Within each of the Damned lies the power they call the Beast. It is the unending hunger and limitless savagery that gnaws at their soul, night after night. They must learn to master the Beast or else go mad, becoming little more than ravening monsters until they are put down by their own kind like rabid dogs. In order to stand against the nightly demands of the Beast, vampires embrace a variety of philosophies, beliefs they can hold on to and build a strong center around, perhaps even paths to greater understanding of their nature and a measure of peace. They call these ways Roads (or viae in Latin), and through them lies hope, and often power.
Each Road has its own unique Rites usually administered by scholars of the Road called Ashen Priests. These rites vary depending on the nature of the Road from prayer to penance to celebration. Vampires must take care not to violate the tenants of their Road lest they Degenerate and risk succumbing to the Beast or, worse yet, in the case of the more structured Roads, be Excommunicated.
The many paths to salvation and mastery of the Beast are:
* Road of the Beast - Via Bestiae
* Road of Heaven - Via Caeli
* Road of Humanity - Via Humanitatis
* Road of Kings - Via Regalis
* Road of Sin - Via Peccati
Other Minor Roads:
* Road of Blood - Via Sanguinis
* Road of Bones - Via Ossium
* Road of the Devil - Via Diabolis
* Road of Paradox - Via Paradoxi
* Road of the Serpent - Via Serpentis
* Road of Slain - Via Einherjar
* Road of Metamorphosis
