The Assamite Clan : A Clan of Judges

Most of Cainite society remains ignorant about the Assamites’ nature and intentions.

They view the Assamites as a young clan emerging from the Middle East to take a bold stance in the nightly struggles between Cainites. Only elders and Cainite scholars can describe a time when the Assamites were active members of vampire society, before they retreated into their own studies in Alamut, the clan’s sanctuary in the mountains of Anatolia.

European vampires rarely interact with any but the clan’s ambassadors, the viziers, and a few sorcerers. The clan presents an organized front with an uncanny ability to communicate over long distances, as well as keep in touch with their brethren in Alamut.

Many Assamites trace their roots back to lands now known as Persia, where the clan’s founder was born, but members come from all over the Middle East. In recent years, many younger members follow Islamic beliefs. Older ancillae and elders look upon these younger Cainites with disdain, believing that mortal religion distracts from their true purpose.

However, the rest of Cainite society mostly interacts with the younger vampires, and the name Assamite has become nearly synonymous with Muslim, earning them the sobriquet Saracens. Many older Assamites are happy to let the other Cainites believe what they want, as long as it allows them to further their own goals.

The Assamites do not refer to themselves as Saracens, preferring instead to be called the Children of Haqim, after their progenitor. Haqim crafted a specific set of rules, which he charged his clan to follow. Cainites are dangerous creatures who meddle too much in the affairs of mortals.

The Children of Haqim are charged with respecting their elders, protecting mortals from other Cainites, and judging (and punishing) other Cainites. The Children of Haqim are charged with reclaiming the blood of wasteful Cainites, those who misuse mortals and should not have such gifts. This leads the clan to engage in diablerie as a matter of course, though few adhere strictly to this tenet.The clan consists of three sects that work together closely to accomplish the goal of judgment. The sorcerers keep the other members of the clan in communication with each other, as well as providing for the clan while at Alamut. The warriors judge vampires and mete out punishment when necessary. The viziers are the public face of the clan, gathering information and keeping the clan informed on politics and current affairs. Most Assamites living within Cainite-held cities are viziers, with a few sorcerers supporting them.

Sobriquet: Children of Haqim, Saracens.
Appearance: Nearly all Assamites are Middle Eastern in appearance, though some neonates have been Embraced as far west as the Iberian Peninsula. All Assamites are required to spend time in Alamut shortly after Embrace, and most adopt traditional Middle Eastern dress regardless of their origins.
Dress between the three sects of the clan varies due to functionality. Sorcerers tend to dress strictly traditional, warriors adopt more comfortable clothes for long sojourns, and viziers sometimes adopt thedress of whatever city they happen to be living in.
Haven: Assamites choose easily defended dwellings away from the eyes of mortals. This is especially true when visiting European domains. They tend to value security over material comforts, favoring a well-defended shack over an exposed estate. Many Assamites choose dwellings outside city centers, but near enough to keep an eye on other vampires and their interactions with the mortal population.

However, practicality sometimes means luxury; certain Assamite viziers need to impress mortal and Cainite courts, so if they open their doors to visitors, they decorate well. Character Creation: Assamite viziers are both scholars and act as ambassadors, and prefer a mix of both Social and Mental Attributes and Abilities. Most Children of Haqim have at least one dot in Mentor (usually their sire). Some have one or two dots in Generation, due to the practice of diablerizing those who are judged unfit. Many tend to follow the Road of Heaven or Humanity, with a few following the Road of Kings. Many of the older warriors and the more traditional Assamites follow the Road of Blood.

The Assamites’ organization and structure are unique among Cainite society. The three sects work together towards a common goal, each balancing the other to prevent an imbalance of power. Ordinarily, clan structure dictates duties within the clan, but the different sects of the Assamite clan are so specialized as to have developed their own unique Disciplines and weaknesses. While the viziers are the most commonly seen Assamites within Cainite society, the sorcerers and the warriors are just as abundant, though their roles take them in different directions.

Assamite sorcerers claim to be the oldest practitioners of vampiric blood magic. Most sorcerers spend a great deal of time in Alamut, connecting the viziers and warriors and keeping the clan in constant communication. Some sorcerers travel with viziers, making homes in new cities in hopes to learn new arcane secrets and further their own research. This also ensures most viziers have a direct connection back to Alamut. Many sorcerers spend time researching a way for the clan to exist without the blood of mortals. So far, the greatest magical achievement is sustaining the blood of Alamut, a magically preserved concoction of blood from every Assamite ever created.

Others concern themselves with enchanting weapons for their warrior brethren or casting divinations to aid in investigations.

Members of the warrior sect are nomads, seeking other Cainites in order to judge their worthiness. Most travel between cities at the direction of their vizier and sorcerer brethren, meting out justice to those deemed unworthy. This is not to say that the warriors are somehow lesser than the other two sects, only ever following directions. The warriors set the code on what is considered unworthy and decide priorities when it comes to acting on decisions. They also police the entire clan, ensuring that Assamites who fall to corruption are weeded out before any other Cainite. Most warriors consider their sect to be the most powerful, and indeed their word seems to carry more weight than the others in matters of dispute.

Sorcerer Disciplines: Assamite Sorcery (Thaumaturgy), Auspex, Celerity

Sorcerer Weakness: Sorcerers have a difficult time hiding their arcane nature. All mystical attempts to determine magic use on or around the character are made at a -2 difficulty and are considered two levels higher for the purposes of opposed powers and rolls.



Warrior Disciplines: Celerity, Obfuscate, Quietus (Cruscitus)

Warrior Weakness: Warriors are marked with their tradition of diablerie. Warrior Assamites always confirm as positive for diablerie whenever scrutinized with supernatural powers, even if the character has never tasted the blood of another Cainite.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Presence, Quietus (Hematus)

Weakness: Assamite viziers are rigorous to a fault. Each character has an obsession with her highest intellectual or creative Ability, which acts as a derangement. While the derangement is active, the character’s aura glows in a way as to provide hints to the vizier’s true Nature, as well as the object of her obsession, visible to Auspex users. Additionally, Assamites darken with age. This is a slow process. But over the centuries, Assamite skin blackens to a matte onyx. Organization: Due to the abilities of the sorcerers, Clan Assamite is more intricately organized than most. The clan follows the Eldest, usually the eldest of Haqim’s childer not currently in torpor. Each of the three sects has its own internal leader. The three sects collectively work together to deal with the night-to-night operations of the clan. Each sect’s role is loosely defined by their own interpretations of Haqim’s decrees. The viziers view themselves as judges only, taking the measure of Cainites in the world and alerting their brethren to those who are unfit to retain the blood of Caine. The sorcerers spend their time researching ways to improve interactions and relations with mortals, and play a large part in keeping the three sects in communication at all times. The warriors tend to fill the role of executioner when a Cainite has been judged unworthy, often leading nomadic lives and going where their brethren direct them to fulfill their duties.

Stereotypes:

Tremere: They do not know what they toy with.

Brujah: They claim to be Philosopher-Kings, yet their passions dictate their actions, leaving little room for actual philosophy.

Cappadocian: As long as their research into death does not somehow leak into the mortal sphere, I see nothing wrong with them.

Gangrel: Probably the least problematic of all the other clans, the Gangrel understand honor. I have yet to judge a Gangrel unfit.

Followers of Set: Heretics, every last one of them. Their debauchery and evil should not be tolerated.