Demon worshippers, serial killers, diabolists, and traitors -- the Baali are all these things and more. The Baali represent the darkest side of the kindred and provide a mirror which reflects our darkest desires. They live a life of survival and corruption, forever hiding from vampiric society, pretending to conform, just as many of us do every day of our own lives.
(A knowledge of the Clan's early history was gained by Baali using the Dark Thaumaturgical path of Secret Knowledge. It may have been deeply corrupted, or indeed be truly falsified, by the infernal powers for their own reasons).
The Baali originated as a tribe of mortals outside of the city Ashur. They had dug a well and therein discovered one of the Children. The Child perished upon contact with the light of God's eye, the sun, and in doing, cursed his name. The Child called to it's brethren for rescue, using their true names, but to no avail. The tribe saw the power of the Children and desired it for themselves. The tribe prostituted their souls to the Children in exchange for power and knowledge. Thus the tribe learned to murder and how to gain power through those they raped and killed. The first tribe spread its knowledge to other cities, but remained by Ashur with the first well and the dead Child. They performed many sacrifices, throwing the organs of their victims into the well and pouring the blood over them. Their rituals were eventually discovered by a Cainite. The priests rose to arms against him, but were easily ripped apart. He made mockery of their rituals and, to let none remain, tossed them into the well. As a final mockery, he poured the vitae from his own veins over the remains of the tribes' bodies. There is mich conflict about who this Cainite was, some believing it to be Ashur-called-Cappadocius, while still others believe it to be Saulot himself. The following night, of the hundreds thrown into the well, three clawed their way out, hungry and very angry. And thus the Baali were born. Of the three, only the names of two are known.
The first to emerge from the well was Nergal. He remained in the arms of the Tigras and Euphrates, firmly believed his sire to be Ashur, and embraced outside of the descendants of the first tribe. He also was adept at dealing with other Cainites, serving as Arikel's wench, trading secrets with Tzimisce, and debating philosophy with Troile. Nergal created the center for Mesopotamian Baali, the city of Mashkan-shapir. In this great city of many advancements, Nergal was god. The D'habi, ghoul priests trained by Nergal, managed his huge temple which spanned a quarter of the city in size. Nergal's knowledge of the true names of the Children was unsurpassed. Through prophecy Nergal became aware of a Child that slept underneath Mashkan-shapir. This child was called Namtaru, Spreader of Plagues. Nergal knew how to contact Namtaru through rituals of summoning, but did not know his true name or the location of the Child's body. At length, Nergal decided the only way to awaken the Child was to offer him a suitable sacrifice. The sacrifice would be the mortal population of Mashkan-shapir.
Nergal planned to release plague after plague upon his own populace, but his priests betrayed him. In fear of their own lives, the D'habi sought out Moloch and told him of Nergal's plans. Moloch, to avoid a Baali civil war, betrayed his brother to the other clans. The move cost the bloodline dearly, since the other clans were already suspicious of the Baali, and Moloch only confirmed these fears. However, that compared to the appetite of an awakened Child was like a pebble to a boulder. The clans played the part Moloch expected, attacking Mashkan-shapir and slaughtered the disease-infected population. Every building was razed except Nergal's shielded temple. In a final attempt to penetrate the temple, Lasombra priests of Ereshkigal, used powers now lost to the clan. They entered through the shadows and filled the temple with liquid darkness. Nergal and his remaining followers were washed into the domain that the Lasombra summon their servants from. Mashkan-shapir died, and the Baali charade with the other clans was over. Many Baali died that day, and the others slipped into the world to work their rituals in secret.
Second to emerge from the pit was Moloch. He prefered to stay more in the background, taking pursuit of quiet agendas and subtle machinations. Upon the fall of Mashkan-Shapir, the Baali dispersed throughout the Fertile Crescent, Arabia Felix and North Africa. The D'habi switched allegiance from Nergal to the Baali, serving the bloodline as a revenant family. The Sumerian, Babylonian, and Akkadian pantheons renamed old deities, some of which were the masks of Children, to fit their purposes. Most of the "gods" were fictitious creations, but some were actual names of power. How mortals acquired these names, the Baali never knew. However the Baali believed these names theirs to use, and theirs alone since they were the first to discover them. Shame for the Baali then as the one who betrayed the knowledge was none other than Nergal himself.
Another problem facing the Baali was the emergence of the Orphaned, the descendants of Nergal. They created lesser sects and philosophies, including the roots of the bloodline name from those Baali who worshipped the mortals' Baal. Moloch allowed these groups to exist to provide him with decoys for the Baali's enemies. Cainites destroyed the cults of Pazuzu, Ahriman, Baal and Mot, never realizing that what they killed were only minor details in the grander scheme of things.
