VII - RoseRed

no longer have any need for “fight or flight” instincts.
Some approaches tend to mimic those used for mastering
wildlife. Outright cruelty, Pavlovian techniques and
empathetic bonding are commonplace. The Coil of the
Beast demonstrates the effectiveness of these procedures,
enabling the Dragons to shackle their primitive instincts
in a way that gives the Man the greatest amount of control
possible, even as it benefits from the presence of the
domesticated Beast.
PRINCIPIA DRACONIS
Dracula laid down three primary principles by
which a Kindred would be known to be worthy
of studying the Coils and being a member of the
Ordo Dracul. It is the duty of every Dragon to obey
the following principles above all else:
A Dragon has no loyalty above his studies. Even
the commands of a superior ultimately come
second to the transcendent perfection each
Dragon seeks for herself.
A Dragon must understand, accept and
embrace purposeful change. Those who are
unable to trust change have no hope of ever
transcending their accursed state.
A Dragon is responsible for all she is and all
she does. Because vampires are beyond death and
fear, there remain no excuses for what one does
or becomes. Moreover, not seizing an opportunity
to improve one’s self is unforgivable, for it is a
sign of cowardice and the denial of one’s own
transcendence.
These principles are taken to be as important
to the Ordo Dracul as the Commandments were
to the Canaanites. Dragons who fail to live up to
the Principia Draconis are ostracized by their peers
and can even be dismissed from the ranks of the
covenant if their lapses are significant enough.
✴✬✻✯✶✫✶✳✶✮❀
The majority of Dragons concur that the Great Work
can only be successfully realized if the method by which
it is achieved is as reliable as possible. Adopting an empirical
stance, the results of an experiment are only taken
as trustworthy if they are consistently reproducible under
similar conditions. The knowledge of how to do this
should also be easily recorded and transmitted to anyone
with a basic understanding of the experiment. Assumptions,
faulty materials, flimsy rationale and procedures
reverse engineered in order to produce a certain
outcome are verboten to members of the Ordo Dracul.
Finally, the Dragons demand phenomenal results, something
they can perceive with their natural and Kindred
senses. If they cannot observe, measure, record and examine
it, it remains only theoretical and useful only for
unlife in the ordo dracul
intellectual diversion. In sum, the Dragons apply the
scientific method to all their endeavors.
Because most Dragons come from a scientific or academic
background, this methodology is already ingrained
in the covenant’s members. Accolades are awarded to
those who dedicate themselves to the strictest definition
of the scientific method, double- and triple-checking
all their results, repeatedly testing their procedures
under all possible circumstances, and working tirelessly
to eliminate every subjective or corruptive influence that
might lessen the reliability of their findings. Healthy
skepticism and productive self-criticism do not go unnoticed
in the Order — the best and brightest almost
universally display these virtues.
Not every Dragon obeys the principles of the scientific
method as fully as her peers, of course. Some become lazy
and allow themselves a little flexibility, at times sacrificing
methodology to expediency. Minor flaws and lapses
are usually tolerated, especially when the work is of a
mostly personal nature that is not going to be subject to
the scrutiny of a critical mentor or the review of others.
Flagrant disregard for scientific orthodoxy is another matter
altogether and is seldom tolerated except in domains
where the covenant’s presence is small, or the covenant
is rife with internal strife and ruthless competition. Ignoring
the proper methodological guidelines leads to
irreproducible results and the very real possibility of harm
— not only to the reckless Dragon, but to the Ordo Dracul
overall. A vampire does not play haphazardly with fire,
and some of the things the Dragons subject to experimentation
can be far more dangerous than fire.
The maxim that there are many ways to skin a cat is
one the Ordo Dracul ardently embraces. If the end result
is achieved, the method by which it was obtained is
relatively insignificant, so long as it is rigorous and
proven scientifically reliable. Clinging stubbornly to one
approach and refusing to consider others is not only
short-sighted, but usually detrimental to success. However
speedily progress is being made, a Dragon must always
ask whether there might be a more efficacious way
to pursue her goal.
This concept is an essential one for every fledgling
Dragon to grasp and remember. The straight path may
appear the most direct, but it is often littered with obstacles
that will make further progress difficult if not altogether
impossible. The crooked path, on the other
hand, allows the Dragon to change course whenever
obstacles are encountered, to select an alternative way
to proceed despite any seeming incompatibility with past
methods. This conviction colors everything about the
Dragons and is the ethical touchstone upon which all
other things are judged. To the Ordo Dracul, the ends
always justify the means.
The history of the Ordo Dracul and the variety of
experiences its members bring with them have opened
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