Know Your Kindred – Mary the Black

Name: Mary the Black
Clan: Baali
Generation: 6th (Previously 7th)
Embraced: ~1700 B.C.

Mary was originally known as Ma-ri, a beautiful girl who was the daughter of a local ward boss in the city of Ebla. Ma-ri became a loyal disciple to a Toreador named Mi-ka-il (aka Michael). In return for her service, Mi-ka-il gave Ma-ri his blood to drink, keeping her forever young as a ghoul for many years.

Eventually Ebla was assaulted by the Akkadians and Mi-ka-il fled the city, leaving Ma-ri alone. As the city was under attack, Ma-ri spent her last days writing her life story on clay tablets, inscribing her history, knowledge and newfound hatred for her master. As the invaders entered, Ma-ri gutted herself with her sword, spilling her blood on the tablets.

The fires from the burning city baked the tablets, preserving them. They were lost during the invasion, but were rediscovered in Ma-ri’s unearthed home three centuries later. The tablets were scattered across the lands. Finally, a Baali servant discovered some of them and took them to his master, Anaduk.

Anaduk discovered the tablets held more than just words, but also Ma-ri’s memories. Using his Auspex, Anaduk sank deep into Ma-ri’s passion and hate. He fell madly in love with her and wanted desperately to find a way to bring her back to life. He made a deal with his demon master, Anoster, who in return for Anaduk’s remaining soul sent Anaduk a succubus who could consume the tablets and become the product of whatever was contained in them.

The tablets were incomplete and Ma-ri was only partially recreated, full of disjointed and partial memories and corrupted by hate. She slew Anaduk upon awaking and gorged on his blood, becoming a Baali in the process. She fled into the night, searching for the other missing tablets.

Down the centuries Ma-ri had remarkable success locating all the lost tablets along with the sword she used to commit suicide with. In 1204 A.D. Mary the Black, as she was now known, discovered the whereabouts of Mi-ka-il and diabolized him.

Mary turned her attention to overthrowing her demoic keeper, Anoster.  Anoster was a member of the Decani, a group of 36 disease-ridden demons who are typically the masters of individual Baali. By the 18th century, Mary amassed enough power and demon allies to usurp Anoster and become a full-fledge member of the Decani.

Mary is a young woman of 15, her eyes are rimmed with red flames, her skin is pitch black and though she appears burnt, her visage betrays no blemish or damage. She conceals her sinister appearance under a dark hood.

– Sources: Constantinople by Night, pg 87-88, Clanbook: Baali, pg 67-68

Know Your Kindred – Xeper, Sultan of Lepers

Name:  Xeper, Sultan of Lepers
Clan:  Baali
Generation:  7th
Embrace:  790 AD

Xeper was originally an Egyptian trader traveling through Damascus.  He entered Baali servitude as a ghoul messenger to help keep the infernalists linked across the scattered regions.

When the Assamites destroyed numerous Baali strongholds, Xeper escaped and returned to Damascus to warn his masters.  For his actions they gave him the Embrace.

Since that time Xeper has remained in the shadows, watching Damascus grow.  He has also watched Annazir grow careless and make numerous mistakes that have compromised the clan’s safety.  Xeper believes he must act before Annazir’s foolishness jeopardizes the entire sect.

Xeper has convinced a number of younger Baali to take action against their elder.  The only matter stopping them is Annazir’s control over the organ pit.  Once Xeper understands its secrets, he will rise up against Annazir.  Until that time, he waits, trying to find a way to use the Assamites to destroy Annazir without it threatening the other Baali.

– Source:  Veil of Night, pg. 206.

Know Your Kindred – Annazir

Name:  Annazir
Clan:  Baali
Generation:  5th
Embrace:  12th Century BC

Annazir was the most powerful Cainite in ancient Damascus.  He has resided there since he was a young infernal recruit during its years as a Greek outpost over 2000 years ago.  The Baali of Damascus held a great deal of power thanks to Annazir’s maintenance over the great organ pit known as the Ibill al-Akbar.

Unlike too many of his brethren, who proved too eager to release Hell’s minions, Annazir possessed a disciplined patience.  Hell was inevitable he believed, so why unleash it now?  He remained quiet and subtle in his actions.

After the Children of Haqim struck blow after blow to several Baali strongholds, Annazir and five of the strongest Baali joined together and cursed the Assamites with a terrible blood thrust (“As you thrust for our blood, so you shall hunger for all blood all the time.”).

Besides the Baali, the Toreador were the second faction of power in Damascus.  A Toreador named Darshuf controlled the city’s ruling family.  But Annazir slipped in with the Toreador and slowly corrupted Darshuf and his kin.  By the time they found out who Annazir really was, it was too late to do anything about it.  Exposing Annazir’s existence would destroy their own reputations.  So Darshuf agreed to protect Annazir and keep him on as a high ranking advisor in return Annazir would not corrupt the rest of Darshuf’s childer.

