relationship as new members were trained in the Road. Otherwise, following the Road was very solitary. Each adherent traveled to areas dictated by their clan, judging and dealing with the unworthy as necessary.
Now, however, things have changed. Sentinels work closely together and with the Anarchs to hunt and kill European elders. Whether they think the Anarch cause is inherently just, or that the Anarchs are useful idiots, is a matter for each Sentinel to establish for themselves. Together with the Road of the Abyss and the Road of Metamorphosis – philosophies with which they have little in common – the Road of Blood forms a bloc on the Anarchs’ guiding council, ensuring the core principles of the Revolts’ major Clans are represented. The Sentinels decide their preferred candidate based on who has resisted frenzy the longest and brought the most unworthy Cainites to justice, and then that person seeks to ensure that theirs is one of the two Voices selected from among the three minor Roads.
Aura
Resolve. A follower of the Road of Blood takes their task seriously and is dedicated to following through. The aura modifier affects Willpower rolls.