Lisbon (WOD)

Lisbon, known in portuguese as Lisboa, is the capital and largest city of Portugal. Following the effects of the Beckoning, the Kindred elders left the city and ancilla such as Afonso Zarco now rule as Prince pretenders. The Tremere of Spain were believed to have caused the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, envious of the the accomplishments of Lisbon's Kindred.

However, things appear to have changed in the country with the rise of the Ventrue of the Spear of Orthia.

The Spear holds the city of Lisbon tightly in its grip. The Second Inquisition weakened the domain enough that the cult had little trouble in placing one of their own as Prince. They moved into the old aqueducts below the city, secured much of the subterranean network beneath the city, and reinforced the claimed resting-place of Orthia. Despite this, their efforts to excise the city’s Nosferatu from the tunnels have been met with repeated frustration. The increasingly insular nature of the Camarilla has worked in their favor, and while the cult exists as something of an open secret among the Kindred of Lisbon, few outside the domain know how deeply they’ve sunk their claws into the city. Only Ventrue of Orthia’s line are allowed within the heart of the cult’s power, an ancient cistern converted into a temple of their God, and even those do not know where She truly rests — only Orthia’s Hand and Voice hold that knowledge.

Those few Ventrue outside of the direct lineage who have drifted into the cult’s circle of influence may dedicate themselves to its cause, but they will never be more than foot soldiers and pawns used to further the purposes of the Spear. The city of Lisbon, however, is not completely secure. As the Beckoning draws elders away and thin-bloods grow in number, outsiders continually test the purpose of the Spear within the city and without, as coteries of various sects and cults attempt to seize the domain for their own.

The ongoing struggle has made the cult’s efforts to spread outside of Lisbon difficult, as they are forced to focus on the seat of their power and the protection of their sacred charge. It is from Lisbon that the Voice, Elena Andreas, issues the orders communicated to her by the slumbering Orthia. She remains within the temple, seen only rarely by those not among the five members of Orthia’s Hand. Beneath them, a cadre of warrior-priests and priestesses administer to the cult’s rank and file. They send these members, often young Ventrue and fresh recruits themselves, to new cities where the Blood of Orthia runs strong to seek the members of her sacred bloodline; and if necessary, to recruit foot soldiers from among neonates of the Clan. Their insistence on limiting full membership to the cult to Orthia’s lineage has limited the cult’s growth, but their adherence to the purity of their line remains steadfast. The temple itself has changed little from its origins as a cistern. Banners bearing the cult’s sigil hang from the stone walls and a statue of Orthia herself stands at the center of the great chamber. Winding tunnels snake away from the temple’s heart. Cultists clean hideaways formerly held by the city’s Nosferatu and turn them into simple, spartan facilities. Very few of the cult’s members reside within the temple, however, save for its selected guardians — warriors chosen from among the local adherents of all ranks, rotating regularly to prevent their public facade from falling to disarray. The cult has sealed and reinforced areas where the tunnels give way to the warrens of the filth that reside outside of the cult’s control, and guardians from among those chosen are stationed at each point to prevent incursions

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