Know Your Kindred – Jamal

Name:  Jamal
Clan:  Assamites
Generation:  4th
Embrace:  Unknown

Jamal was a warrior from Africa who rose to prominence among the Assamites in the 12th century.  Jamal distinguished himself as a leader, master swordsman and archer during the Crusades.

But during the Anarch Revolt, Jamal would suffer his greatest failure.  The Eldest sent him on a mission to destroy the Tzimisce elder Dracula, who was standing in the way of the proposed Assamite-Tzimisce alliance.  Jamal disappeared for a century, returning to the Alamut bearing the scars of a vicious battle.  He spoke to no one, except the du’at and Eldest of his defeat, and they never made the details public.

Five years later the Treaty of Tyre was signed with the Camarilla and the Eldest committed suicide to expiate his shame.  Jamal, then the oldest active fourth generation Child of Haqim, assumed the Black Throne in 1497.

Jamal proved a cunning and effective Eldest.  But his practice of the Muslim faith troubled many Assamites who followed the Path of Blood.  They didn’t believe a mortal religion could  reconcile with Haqim’s codes.

In the end, Jamal’s faith would be his undoing.  When ur-Shulgi arose, Jamal refused to recant his faith in favor of utter devotion to Haqim.  Ur-Shulagi staked him and impaled his body above the Black Throne for a month.  After draining his body of all its blood, ur-Shulagi scattered Jamal’s ashes across the sands of Petra.  But the message did not intimidate the Muslim Assamites as ur-Shulagi thought.  Instead they now use Jamal’s name as a rallying cry.

– Source:  Clanbook: Assamite (Revised), pg 95