Familialis Pacti
By Penmom
Chapter 2
Alice and Jasper look at each other as they finish reading a passage in one of Carlisle's ancient books. As was sometimes the case, Alice's vision could give you a kind of backwards whiplash, like you are trying to solve a mystery from the opposite direction. Luckily, Alice heard the words "Familialis Pacti" in her vision and recognize it as Latin. From there, it was simple enough to start with Carlisle's study. The more they looked, the more distinct the visions became which was always a good clue that you were on the right path.
It had been a rough few hours since Irina had seen Nessie and taken off. With Jasper's tactical skills and Alice's gift, they had immediately gone to work to figure out the best options and chances for the family.
The Volturi were coming, that was the one thing that has held steady and there were about a thousand other variables floating in the mix too. With this last bit of information, they had their plan. No matter how unorthodox, this was the best course. They had to move fast. They had to get to South America soon but before they left there was the matter of this ceremony.
Passage:
In Latin, THE Familialis Pacti Roughly translated as The Family Pact in modern day English is a little understood practice within some vampire covens. The first notations of this ritual date back to Volturi records from the 7th Century AD. Although the behaviors involved are all instinctual to the race, the methodology of the rite may enhance the general benefits noted here. It is likely, that the ritual is a natural outgrowth from the effects observed from less ritualized practices of the same sort.
Historical documents indicate that the ritual fell out of favor in Western covens by the mid-15th Century AD. One may speculate that the main intent of the practice, the sharing of power, strength and specific vampiric talents fell out of favor as the consolidation of a Western Vampire Ruling Hierarchy came into being. Enclaves of small, closely knit covens sharing talents may have been a detriment and a threat to a centralized ruling body.
Specifically, covens practicing this ritual would repeat to several times a year for maximum benefit and to sustain the desired connections and overlap. While there is no supporting evidence that it is necessary, covens often engaged in the ritual or rite on Roman High Holy Days or on specific celestial events.
The intent of the ritual is threefold: enhance the bonds of attachment and loyalty between coven members; allow for some sharing of individual talents (although the specifics of this factor are speculative and lastly, to provide some general degree of psychic connection between coven members. How these goals are accomplished are quite simple although there are several liturgical texts that may be consulted, read or quoted in more formal alterations of the rite.
There seems to be no evidence that any sort of incantation or magic of any sort is or has even been involved but rather simply the concrete and substantial exchange of venom across all participating members of the coven. In larger covens, there is documentation of some planning or even record keeping ensuring that all lines of connection are established, well beyond the obvious links beyond childe and sire or mate to mate. Indeed, these needs may have necessitated the more formal examples of the ritual exchanges although the specifics of the ceremony seem to be a varied as the covens who attempted it.
The author would be remiss if the sexual nature of venom exchange between multiple willing partners was not mentioned. This behavior is among the most intimate and arousing between any two vampires. Given the intrinsic nature of the race, one would naturally expect that some sort of sexual expression during these multiple exchanges. The nature of which would likely be regulated by anything from base instinct to the coven head's directives.