Note:We advise you to copy and paste this information because it is a huge file , we assure you that you'll find usefull information conserning the Assamite clan and all of it from White-wolfs.
THE ASSAMITES:
Historical introduction: We, are the oldest of clans---far older than the fools of the Camarilla. They had not yet gathered themselves into clans when the Assamites were born, and their vaunted council was millennia in the future. It began in the first city, which we call En'esh. Here, Khayvin (Caine to the Kafir) ceased his wandering and begat the Second Generation, whose number was five. The kafir speak of three, but five was their true number. For it was in En'esh that Haquim our ancestor lived, and where we, his children, were born. Let me tell you his tale...
Haquim was the Lord of the armies of En'esh, a great and noble warrior, beloved of the King and feared and loved by the people. He saw how the wanderer Khayyin entered the city with lies, and forced the king and queen to his will. He saw, though Khayyin knew it not, how they were made, and how they were taught, and he knew the great evil that would spread from them. He knew that priests could not stop this evil, nor armies, nor city walls, and he was greatly troubled.
He gathered to him certain of the soldiers whose hearts he knew, and they came upon the king and queen by day, and slew them and cut off their heads, and gathered up the blood in a goblet. Then with his own hand did our ancestor cut his throat, and watched his blood as it flowed away. When the last of his strength was leaving him, the soldiers gave him the cup to drink, and though he was sorely wounded, he did not die. Certain soldiers were afraid, and feared that our ancestor would be tainted as the King and Queen were tainted, but he reassured them, saying "Be not afraid, for my purpose is true, and I shall use the beast's own strength against it." And the soldiers rejoiced, and freely gave of their blood that Haquim might live and be strong.
That night, Khayyin arose from where he lay, since he was hidden and the soldiers could not find him. When he beheld what had become of the King and Queen he grew angry, and fell upon the soldiers as a djinn, tearing their bodies asunder. Haquim arose and fought with him; all through the night they struggled, but Haquim was still young in Blood and sore from his Change, and Khayyin prevailed. He drained Haquim and flung him on the sand, and when the sun rose he fled to his hiding-place.
When he was gone the soldiers covered Haquim with a cloak, and shut him in a casket, and took him from the city. They had yet some blood from the King and Queen, and with this our ancestor was healed, though for many months he was sorely wounded. For a long time they traveled, until they came to the far mountains where Khayyin could not find them. There they built a great and secret fortress which they called Alamut, the Eagles Nest, for it was lofty and strong. Haquim rested and tended his wounds, and grew stronger in the Blood. Certain of his soldiers, whom he found worthy, he made of the Blood also, and bade them make war upon Khayyin and his progeny, that their evil should not taint the earth.
For Haquim knew that Khayyin would make more children in the First City, and indeed he did so. These were the three whom the munafiquin call the Second Generation. They knew not of the King and Queen, for Khayyin would not affright them with their own mortality, and knew not that Haquim lived.
That is the true story of Khayyin the Wanderer and Haquim our Ancestor, and it is the true beginning of us all. Remember, O beloved, how our Ancestor bade his children cleanse the world, and how he set our feet upon the Path of Blood.
For our clan, our powers come at great cost. Ever must we be mindful of the source of our power. To us our powers are an extension of our religion. They are tools to be used in the Jyhad of our clan. Hence, the members of our clan spend many hours a day in meditation and practice in the use of our disciplines. We, unlike the other clans, have made it a point to learn the disciplines of other clans. It is therefore possible for any Assamite to learn from any Discipline without penalty. Those who wish or have need are taught by members of the Clan who have learned the Discipline.
Can Disciplines:Quietus , Obfuscate , Celerety
The Khabar -Assamite code of Honor
It has been said that the khabar is the true strength of the Assamites, the only thing that has allowed us to endure centuries of persecution. Our teachings present the Khabar as a castle guarded by seven towers; if any tower should fall, then the castle is lost. The seven towers of the Khabar are as follows:
Asabiyya (Loyalty)
This refers to the bond of loyalty between Clan and individual. Loyalty to the Clan is absolute, and the Clan's interests always have precedence over the interests of the individual. The Clan has become known and feared over the centuries because its members are so willing to risk and face destruction in order to achieve the Clan's aims. Less melodramatically, every Clan member has a duty of unquestioning obedience, which is balanced by a duty of the Clan's leadership to be worthy leaders and place the Clan's interests above their own ambitions. Even the Master is still a child of Haqim and a servant of Alamut.