Two millenia before the birth of Christ, Shaitan made his presence known. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, he was powerful, ancient, and exceedingly devious. Claiming to be the bloodline's Sire, he had a flocking of the Orphans swarming to his banner. Shaitan it was discovered was in truth no other than Nergal. His previous "death" along with the betrayal of the D'habi and the destruction of Mashkan-Shapir had all been a very elaborate ruse. The only truth to all of it was that Nergal did fully intend to summon Namtaru, but at the time had lacked the support and the time. Nergal had discovered the true location of Namtaru's body and built a city, Chorazin, above it. After Nergal uncovered the body, he moved the Child to Crete, where he then had a giant maze created around the body to focus the ritual of awakening. Namtaru grew stronger from the sacrifices it received. Namtaru stirred, and in doing so, twisted his very surroundings. The Child caused the waters to turn into blood, the air became as smoke, shielding the island from the sun.
Then in a never before seen show of unification, the other clans united together to stop Shaitan. The Salubri themselves were at the fore-front of the battle. In a ferocious battle, in which the clans could not breach the island's defenses, they finally called upon ancient powers, commanding a nearby island to issue forth a cataclysm. The earth itself swallowed Crete, and partially collapsed the maze. Namtaru buried once more, fell back into sleep. Being too weak to awaken, but now more aware of the world around it.
After the fall of Knossos and Crete, Moloch moved to Carthage. The Baali ruled the cities shadows as much as the Brujah ruled the cities structure and populace. In the Brujah's desire to build a city greater than the Second City, the Brujah consorted with the Baali. Slowly over time, the Baali desensitized the Brujah to the growing brutality of their own actions. Each action making it even easier for the Baali to pulls the Brujah down into perversity and corruption. Meanwhile Moloch and Troile had a special rapport, of which Moloch twisted Troile deeper and deeper into the depths of depravity. Eventually, Troile and Moloch were blood-bound lovers to each other. While Moloch performed his dark rites, Troile himself would watch quietly over them. When the city fell, the Brujah dream had already been destroyed and Troile was suffering the kind of depression that leads to succumbing to the Beast. When Troile fought the invading Cainites, Moloch fought at his side, much to the shock of the other Baali. When both fell, embracing each other, melting into the ground, the other Baali did nothing. As the Romans salted the ground and performed the rituals to prevent the fallen from ever rising, the Baali stood by and let it happen. Moloch allowed his weakness to show, and therefor deserved his fate. The Brujah despise what happened in Carthage, now believing it was the Ventrue and Lasombra who took their dream away. In truth, the Brujah lost their dreams not with the fall of Carthage, but when they prostituted themselves and their ethics for power, legend, and knowledge.
The Baali have disappeared into the annuls of time, arising occasionally to stir up more trouble for those around them. The clan proving to be the greatest thorn however has been the Assamites for no other reason than conflicting areas of control. That problem has diminished to extinction with the expansion of known lands. However, one thing of note is that the Assamite thirst for kindred vitae which lead to the curse they had until recently was due to a curse from the Baali. The Assamites had discovered and annihilated several smaller Baali nests. In return, the Baali in a great ritual, cursing the Assamites and causing their ritualistic practice into an insatiable thirst for Kindred vitae.
The Baali are the darkest of the kindred. They serve the darkest powers in existence and strive to create a world of corruption, ruled directly by the great infernal Demon Lords. They are not, however, senseless killers. Rather they are the gentle corrupter who tempts mankind. They are the serpent in the garden, the dark voice in us all, whose tool is temptation. The Baali maintain a great masquerade, greater than that of all other clans. They survive only by hiding amongst their enemies, slowly manipulating others to do their will.
The Baali value this charade greatly, for it literally is the only thing that keeps them alive. They carefully maintain false identities, secret havens, cover stories, and hidden contacts. They are part of kindred society while forever being debarred from it. They can never drop their guard lest they be found out. They cannot trust those who trust them, nor can they even rely on others of their kind. Amongst the Baali it is survival of the fittest; and the weaklings do not survive long.
Baali carefully create identities beyond suspician. They play the role of Caregiver, Loyalist, Traditionalist, and Mediator. Only those who infiltrate the darkest groups (such as the Minions of Set, or Black Spiral Dancers) allow even a fraction of their dark soul to show. They nurture friendships with kindred and kine alike, often going out of their way to help others. They commit selfless deeds, shy away from brutality, and advocate peace, but all with the goal of eventual corruption. They pursue the most far-sighted of plans, and are meticulous plotters. The effectiveness of this strategy is shown by the conspicuous absence of their greatest enemies, the Salubri.
