The curtains covering the walls were dyed deep red, and behind the lectern at the front of the room a floor-to-ceiling icon depicted a man with slashed wrists standing with his arms outstretched from his sides, so that the blood streaming from them fell into silver bowls. It was one of _those_ churches. No wonder it was so empty—it was still daylight.
description of the interior of a CEB church from the story "Alive", by Nobilis Reed
Quote/Scripture passage
Symbol: A golden chalice superimposed with the ankh of eternal life.
Seat of Power: Taikroisa, Lom Shi'Un
Adherents: Unknown number; vampires and humans make up a large percentage of the worshipers.
History
The Church of Eternal Brotherhood was founded by Talia, the Vampire Queen and Dark Goddess of Nature after she regained her sanity.
When Talia first became the Vampire Queen, she was still insane after her soul having been imprisoned in a soul gem for a long time. After several failed attempts to take over the world during the early 700s, Talia finally regained her sanity through the actions of her sister Raven and the god of wisdom, Samekkh. Sickened by the deaths she had inadvertently caused, Talia rejected the path of war and conquest, and even forbade her vampire subjects from killing mortals unless she commanded it. She later turned her focus toward the conducting of "quiet business", organizing her disciples into a worldwide underground organization. The Syndicate, as it is called, is a fusion of secret society and organized crime outfit, with Talia as its head and the vampires as its ruling class.
Parallel to the Syndicate, Talia established the Church of Eternal Brotherhood, a Universalist religion that serves to advance her ethos. While vampires of the Syndicate are often adherents of the church, and most adherents have at least some involvement with Syndicate-controlled businesses and operations, the hierarchy of the Church is completely separate from the hierarchy of the Syndicate; priests within the CEB neither give orders to Syndicate princes nor receive orders from them. However, their long years of association can lead to the formation of close partnerships between these religious and secular leaders … or to bitter feuds and rivalries.
Most people know that vampires tend to be common members of the CEB, but few suspect that they actually run the church; it is assumed that the CEB's doctrine simply fits well with a vampire's view of the world, and that they are drawn into it for that reason.
Doctrine
The CEB is a Universalist faith that focuses its teachings on the universal brotherhood of all sentient races, using blood as a symbol for this shared life and common bond.
the following principles are considered defining attributes of the religion:
Universal brotherhood of all sentient races
The Blood as a Symbol
"The Blood" is the abstract concept that is worshiped most overtly by the CEB. It stands as a symbol for the gifts that the Creator bestowed when it sacrificed itself to create the universe: life, warmth, compassion, connection. All sentient beings have the Blood inside them, and that makes them brothers and sisters, whether they realize it or not.
Emphasis on the Natural Order
There's a natural order, that those who are strong end up taking control of those who are weak. However, this power over others should not be used selfishly: one has an obligation to take care of those under them in the power structure. In the deeper, secret teachings of the church, adherents are taught about the Great Heart, who commands the flowing of the Blood. She is their Queen, and they believe that one day all blood will flow in obedience to her.
Caring for the sick and needy
The CEB is very active in social work, and this is considered central to their mission. When the weakest members of a society are sick and in need, The Blood is weakened, and everyone suffers. Vaccination campaigns, blood drives, and homeless shelters are all key aspects of CEB outreach.1
Scriptures
unknown
Ritual & Ceremony
See "The Three Graces" for an example of a CEB church service.
Infant Dedication.
unknown
Baptism
unknown
Rite of Passage
unknown
Marriage
unknown
Ordination
Ordination follows three stages: acolyte, junior priest, and head priest. Acolytes can be mortal, but the ascension to the priesthood requires being transformed into a vampire. The ordination process also includes many years of theology classes and apprenticeship.
Funeral Rites
unknown
Organization
The CEB itself keeps a low profile, generally known only as a mostly social club that is active in charity work. While some of its trappings are seen as a little strange, and the membership of the vampires in the church is generally known, most people are content to dismiss it as a harmless, benign organization.
It is when someone starts going deeper are they allowed to see the religious aspect of the CEB.
Most people know that vampires tend to be common members of the CEB, but few suspect that they actually run the church; it is assumed that the CEB's doctrine simply fits well with a vampire's view of the world, and that they are drawn into it for that reason. Conspiracy theorists who argue that the doctrine fits a vampire's views entirely too well are usually laughed at or otherwise dismissed by average folks; remember, the typical citizen has no idea that the Syndicate exists, or that they are so thoroughly organized. Even those who know that the local mob boss is a vampire may not suspect that he answers to a chain of command that leads all the way up to Talia herself.
Discipline
unknown
Interactions Outside the Church
The Syndicate
Malcolm ard'Valos currently has a substantial amount of influence within the Metamor chapter of the CEB, since the untimely death of their head priestess Illura five years ago. The current head priestess, Amelie Grace, owes him some favors, and her mentor, Master Geiran, is an old ally of Malcolm's. The CEB's Street-level missionary outposts double as a way for Syndicate-allied gang members to pass intelligence to the vampires.
The International Red Spiral
Naturally Akkala, the Imperial Minister of Health and the founder of the International Red Spiral, knows all too well what Talia is up to. On the whole, though, she recognizes that the CEB is doing a lot of good (particularly in the field of blood related diseases) and that Talia does an admirable job of keeping her children restrained most of the time. The IRS would rather coordinate with the CEB and share the relief efforts than engage in a futile turf war that wouldn't benefit their patients at all.
Senadyne Medical Services/Psis
Interestingly enough, while the vamps are taking the lead on relief efforts and some types of medical technology, many of the actual doctors and hospitals in Metamor and Quenardya are part of Senadyne Medical Services Group, which is run by the Psi Collective. As has been noted elsewhere, the psis and vamps despise each other. If the vamps do run HMOs, they probably either deny their customers access to Senadyne facilities — which would suck, since they're the best in the world — or allow access to them only in dire cases, at which point the psis will gleefully overcharge the vamps for every dek they can squeeze out of them.
Lothanasi
The Lothanasi know that Talia is behind the CEB, and they keep a careful eye on its activities. Since the Empire has guaranteed freedom of religion, though, there's not much they can do to act against the Church as long as it operates within the law. The Lothanasi see the CEB as Talia's public relations arm; the vampires within the CEB may be skilled propagandists, but they are unlikely to do anything that would justify taking direct paramilitary action against them. The Lothanasi suspect that the CEB in Metamor has lost some of its independence in the chaos that followed Illura's death, but they have no way of knowing the depth of the influence Malcolm currently has on the local chapter.
Author's Notes
Sources: Talia, Wiki Forum Post: Vampires Wanted, Conversation with our fearless leader2
Librarian's Note This page will get a MAJOR update once the Librarian can sit on her boss with a recorder or something and get some answers out of him