The Path of Death and the Soul
| Necronomists - followers of the Path of Death and the Soul - study that part of themselves (and others) which remains aware after vital processes stop. Vampiric unlife illuminates normal death and life because it is poised in between them, making clear the boundaries and contours that normally remain hidden by simple death. After isolating the distinctly mortal components of existence, Necronomists can then grasp the true form of spirit. Necronomists reject both the immortality of ghosts and the endless undead existence of vampires. They seek spiritual mastery, not mere disengagement, and freedom from all mortal and vampiric limits. Everything in the universe begins with spirit - the truly enlightened soul might include everything that is within its existence and rewrite the book of the world to suit itself. According to Necronomists, the heart anchors the soul in its body. Vampire hearts are so vulnerable precisely because vampires shed so much of the armor of mortal life. A vampire's soul withdrew at Embrace from most vital functions to concentrate itself in the heart. Small wonder that a simple wooden stake can destroy such potent force. The Path of Death and the Soul encourages experimentation to overcome this limitation along with all others. Vampires on the Path of Death and the Soul practice Conviction and Self-Control. |