The Path of Voodoo
By Thomas Jensen (tj@hum.auc.dk)
The Path of Voodoo originates in the Caribbean Islands -- most Cainite scholars point to Santa Domingo and Jamaica as likely places of origin. This is mainly due to the regional concentration of Voodoo cults, but also because of the way in which Voodoo affects all stages of life on the islands; a so widespread, vital importance could not have been achieved if the Art had not been present from the very primeval youth of the islands, from before the petty colonial squabbles over the lush island of Santa Domingo or the days of Toussaint L'Overture and Dessalines.
The practice of Voodoo has been greatly feared through the centuries, and with good cause. Although many "investigators" believe they have revealed Voodoo to be a total hoax, in fact they have only seen the smoke screen that was set up by the True Cainite Priests that rule the islands and practice their dark arts.
The Path of Voodoo involves using Spirits of the Dead to do one's work and bidding. For the unwary, this Path can be a dangerous one, as failure to command the Spirits properly may very well gain the enmity of the Loa Spirits, such as Papa Legba or Baron Samedi -- but even the hostility of a normal spirit is a most unpleasant experience. If the Magus fails in the use of the Path, s/he loses a point of Willpower and furthermore gains the enmity of an entity from the plane of the Loa. The Storyteller should decide what kind of Spirit the would-be user offends. Note that a high-ranking (and thus more powerful) Spirit could very well interfere with the Magus's plans, if it judges its underlings to be unable to deal properly with the offending Magus. Of course, the severity of the offense is dictated by the degree of failure; a small failure would be dealt with by a Spirit similar in power to a poltergeist - with a correspondingly short period of punishment - while a horrible, botched failure will attract the attention and wrath of one or more of the Loa.
The Path of Voodoo is very rare and is usually only possessed by Cainites who were either members of a powerful Voodoo cult while they were alive, or who were embraced by a Cainite to whom the Practice of the Path would come instead of the Path of Thaumaturgy, such as the Followers of Set and the Serpents of the Light. Justin Crowe was such a Bokor before his embrace, and he has since regained the mantle of Bokor.
Unlike the Path of Spirit Thaumaturgy, which is somewhat akin to the Path of Voodoo, with Voodoo, contacting the Spirit Planes comes naturally to Kindred, as they are already attuned to the Plane of Death.
Level Description
1 The Mark of Guede: The target of this power becomes invisibly Marked for Death, and it is primarily the way to prepare for more powerful Voodoo. Guede is the Loa Spirit of the Dead and is usually the one whom Houngans (male Voodoo priests), Mambos (female Voodoo priests) or Bokor (the notorious, evil Voodoo priests) address when they wish to curse someone. Papa Legba and Guede's Acolyte Baron Samedi are also used for such purposes, as the Opener of the Gateway and the Lord of the Cemetery, respectively. However, when the Gateway has been opened, the cursed character seems to attract malicious Spirits which follow him and torment him by hindering his actions to some degree. While these Spirits do not follow the Marked person constantly, they show up frequently.
System: The Cainite practitioner needs three things to use this power: A broad blade knife, with a serrated edge, and a handle wrapped in skin torn from a freshly-killed animal (this knife is sometimes known as the Ku-bha-sah), a clay amulet engraved with the Veves (Voodoo Runes) of Guede, which resemble a stylized image of a white snake curling around a tombstone. The snake is normally perceived as the Snake Loa Damballah's mark, but it is believed that his Veves have been mixed with that of Guede, for he also represents Power. This Amulet must be bound to the handle of the knife, using a leather strap made from the skin of a one-week-old corpse. The final ingredient are three blood points of Cainite Vitae, which is used to baptize the amulet and knife. If the materials have been properly prepared and approved by Guede, the Vitae is absorbed into the Knife and Amulet.
Caster must make a Mental V.S. Social roll against target. If the use of the Power is successful and the Vitae is absorbed, the knife with the attached amulet must be placed in the door, or doorway, of the victim in order for the Spirits to find their way to him. Note that once the Knife has been placed, it matters not if the victim removes it, since the spirits will already have homed in on their target.
The Level of the Path of Voodoo must be used prior to the casting of any of the Ritual Curses described below.