Ikhwan (Brotherhood)
Running alongside the bond of Loyalty to the Clan is the bond of Ikhwan, or Brotherhood between all of the Clan's members. Assamites are forbidden to fight each other under any circumstances, even across the Clan/Antitribu divide. They must assist each other in all things, except in Assassination; This is a holy task, to be undertaken alone.
Muruwa (Honor)
Though the khabar is often refered to as a code of honor, only the concept of Muruwa addresses personal honor directly. The Clan's honor comes first according to the doctrine of asabiyya, but each Assamite is expected to take great care regarding personal honor. An Assamite's word is practically unbreakable-- a rare thing indeed among vampires-- and only a fool or an ignoramous would insult an Assamite by demanding an oath or a written contract. Assassination contracts are absolutely unbreakable, since they are regarded as a sacred duty to Haqim. Likewise, another's word given to an Assamite is regarded as unbreakable, and the Clan will enforce this, if necessary. The munafiqun may cheat and lie to each other if they wish, but Assamites require absolute truth in all things.
Hadd (Vengeance)
Vengeance is a vital concept to the Assamites ---Vengeance for the Clan as a whole and for fallen comrades. In many ways, it is the prospect of eventual vengeance which gives the Assamites the strength to carry on and stay true to the khabar despite enourmous pressure. Vengeance is the duty of each individual and the clan as a whole. There is only one exception to the Hadd: Assamites who were destroyed in the execution of a contract (whether or not the contract succeeded) are not avenged, unless they were betrayed by bad information or tricked to their doom by a false contract. Those betrayed by the munafiqun are given the title of Shahid, and are avenged to the uttermost limit of the clan's power. The Clan will continue to pursue the betrayer till they are wiped from the earth.
Also a part of this tradition is the Assamite custom which the kafir find most difficult to understand: the fact that a cainite who manages to ovecome an Assamite is not troubled further, and further contracts against the individual may not be accepted. For all their contempt of the munafiqun, the Assamites honor a worthy enemy, and provided that no further action is taken against the Clan, no further action will be taken against the individual. Left alive, the one time target will surely seek vengeance against those who hired the dead rafiq. Not only will the resulting conflict serve to avenge the fallen rafiq, but it will set the munafiqun against each other and so serve the Clan's greater vengeance.
Taqqiya (Secrecy)
The duty of secrecy is ingrained in each member of the clan through millennia of danger; in effect, it is a second Masquerade, aimed at Kindred rather than kine. Alamut - the true Alamut, wherever it may be at any time - must never be found by outsiders, and outsiders must never learn anything of the clan from an Assamite. In addition, the principle of Taqqiya permits an Assamite to pose as an outsider in the furtherance of a contract - something that would normally be forbidden by the strict rule of muruwa. While posing as a non-Assamite, it is permissible to lie, cheat, steal, and murder in order to maintain the deception and facilitate the closing of the contract, without compromissing one's personal honor.
Mumin (Faith)
The duty of faith demands complete and unquestioning devotion to the khabar and to the path set down by Haqim, including the Path of Blood.
Umma (Community)
The idea of community is central to Assamite survival, and it is enshrined in the principles of asabiyya and ikhwan as well as in the duty of umma. This last demands that the individual should serve the clan humbly, according to the clan's needs and the individual's gifts, and without reference to the individual's own desires and ambitions. Because of this, the clan's scholars, mages, and other specialists are as respected as the warriors and assassins. Members are sometimes required to go out and obtain skills and knowledge needed by the clan, and this is as sacred and honorable a task as performing an Assassination.
The path of blood - the standard path for Assamites :
Nickname: Dervishes
Basic Beliefs: This Path is practised almost exclusively by the diablerist assassins of Clan Assamite, although only vampires who demonstrate true loyalty to the clan learn its harsh code. The founding principle of this Path explains that the children of Caine (or Khayyin, as the Assamites refer to him) are wicked failures, fit primarily to bring the brood of Haqim (the Assamites' name for their own clan founder) closer to "the One," a state of mystical transcendence. Haqim instructs his childer to salvage or strike down Khayyin's other childer, drinking their blood in an effort to destroy the taint they inflict on the world. Assamites on this Path follow two basic precepts. First and foremost, the clan seeks to convince other Kindred of their flawed, cursed nature, and thus convert them to the service of those on the Path. Kindred as a whole are a blight upon the earth, and only by upholding Haqim's righteous code can they redeem themselves. Should vampires resist attempt at conversion, the Assamites kill and diablerize them, using the blood of the victims to lower their generations and thus return to Haqim's bounty. Although they are not inherently psychotic murderers, Assamites on the Path of Blood place little value on the unlives of other Kindred, and must have good reason not to slay most vampires with whom they come in contact. Vampires on this Path pose serious threats to other Kindred around them, and do not frequently associate with non-Assamite Kindred. Blood is blood, however, and Assamites are not so fatuous as to disregard the value of the vast web of Kindred society. Thus, many Assamites offer their martial expertise as murderers and bodyguards in return for payments of vitae - provided that they may harvest blood from those whom they bring down in combat. Few young Assamites follow this Path or even know of its existence - Clan Assamite conspires to keep its beliefs secret from most other Kindred of the world. Hundreds of years ago, the Assamites' bloodthirsty ways united all other Children of Caine against them, and they are loath to face the concerted opposition of Khayyin's bastard brood again. As such, only the most accomplished and able Assamites learn this Path's tenets; young Assamites who face dire odds may jeopardize the clan's nominally covert vitae crusade.