Since the Great War, the Baali have held a very open structure. They are organized into Orders which fall into two main catagories: the Loyalist Orders and the Infiltrator Orders. The Loyalist Orders bind the Baali in corruption, each revelling in one dark power/emotion. They are the basic structure of Baali society. The Infiltrator orders were established to aid clan members in their masquerade amongst the other Clans.
All Baali are members of one and only one of the loyalist orders.
The Pleasurists
"The devil hath power. To assume a pleasing shape."
These Baali corrupt through pleasure. They are masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Chains of Pleasure and are allied with Lucricia the Succubus or Empress Aliara, the Maeljin Incarna of Desire whom the Baali see as aspects of the same dark being. This is the most popular of the loyalist orders.
The Seekers
There is nothing so captivating as new knowledge.
Those Baali who seek Dark Knowledge above all else are members of this order. They are masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Path of Secret Knowledge. They are allied with Grantel the Mandragora or, less commonly, with Mahsstrac, the Urge Wyrm of Power. This is the second most popular Loyalty Order, and the most ancient.
The Terrorists
He felt no remorse for what he'd done - and this frightened him.
He was free; this, too, frightened him.
So he savored his fear ...
... and rejoiced in the night.
Baali who revel in fear are most often members of this order. They are masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Path of Phobos. They are allied with Hakaken, the Bane-Totem of Fear.
The Bringers of Pain
Oh poor twisted me
I feast on sympathy
I chew on suffer, I chew on agony
And swallow whole the pain
Oh it's too good to be,
That all this misery
Is just for oh poor twisted me.
The Order for torturers, the members of this dark order are all skilled in the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Path of Torture. Their dark allies are Lady Aife, the Maeljin Incarna of Pain and Tivilio, the Injurer of Cats. Many elder members of the clan see this order as a bit juvenile as it seldom manages to corrupt the innocent.
The Bearers of Pestilence
Dust rise right on over my time
Empty fossil of the new scene
I feel so alone, gonna end up a
Big ole pile a them bones.
These Baali delight in the spreading of disease. They are allied with Namtaru, Spreader of Plagues; Thurifuge, Maeljin Incarna of plagues; Collum, Lord of Sludge; and Lady Yul, Mistress of Toxins. This order has been instrumental in the rising disunity and paranoia within the Sabbat.
The Harbingers of Destruction
War without end
No remorse, no repent
We don't care what it meant
Another day, another death
Another sorrow, another breath
Baali masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Hands of Destruction. These Baali revere Knight Entropy, the Maeljin Incarna of decay although they have never managed to fully ally with it.
Bearers of the Inferno
You say your mom ain't home it ain't my concern
Just don't play with me and you won't get burned
I have only one burning desire
Let me get closer to your fire.
The smallest of the Loyalty Orders, these Baali are masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path, Fires of the Inferno. They have no specific ally although they have been attempting to make contact with Kerne, the Maeljin of Hellfire.
As well as being members of the loyalist orders, most Baali are also members of an Infiltrator Order which helps them blend in with those around them. Most orders have several sub-orders based on the political separation of the clan/group in question.
Assamite Order
The Baali had tried for years to gain a toe hold amongst the assassins. They finally managed it during the Anarch revolt and now maintain a small but strong presence in the clan. The only sub-order is that of the Assamite antitribu.
Brujah Order
Set up to allow members to gain power within the rebel clan, they revel in corrupting the rebels and fostering friction between Brujah and other clans.
The main sub-orders are; Brujah antitribu, and Anarchs.
Gangrel Order
Not the most popular of clans for infiltration, the Gangrel still offer a wide variety of possibilities. Members of this order often go on to be members of the shapechanger orders. Sub-Orders include; City Gangrel antitribu, Country Gangrel antitribu, and Ahrimane.
Giovanni Order
One of the great monuments to the Baali was the Giovanni destruction of the Capadocians. They have maintained a small presence amongst the Giovanni ever since. This is the smallest and most closed of the Baali Infiltrator Orders, and most members are elders.
Lasombra Order
One of the hardest clans to infiltrate due to their weakness, the Baali have nonetheless been able to riddle the Lasombra with infiltrators. They are currently debating whether or not to set up a Lasombra antitribu sub-order.
