World of Darkness Lore: The Society of Leopold

A lore video on the Society of Leopold, a secret organization of Roman Catholic witch-hunters descended from the Papal Inquisition of the Middle Ages. The Society is pledged to the complete eradication of all supernatural beings and powers in the World of Darkness, with a particular animosity for Vampires. Wielding steel, fire, and Faith, the Society of Leopold hunts the predators of the night.
01:49 History of the Society of Leopold
15:25 What the Society Knows
19:58 Organization of the Society
22:16 Orders Within the Society
26:20 Sects and Factions Within the Society
30:43 Joining the Society
32:26 Training and the Novitiate
33:44 How the Society Hunts
35:23 The Tools of the Inquisitor’s Trade
39:29 True Faith
42:04 The Society’s Counterparts of Other Religions

[@DarkVeghetta]

"[...] European legal history would probably only interest me and five other people." I present myself for the count.

[@D--FENS]

Same here.

[@DarkVeghetta]

@@D--FENS I'd like to take a moment and applaud you for your excellent taste in movies. Falling Down is one of the best films ever produced.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

Hello there

[@nyarparablepsis872]

*raises hand* me too

[@VarangianGuard13]

History Nerds, represent!

[@otakuofmine]

And now they are re-approved by the church and Leopold named saint. So now they are the Society of St. Leopold. Sometimes they accompany SI units to help them. But often they are seen as weirdos, as most SI iterations dont believe or wanna believe in the supernatural.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Considering that Leopolders have the all-time high score in vampire killing, the SI (whoever they are) could probably learn a few things from them.

[@otakuofmine]

@@lazarofstygia2241 Second Inquisition. Term given by Kindred for new danger, although it is not a united force, but many govermental intelligence agencies and other groups. Likewise, the Newburgh Group in the UK gets help by the Arcanum.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Hmm, the Arcanum decided to get off the fence? Bold play, especially since vampires burned one their chapters and killed its members for being too nosy about Kindred business. Possibly some pack of degenerates calling themselves the Children of Hecate.

[@otakuofmine]

@@lazarofstygia2241 Interesting. Maybe they smelled it as a big chance of retribution. I mean pest plants always grow back.

[@curiositypiqued6573]

​@lazarofstygia2241 nutjobs and cults....how are these fraudulent quacks and fraudsters allowed to torture and kill at random and as they please

[@nbHawkeye]

When I think about the Society of Leopold two, possibly three things come into my mind - Grünfeld Bach, a man that got superhuman powers due to his faith in god, that concept art of a buff priest holding a rosary punching a vampire in the face and possibly Father Anthony from Vampire the Masquerade: Coteries of New York an old priest whose faith is so strong that even standing besides him hurts the fledgling and he might also have some ties to the order of vampire hunters.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Bach was a good hunter character, but Chastity the stripper vampire hunter should have gotten more development.

[@varyar77]

'The Inquisition' was one of the first White Wolf books I ever bought. It's still one of my favorites (I even wrote a Revised Era 'sequel' book bringing them into the 21st century). Great video!

[@lazarofstygia2241]

It's probably better than whatever the 'official' update is.

[@samuelrodriguez9801]

The Society of Leopold still exists in the Modern Setting.

[@Jsay18]

When you mentioned the Alberteens I busted out laughing at work! My last ST gave me permission to use Albertus Magnus (a Prominent Brujah) as my Sire. Fun times.

[@onemoregodrejected9369]

Honestly, I like better to roleplay a vampire hunter with True Faith than a filthy Blank

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Deus vult.

[@jairoukagiri2488]

A buddy of mine had a vampire one of those, the Dracula Legacy themes are always fun.