The Ethics of the Path:
Faithfully follow the teachings of Haqim. Mortals are beneath the notice of vampires. Feed from them only when necessary. Lose no opportunity to sate the Beast with the vitae of other Kindred. Withstand the Beast's fury - failing to master oneself results in lessened prowess.
Seek knowledge that may aid the clan in its war on the cursed spawn of Khayyin. Extend the glory of Haqim's cause to other Kindred. Should they refuse, use them to further your own journey back to Khayyin's grace.
Virtues:
Vampires on the Path of Blood subscrube to the virtues of Conviction and Self-Control.
History:
The Assamites practised an early version of this Path for hundreds of years before the formations of the Camarilla and Sabbat. Their bloodlust led them into open conflict with powerful elder Kindred, who desperately sought to stifle the marauding diablerists. The Assamites found themselves in the same situation as the anarchs during the time of the Arach Revolt, and the Camarilla levied a curse on the clan, making it impossible for the Assamites to consume Kindred vitae. For centuries, the clan followed a debased version of the Path, crippled by its members' inability to commit diablerie. Since breaking the blood curse, the Assamites have renewed their support of the old Path, and pursue diablerie with deadly vengeance.
Current Practices:
The fatal nature of this Path with regard to other Kindred stands behind much of the fear and mistrust of Clan Assamite. Predominantly practiced by proven ancillae and elders of the clan, the Path of Blood leads these beings into direct conflict with non-Assamite vampires. Kindred on the Path of Blood gracefully attempt to convince other Kindred of their "one true way," so a few individuals from other clans also support this Path. Practitioners of little understanding seek merely to follow the teachings of Haqim, doing so with little question. However, those of greater wisdom seek to explore just what "becoming One" entails. By taking the cursed blood of the Antediluvians and their spawn, the followers of the Path hope to concentrate the curse of Khayyin in the hands of those who will use it responsibly. In such a way, according to Path doctrine, can the great endgame of Gehenna be averted. Accordingly, Assamite Ancients practice rigorous purity and meditation, and rumors of a Golconda-like state among these beings have recently trickled into the larger Kindred community.
Description of Followers:
Study, diablerie, proselytizing and selective strikes against the rest of the Kindred world occupy the nights of Kindred on this Path, for it is a course of righteous justice - at least to the minds of Assamites. Fanatical in their quest, the Assassins bring Final Death to those who would make the difference between growing closer to Khayyin and not. Even those of higher generation fall prey to the Kindred on this Path, for it is rumored that certain followers of the Path may preserve a victim's essence in his vitae, then send the blood back to the Assamite stronghold at Alamut to aid other members of the clan. Mostly, however, Assamites seek to convert those of high generation, as they are farther removed from their progenitors and, thus, the taint of evil.
Following the Path:
This Path esposes liberal practice of diablerie, and followers should pursue that end should other recourse fail. More enlightened Kindred on the Path of Blood also seek to uncover lore and knowledge that may lead them to foes possessed of ancient and powerful blood. As such, vampires who follow the Path of Blood are not mindless monsters gorging on Kindred vitae, but would-be saviors of the entire world. All Kindred on the Path of Blood strive to attain "Oneness" with the mythical Haqim, though few who have reached this lofty goal deign to explain its nature. Most Dervishes believe that Oneness resembles Golconda, or another state wherein vampires can cast off theur curse and revel in their Cainite natures.
Common Abilities: Combat and occult Abilities aid followers in their pursuit of the Path's principles. Brawl, Melee, Dodge, Intimidation and Occult are among the Abilities prized by Path of Blood supporters.
Preferred Disciplines: This Path lends itself to the refinement of Quietus, Obfuscate and Celerity. Some followers cultivate knowledge of Thaumaturgy to aid them in their bloody quests.
Get your own Free Home Page