The Rise of Mithras and the First Kingdom of Avalon

An Official History of the Kindred of London

Maintained within the Archives of the Temple of Mithras beneath Londinium.

Few among the Kindred can claim to know the truth of the earliest nights of Roman Britain. Mortal histories speak only of emperors, governors, and conquering legions, yet beneath those chronicles another history was written in blood—a history preserved only within the Temple of Mithras and passed from Prince to Prince for nearly a thousand years.

When the Roman Empire crossed the sea and conquered Britannia, it brought with it roads, cities, armies, and countless foreign faiths. Among these mysteries was the Cult of Mithras, a brotherhood of soldiers whose hidden temples spread throughout the Empire. Whether the mortal god inspired the Elder known as Mithras or whether the immortal Kindred himself became the living inspiration for the faith has long been debated. Within the Temple, however, there is but one accepted truth:

The god and the Kindred became one.

In the year 71 A.D., as the Roman Legions pushed northward against the Celtic kingdoms, Mithras revealed himself to those worthy of his service. He marched beside the armies of Rome not as a distant deity, but as an immortal warlord whose strength eclipsed that of any mortal champion.

As the Legions advanced through Britannia, countless battles were fought against the tribes of the Iceni, Brigantes, Silures, Ordovices, and finally the fierce peoples of Caledonia. Blood soaked the fields of Albion, and with every victory the power of Mithras grew. The ancient Ventrue fed upon the vitae of conquered kings, rebellious warriors, and those Kindred foolish enough to challenge his claim.

The greatest tales of this age speak not of mortal battles, but of the endless war against the Lupines that stalked the forests of Britain. Entire Roman encampments would have fallen were it not for Mithras himself. The Elder descended upon the wolf-shifters with supernatural fury, slaying scores beneath the moon while Roman soldiers watched in fearful silence. To them he was no mere commander.

He was a living god.

Following the campaigns of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, Mithras established his throne beneath Londinium, where a magnificent Temple was constructed upon the banks of the River Walbrook. Though hidden beneath the bustling streets of Rome's greatest city in Britannia, it became the true heart of Kindred civilization throughout the Isles.

From that sacred sanctuary, Mithras forged what would become known among the Damned as The First Kingdom of Avalon.

Unlike many tyrants, Mithras did not seek to rule every city directly. Instead, he established a hierarchy of Princes, Lords, and governors who ruled their own domains while swearing absolute fealty to his throne beneath London. Every Roman city worthy of Kindred habitation possessed its own Prince, but each remained bound by ancient oaths of blood to Mithras.

On the great Festival Nights—those sacred evenings following the highest holy days of both Roman and later Christian calendars—representatives from every domain journeyed to Londinium. There they presented tribute in silver, rare relics, knowledge, and vitae before the Throne of Mithras. These ceremonies renewed the ancient bonds that united the Kindred of Britain beneath a single sovereign.

Those who honored their oaths prospered.

Those who did not were erased.

Many ambitious Princes believed distance or local power would shield them from Mithras' wrath. None remained defiant for long. His judgments became legend among the Kindred. Entire bloodlines vanished. Domains were stripped from rebellious rulers overnight. Castles were left empty before sunrise, their former masters reduced to ash beneath the Elder's terrible authority.

Only beyond the distant frontiers of Roman Britannia—in the wild lands of Hibernia, Caledonia, and the northern reaches beyond Hadrian's Wall—could Kindred claim even the illusion of independence.

Among all who served Mithras, few earned greater trust than two immortal lords whose names remain revered throughout Avalon.

Balthazar "White Snake"

Known among the oldest records as Balthazar the White Snake, the ancient Brujah stood beside Mithras throughout much of the Roman occupation of Britain. A warrior, philosopher, and master strategist, Balthazar was entrusted with governing the western reaches of Britannia, particularly the lands surrounding Isca Dumnoniorum, known today as Exeter.

Where Mithras ruled through overwhelming authority, Balthazar ruled through loyalty earned upon the battlefield. His descendants spread across the western kingdoms, intertwining Roman discipline with the ancient traditions of the Celtic peoples. Even after the fall of Rome, his lineage preserved order where lesser domains collapsed into chaos.

To this night, the Princes of western Avalon acknowledge Balthazar as one of the architects of Kindred civilization within Britain.

Savoy of Etruria

If Balthazar was the shield of Avalon, Savoy of Etruria became its enduring voice.

Embraced by Mithras centuries before the Roman conquest of Britain, Savoy proved himself not only a brilliant statesman but the eldest and most trusted of Mithras' surviving childer. He oversaw diplomacy between domains, maintained the ancient covenants, and ensured that tribute flowed faithfully to London.

Within the Temple beneath Londinium, Savoy sat at the right hand of Mithras during the Grand Courts of the Empire. Princes sought his judgment before daring to petition their sovereign, and his word often carried nearly as much weight as that of his sire.

When Rome's power waned and mortal empires crumbled, it was Savoy who preserved the Kingdom of Avalon through centuries of invasion, plague, and civil war. Under his stewardship, many of the traditions established during Roman rule endured long after the legions had departed Britain.

Even in the year 1068 A.D., following the Norman Conquest, Savoy continues to rule London as Prince of the Eternal City and High Lord of Avalon, governing in the name of his absent sire while preserving the ancient laws first written beneath the Temple nearly one thousand years ago.

The Legacy of Mithras

The mortal Empire of Rome has long since fallen, yet the Kingdom established by Mithras endures.

Kings have risen and died.

Empires have crossed the sea.

Faiths have changed.

Yet beneath the streets of London, the ancient Temple remains.

Its sacred halls continue to house the Throne of Mithras, where the oldest laws of Avalon were first proclaimed. Every Prince who claims authority within the British Isles owes their legitimacy to the covenant forged there centuries ago.

For the Kindred of Avalon know one truth above all others:

Before there were Princes... there was Mithras.

Before there was England... there was Avalon.

And while kingdoms of mortals rise and fall, the Blood remembers.