[@pdbrwn2]

Yeah I myself I played an assemite Hunter that was fun I did it when I was stationed at Hawaii nothing beats a vampire hunter, a vampire that hunts their own kind but you have to be careful if they find you they will kill your character, I played my character in a LARP

[@codyspegel6317]

My friend and I actually made a Lasombra offshoot pretty much the opposite of the Angellis Ater. They also followed a rule of two system, that their would always be one Elder and one neonate. When the neonate became powerful he would either wait until his master went into torpor, or strike out on his own or kill or be killed. They were heavily catholic and the first were a 6th Gen Lasombra Catholic priest and his 7th Gen childer a 13th Crusade Templar who was dying upon the battlefield after having faced a Baali valiantly. We have kind of headcannoned this pair into a later game and now the Templar is his own master while his master lies in torpor, awaiting the day he needs to be awakened or Gehenna occurs. Ofc some stupid bastard is trying to find and wake up the old priest.

[@Franky566]

@@jairoukagiri2488 yeah, but the dracula legacy isnt really that big of a deal, cause he is as many times removed from khane as the rest of them. like... lacroix was more powerful than dracula.

[@coureurdesbois6754]

Quebec city being the "Iquisitorial capital" of Canada is actually really cool. We are the only north american city to have kept our stone fortifications as well and I just think it's a really cool setting for a WOD game.

[@skeletonking4119]

Father Anderson

[@lazarofstygia2241]

It was either Anderson, or Sister Yolanda of the Church of Violence.

[@Bluntz1289]

@@lazarofstygia2241 Ah. A Black Lagoon fan. Gooood gooooood.

[@sambaggins1]

Still awaiting the history of the Arcanum- as that was a society I could not get my head around--- thanks for all the commits it takes to get through all this lore and cannon...

[@StarkeRealm]

I realize this is about a year late, but the Arcanum are pretty simple in concept with one very important concept. World of Darkness divides mages between awakened mages (who practice magic through sheer willpower altering the fabric of reality), and non-awakened mages (sometimes called hedgemages, sorcerors, pathmages, and a number of other things.) Hedgemages are restricted to specific spells that they learn, and can't really just adjust reality on the fly the way an awakened can. In most cases, hedgemages aren't really aware that awakened mages are something different. (Though, IIRC, hedgemages don't count as sleepers for the purpose of calculating paradox, even on vulgar affects... if that sentence means anything to you.) The Arcanum is an organization of non-awakened individuals who try to research and discover magic. In a lot of cases, these are people who are either hedgemages or aspiring to become hedgemages. So, an organization that is trying to discover the secrets of magic, out there looking for spells, and trying to catalogue the supernatural. If you ever saw it, the organization in the Poltergeist TV series was a pretty good example of what the Arcanum was, and how it worked.

[@lewisstan5692]

Looking forward to playing skyrim while listening to this lore.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Dawnguard?

[@lewisstan5692]

I finished the content on a character I made while watching your video on the Baali. You ran through Fort Dawnguard and summoned daedra, turned into a vampire lord and just slaughtered everyone while listening learning about the inquisition and realizing how I wish the regular Dawnguard was as kool as the Inquisition.

[@potandpoliticswithmr.broph1420]

Never expected this lore. Thanx boss

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! You're welcome.

[@EternalVirgin]

My man's putting Alexander Anderson as the thumbnail, based

[@TheKagar]

Thank you for informative video. Background song/ambient really sold atmosphere of holy warriors in the land of darkness for me :D

[@DarthVil]

They would also make a great foil for the Amenti, if they discovered them. I could see them having serious issues with their act of blasphemy, coming back to life without the intercession of Jesus Christ. That True Faith doesn't negatively impact the Reborn might both serve as a foil, whereby they can say that Satan protects them, as well as a potential hook for them to LOSE True Faith. Noting, too, that the Undying see protecting people with True Faith as being important to Ma'at, it makes things a LOT less cut and dry than "KILL IT WITH FIRE!" It could, in fact, lead to some very fun storytelling and RP.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

There are some ecumenical Inquisitors who would run across the Amenti and think 'this too is part of God's plan', instead of reaching for the closest flamethrower. There was at least on Muslim Amenti who reconciled his condition with his faith by identifying Osiris as a servant of Allah. More likely that not, an Amenti would see an Inquisitor as a useful attack dog against the nearest Setite temple.

