The Ashfinders are a new philosophical movement within the tangled web of Kindred religious observances. They are present in Ibiza, Spain, snorting up dead vampires.
Overview[]
These Yogis are born from the literal ashes of the ongoing Gehenna War, the cult built around the understanding that there may be ways other than diablerie to evolve a Duskborn’s powers. The Ashfinders and their wider conglomerate — the Cinder Institute — possess a multi-faceted dogma, but it boils down to one part ecstatic bacchanalian cult, one part data-mining firm, and a healthy scorn for vampire society. Seen as the “other” by mainstream Kindred, Ashfinders have come to terms with this separation by reveling in life’s greatest pleasures and showing off with the use of social media. While this bravado is tacky to some, by enjoying existence, or some semblance of it, Ashfinders remind themselves of what they lose if they give themselves to the Beast.
The cult counts few true Kindred among its membership, though the majority of the “full-blooded” Kindred who support them have Anarch tendencies. One of the Kindred who mentored the early members of this cult was the Tremere Dr. Mortius, who has been instrumental in providing information and thaumaturgical ability to the Duskborn in exchange for small portions of Ashe — a drug created from vampire remains — for his own personal experiments.
While diablerie is a sure-fire way of becoming notorious among the Damned, these thin-bloods have discovered a way to synthesize necromantic power, thin-blood alchemy, Thaumaturgy, and the ashes of dead Kindred to ingest the shattered elements of the Beast. This drug — known on the street as Ashe — is consumed any way the Duskborn prefers, whether eaten, injected, snorted, or rubbed into an area rich in blood vessels. Doing so creates a bond with the memories and powers of the dead. This way, thin-bloods continue to possess the benefits of walking between the two worlds without having to completely compromise their morality. Ashe is sharing the memories, abilities, and Disciplines of dead Kindred, all blended into a psychedelic euphoria seldom seen among vampires.
There are even rumors certain special batches cause the Hunger to slip away for brief moments of time. The ritual to create the substance itself is incredibly dangerous and can cause lasting consequences for both the creator and the partygoer who eventually imbibes the drug. The use of Ashe has generated some unintended side effects in its users. Some Ashfinders find their withdrawals completely consuming them, and the after-effects drive many to kill vampires so they can obtain their next fix. An aspirant concocter of Ashe must also take the risk of his Alchemy going awry and the ashes of the Vampire coalescing into a Beast Shard.
Ashfinder convictions[]
- Always sample new experiences on offer.
- Never allow someone to silence you.
- Always listen to those of greater experience Wisdom can be gained from those of greater age and experience.
- Always know where your next fix is coming from .
- Never allow the kine to realize your undead nature.
References[]
- VTM: Cults of the Blood Gods, p. 35-46
- VTM: Blood Sigils