Unfortunately, centuries of this power filled Annazir with delusions of grandeur and he has forgotten the lessons in subtly that allowed him to become an elder.  Now he is no longer satisfied with resting in the shadows and influencing events from afar.  Now he was too visible to outsiders and openly relished his own corruption.  The other Baali worry he will endanger them and are looking for a means to dispose of him, even if it means betraying him to the Assamites.

Annazir passes himself off as a humble Toreador who advises the cities elders, in truth he influences them.  Although he has grown bold, he keeps a safe distance from the visiting Assamite delegation.  If he becomes endangered, he is ready to pass off Darshuf or his advisor Barqat as scapegoats.

– Source:  Veil of Night, pg. 192-195, 205-206.

Know Your Kindred – Huitzilopochtli

Name:  Huitzilopochtli (aka Shaitan)
Clan:  Baali
Generation:  4th
Embraced:  4500 BC

Throughout history there have been several who claimed to be Shaitan, but they have all been charlatans. Even Nergal used the name “Shaitan” in a failed attempt to awaken a slumbering demon lord.  Truth be told there are many different tales of Shaitan and his actions; some of these stories contradict each other.

Originally a slave born in the Second City, Shaitan was so beautiful that he was elevated to favored servant by the Antedeluvian, Cappadocius.  After he was Embraced, Shaitan was found to have been consorting with the Children of Lilith, a direct violation of Caine’s commandments, so Shaitan and his followers were banished from the Second City.

Shaitan went east and established his own city in Kala-At-Shergat.  It was then that Shaitan met Baal, a greedy and powerful demon.  Shaitan swore loyalty to Baal, wanting to get revenge against the Cainites who mistreated him.  Shaitan and his followers began to call themselves Baali, and they made great sacrifices to Baal and did as he command.

Eventually the Second City fell and a wave of Brujah, Assamites and Cappadocians fled to Shaitan’s lands.  They launched an assault on Shaitan’s city and easily overtook it.  But Baal had already warned Shaitan of the danger beforehand and they had vacated the city, leaving behind demonically-altered childer to be fodder for the battle.

The Baali went their separate ways and spread out to the far corners of the earth.  Shaitan came to South America, where he took on the name Huitzilopochtli, the Aztec god of war.  For the last 2,700 years he has played a major role guiding Mexico, either in person or by proxy.  He still rules the area, but hasn’t made a public appearance in over 400 years.

Melinda Galbraith, the Regent of the Sabbat, fell under the influence of Huitzilopochtli.  He slumbered beneath her city and slowly twisted her mind.  Melinda was in the process of bringing Huitzilopochtli out of torpor, when a group of Camarilla vampires interrupted the ritual.  A major earthquake and explosion occurred as a result, killing thousands. Huitzilopochtli disappeared, having either been destroyed or returned to his unending sleep.

Huitzilopochtli stands over 8 feet tall.  His infernal activities have changed his body and left him as hideous as a Nosferatu.  His skin is a translucent white with a texture similar to sandpaper.  His eyes are slitted like a reptile and his face has demonic characteristics, including ram horns growing out of his skull.  He is effectively a demon in a vampire’s body.

– Sources:  Chaos Factor, pg 118-122.  Unbeholden, pg 174.

Know Your Kindred – The Unnamed

Name:  The unnamed
Clan:  Baali
Generation:  4th
Embraced: “A time before it all.”

Few mysteries plagued Cainite scholars with such persistence and urgency as the details of the origins of the Baali.   It is a popular belief that Saulot may have created the bloodline in one of his attempts to sire a brood of vampires.  This endeavor backfired and produced an evil that all Kindred have tried to wipe out.

As the story goes, a powerful Cainite (most likely Saulot) discovered a large cult that had worshiped faceless entities for many generations.  The cultists would sacrifice prisoners, slaves, children and livestock, then throw their bodies into a great stone well.  The Cainite had seen their rituals and wished to show these people that their depravities and atrocities were nothing.

The priests rose up against him, but their incantations proved useless.  The power of his voice struck them dumb and silenced their cries.  His gaze struck down the weak minded and feeble.  He ripped the strong ones limb from limb and commanded the others to rend each other’s flesh with their knives.  He tossed their bodies into their own pit and dropped some of his own vitae into the well when he was done.

The result:  Out of hundreds slaughtered that night, only three survived.  They lapped up the vitae and clawed their way out of the organ pit the following evening.  They were filthy with gore, caked in blood and howling with unquenched fury and madness.  They were mad and hateful and thirsty for death.  The Baali had been born.

Three Baali arose from the well, each equal to the others in power.  The first was Nergal, the terror behind the Babylonian deity.  The second was Moloch, who sired progeny until the Baali were like a plague of locusts spread across the Phoenician Empire.  The name of the third, and even its gender are a mystery.  Nergal and Moloch rarely spoke of their sibling, but each would wroth at the mention of the third.

Some claim the third Baali was the lover of one or the other, or both.  Others claim it was infact a pair of lovers merged together at the organ pit, thus explaining the presence of hermaphroditic deities in various ancient societies.

The most popular theory is that the third Baali is female.  Some support the notion that the third is Zillah; others claim it’s Lilith.  Still others say she has no name and is simply called the Crone.

– Source:  Clanbook: Baali, pg 16-18.