[@JohnSmith-ik8nt]

@@lazarofstygia2241 what was Jesus in this games lore

[@gypsyg9612]

@@JohnSmith-ik8nt Same as Mohammed, most of them are largely unmentioned aside from the references to the Bible and Quran itself.. You can make them what you want them to be.. You could make them actual religious figures with "beatific" levels kind of True Faith.. Scorging all supernatural from miles away.. Or perhaps if you dont like the religious aspects you could make them one of the undying perhaps. The undying have many similiar abilities as Jesus supposedly did. Heal the sick, split water, turning water into wine and other transfiguration, gives blessings or curses to people, resurrection and the list goes on really.. Dont know much about Islam or miracles performed by Mohammed, but I imagine whatever it is would be perfectly within the capabilities of a Amanti.. Incredible wisdom, insights and combat prowess and such Perhaps a particularly powerful Amanti subsequently slain by Horus during one of his occational awakenings for example for straying from the path of Osiris.. Or they might still be around.. Completely up to you really

[@mrraisbeck]

Perfect night time listening, thanks Lazar!

[@lazarofstygia2241]

You're welcome!

[@fastgav]

Interesting video. I never really played hunter so learning about this group was really enlightening. I am curious though i noticed that there was a group of hunters for all splats except for the fae. Are they not considered other/evil?

[@lazarofstygia2241]

The Fae have a group of 'hunters' called the Dauntain, essentially Fae who have been corrupted by Banality.

[@GrimgoreIronhide]

The society of Leopold basically doesn't widely accept that the fey exist. The tiny number of Inquisitors who do are looked at as kind of kooky, and even the ones that do belive have no way of convincing the rest that they are enough of a threat to warrant any action. If a member of the Society of Leopold started investing much time or effort into hunting fey he would probably eventually be accused of dereliction of duty for chasing harmless shadows when there is a sea of bloodthirsty monsters that they must contend with.

[@joshshin6819]

Really hard to hunt something you can barely perceive. Fae are not the average supernatural.

[@jairoukagiri2488]

@@joshshin6819 Believing in and understanding them or not is an edge they have over Hunter and Technocratic alike except for the whole Banality thing, and old Hunters Witnessing them. My one Fianna was raised by a priestly uncle, nice odd ball alliance group.

[@Franky566]

no, no "hunters," are the ones that are chosen by the watchers/heralds. the "society of leopold," are "vampire hunters."

[@joshjacob1530]

Wouldn’t be surprised if Leopoldo was a moor just like Dracula and history got changed.

[@Soloong_Gaybowzer]

The preview picture showing Alexander Anderson, Deacon of the Iscariot Order. And I'm thinking the society sounds like it was built in an identical format as the Iscariot Order.

[@nyarparablepsis872]

I just love the so wonderfully Christian explanations the SoL has for the various WoD critters. Witchcraft! Pagan rites and bestiality! Demons! 😁

[@Tulkash01]

I take this description comes mainly from Hunters hunted, right? A pity you did not include the history of the Shadow Inquisition as detailed by DA:Inquisitor, I find it to be the best WW module by far on the subject of fighting the supernatural in the WoD.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

The Shadow Inquisition doesn't line up to the point I would rather deal with it separately.

[@danielpratt1970]

These guys having true faith is what goes beyond my suspension of disbelief in WoD.

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Not all who are Faithful are saints but all Saints are Faithful.

[@stephentaylor6726]

@@lazarofstygia2241 Seems more like proof of the mage worldview than that of Christianity...maybe they should listen to what that witch on the rack is saying...

[@lazarofstygia2241]

@@stephentaylor6726Mages don't have a worldview; they have a few dozen, and a few of those align, broadly, with the Inquisition's (Celestial Chorus & Knights Templar).

[@stephentaylor6726]

@@lazarofstygia2241 referring to the consensus...

[@deadinsidemcgee411]

Why?

[@Trollioli]

Background music is Agnus Dei - Samuel Barber

[@ssjjshawn]

1:02 Well shit I'm one of those 5, and now I want a lore video about the real life politics and explanation of the legal disputes of the Inquisition

[@jagerspricht2605]

I like the music in the background - which track is this?

[@danny_decheeto8300]

so are the society and the SAD still canon? I remember it being mentioned that in Hunter the reckoning that there were not a lot of organizations around that fought against the supernatural. Does that just refer to no hunter orders, or does that mean these aren't canon anymore

[@gabrielhlushko312]

No there still all cannon theres the massive group of the SI or conglomerate, hunters just dont know much about them

[@danny_decheeto8300]

@@gabrielhlushko312 ah kk

[@gabrielhlushko312]

@@danny_decheeto8300 i recommend a video called "the second inquistion the biggest threat to vampires"

[@danny_decheeto8300]

@@gabrielhlushko312 cool

[@alizard7617]

Hey do you know what music is playing in the background?

[@BlueBedouin]

So much lore yet so few games, a shame

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

If I had a dollar for each time I had been called half the country away when these guys showed up, I could buy the Empire State Building

[@KaiserAfini]

What is their view on the Templar Tradition ?

[@spiritofarkham1235]

My take on the use of true faith is that the user must be a true believer in whatever doctrine or religion that they follow.

[@42ndguardian]

the real question, is True Faith some form of Sleeper Magic or is it tapping into the power of the divine spark humanity has?

[@muninrob]

Yes.

[@tzaphkielconficturus7136]

Is there a difference?

[@zesky6654]

​@@tzaphkielconficturus7136 true magic is what mages do, everything else counts as linear magic.

[@theanarchonazbolinquisitio7123]

So is this the spanish inquisition the second inquisition or the sabbat inquisition?

[@lazarofstygia2241]

The Papal Inquisition, or rather a subset of it.

[@juliagoodwin9510]

All I know is that nobody expects them! ...I'm not sorry. Somebody had to do it.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

Is there a more... Secular order of hunters in Europe like how the US has SAD? Or does the Vatican watch over the entire peninsula?

[@zackkilgore528]

Europe is a continent and no, the Vatican does not watch over all of Europe just the Catholic majority countries. The Akritai watch over the Orthodox Countries and the Society of Saint George operates in Britain.

[@thomastakesatollforthedark2231]

@@zackkilgore528 you can be a peninsula and a continent at the same time. And... Well I guess the Netherlands is fucked then

[@voltairethegoldflame9280]

You'd probably have to look at some rather obscure Europe-only books. There's at minimum one mentioned organization similar to SAD in Germany; most of the time these orgs have about 3 lines of text.

[@gypsyg9612]

@@thomastakesatollforthedark2231 Netherlands is a active battlegrounds pretty much.. Sabbat, Camarilla, mages, technocracy, werewolves and even a fae faction known as the "court of Tulips". All of that going on in the region around Amsterdam pretty much.. Not a very pleasant place to be

[@OpenBiolabsGuy]

It’s this book and Demon Hunter X that make me feel like the Imbued of Hunter the Reckoning were an out of place mistake to make and that Hunter the Vigil is everything that Hunter the Reckoning should have been. The Society of Leopold is basically Malleus Maelificarum of the WoD, and the other hunter organizations briefly listed in this core book are basically tier 3 hunter conspiracies. The Shih and Strike Force Zero are also basically Hunter conspiracies. In many ways Hunter the Vigil already unofficially exists in the old WoD, and most of the STs I know are more likely to draw on these non-imbued hunter organizations or “tier 1” normal humans as antagonists than they are Imbued hunters from the Reckoning. Unlike the Vigil, the Reckoning just feels out of place, and the SoL adds to that feeling by giving us what Vigil calls “tier 3” hunters, only without giving them their own venue.

[@seltin1988]

are the any good factions in this universe!? they sound insane and mad... how are the mages? evil to?

[@nevadaromo9011]

So these dudes rooted out the catheres

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Yes, but they had secret help from others who wanted the Cathars eliminated for their own reasons.

[@pdbrwn2]

GOD Will's IT!, I love playing a Hunter 😄

[@lazarofstygia2241]

Dio lo vuole!

[@SoulOfTheReaver]

It took me half an hour to understand you were trying to say "Atto di fede". Please look up the italian pronounciation of that, because... auto-de-fey is not how you pronounce that :P

[@Bluntz1289]

My Hunter would hate these fools lol

[@lazarofstygia2241]

They can't expect God to do all of the work.

[@Mortablunt]

And how's little Timmy?

[@spuriusbrocoli4701]

*raises hand as one of the five people interested in European legal history* Also, I wonder the extent to which the Society of Leopold knows abt Kindreds' traditions of blood magic... -- Vivi Vendetta (they/them)

[@sawysauce1256]

Ok I've found dracula and van Helsing in the world of darkness now but now all I can think is where is Alucard?

[@yttryff6159]

Nothing in Asia nothing in Africa nothing in Oceania

[@notreallyalec]

No body expects the Spanish inquisition!

[@yttryff6159]

Zombies supernatural entities and I don't expect just the church to know about this supernatural stuff they're seem I wouldn't be surprised if Islam had an organization like this would you dare

[@DavidSmith-ot3hs]

Some have the misconception the the Hunters are "good guys".

[@alizard7617]

Still better than the vampires

[@societyofleopold6827]

That’s because they are. I mean they are literally purging the World of monsters and demons whom prey upon unsuspecting humans. Enough said.

[@DavidSmith-ot3hs]

@@societyofleopold6827 lie to yourself all you want to buy not to me. Your own god created vampires out of spite.

[@societyofleopold6827]

@@DavidSmith-ot3hs What heresy is this? Vampires are a curse thrusted upon humanity as retribution for the first murder, like original sin it is up to the faithful to wash it away with righteous vigor.

[@DavidSmith-ot3hs]

@@societyofleopold6827 it wasn't murder God was punishing. It was Caine's hubris. Caine had the audacity to lie to God's face.

[@keystonelyte]

How can the SoL/2I be so badass, yet have such boring lore?

[@peterwall8191]

True faith! Oh yeah! I know True Faith! I was a True Believer once. I basked in the love of my god. I gave up everything for Him. Everything! Including my humanity. A gave up my appearance, i gave up my blood, i gave up my ability to have children or even be with a woman. For Him! I became a cypher, a killing machine of infinite patience, that knew no mercy. I became a blood drinker. Consuming the blood of predators endows me with some of their abilities, for a time. A cup of wolf blood, i can smell my quarry . No0 manner of trickery magical or scientific can hide their scent. a cup of panther or leopard blood, i can climb like a cat, contort my body at impossible angles, move with a speed that makes me but a blur to your eyes. Strength? strength to break appart a mountain ,with nothing but my hands. All in His service. The rest of the gods were the enemy , they sought to keep Him from what was His. I killed gods. I killed goddesses. I drunk divine blood and learned the truth. Politics! All the war was, was a game of politics. We did not matter. Earth did not matter.Heaven itself did not matter. All it mattered was the throne of the home world. The Lord of Earth was the next in line! Politics! Do not speak to me of True Faith, all gods are liars. what can your Hunters do mortal, come against me? Who am i? Where am i? Identities .. i have more of them that i have shirts. Each one legal,each one real. People will swear they know me. We work together, gotten drunk together a couple of times, met my fiance for heaven's sake. I canot be a monster. A monster m e ? People know me. I coach their children, for gods sakes. How do you find me ? Ion the other hand, can find you. You stand out. How many religious men smell of pain and death? Not many, most smell of avarice or desperation. I get bored , maybe i'll take a trip to Italy again. take a tour visit their monasteries.. Maybe! If i'm bored enough.. OH! Lest I forget, the day is no barrier to me. I can sunbathe with the best of them.

[@curiositypiqued6573]

Theres no more evil on this erth that purpotes itself as the one and only true light and objective morality holy and supposed godly church... In other words never go against the grain or our christian charity will murder/execute you....mankind loves power & authotarianiam never compassion forgiveness or kindness

[@themalcontent100]

Nothing says Catholic like hypocrisy