Malkavian Order
One of the smallest infiltration orders, the Malkavians have proven difficult to infiltrate, but the rewards are great for those who do manage it. The only known Sub-Order is the Malkavian antitribu.
Nagaraja Order
One of the oldest of the infiltrator orders, the Nagaraja order is a perfect example of just how far the Baali have seeped into kindred power structures. This order (together with the True Brujah and Old Tzimisce Sub-Orders) have gained moderate power within the true Black Hand, although they are far from controlling that body.
Nosferatu Order
Members of this order have all had their appearance altered by Vicissitude. The Nosferatu's clannishness has proven a great boon to the Baali as has their love of information. Sub-Orders are Nosferatu antitribu, and Gargoyle.
Pander Order
The newest order, this group has been set up to gain control of this new Sabbat "clan." A Caitiff sub-order exists, although most Caitiff infiltrators do not bother to join.
Ravnos Order
The trickster clan is the most popular independent clan amongst infiltrators although a great percentage of members are part of the Ravnos antitribu sub-order.
Setite Order
The minions of Set are not a popular infiltration target. There is no challenge, and Serpentis is a difficult power to mask. The recently instigated Serpents of Light sub-order is proving a more popular group.
Toreador Order
One of the more popular orders amongst the Baali, it delights in perversion of all types. Some of the greatest elders of the Baali control this order. The only real sub-order is that of the Toreador antitribu.
Tremere Order
The Baali are partially responsible for the rise of the Tremere and it is rumored that the head of this order is one of the circle of seven. With the destruction of the Tremere antitribu, there no longer is a sub-order.
Tzimisce Order
The Baali of this order spend most of the time trying to find out the true fate of Tzimisce himself (they do not believe the official stories of his final death). There is an Old Clan Tzimisce sub-order, although there are currently only a handful of members at any one time.
Ventrue Order
Legendary manipulators, the Ventrue present a tempting challenge to the Baali, especially as this clan controls so much power. Very few members of the order belong to the Ventrue antitribu sub-order due to its lack of temporal power.
Shapechanger Order
One of the smallest and most prestigious of orders, these Baali masquerade as one of the changing breed (most commonly Garou). Very few are neonates and most have been members of other infiltrator orders before joining this one. The largest sub-order is that of the Black Spiral Dancers whom the Baali consider to be useful tools.
Other Orders
Rumors of other micro-orders exist, including those for magi. Quiet rumors tell of elders who have infiltrated the order of Mummies, the Society of Leopold, and the Arcanum, amongst others. At some point in the distant past there may have been an Osiran Order that has since become defunct.
Pure, unremitting evil is rare, and so are the Baali. They are not by any means stupid. They tempt others to let their dark side free. To just give in; after all it's so much easier. Baali players should be rare; they exist to try to corrupt kindred and kine alike to the dark powers without ever revealing their true identities. By playing a Baali we vent these dark desires, and thank every good power we know that such beings do not really exist. By looking at our own dark sides we can better ward against those of others, and become more aware of the danger of "just giving in."
| Assamite | Quietus |
| Brujah | Celerity |
| Gangrel | Protean |
| Giovanni | Necromancy |
| Lasombra | Obtenebration |
| Malkavian | Dementation |
| Nagaraja | Nihilistics |
| Nosferatu | Animalism |
| Gargoyle | Viceratika |
| Ravnos | Chimersty |
| Setite | Serpentis |
| Toreador | Auspex |
| Tremere | Thaumaturgy |
| Tzimisce | Vicissitude |
| Old Tzimisce | Animalism |
| Ventrue | Dominate |
| Shapechangers | Protean |
e.g A member of the Ravnos Infiltrator Order with Chimerstry 3 wishes to join the Gangrel order. To convert Chimerstry to a non-clan discipline will cost 3xp (1 for the second level and 2 for the third level). It will cost the Baali a further 10xp to gain the first level of Protean as a Semi-Discipline (on the assumption that the Baali does not already possess Protean) for a total xp cost of 13. Had the Baali possessed Chimersty 5 (and no Protean) the whole thing would have cost 20xp. A large proportion of the Baali change Infiltrator orders at least once during their unlives.
Because of their connection with the powers of darkness, some Baali gain the ability to see through Obfuscate. The individual can see through any level of Obfuscate with a Perception+Alertness roll against a level of Obfuscate + 3.
Dark Faith (7 point Merit)
The opposite of true faith, Dark faith is the Baali's faith in the infernal powers. It may pre-date the individual's embrace or be an effect of it. The Baali now has a rating of one in Dark Faith, which adds to all willpower and virtue rolls. The exact nature of Dark Faith varies, although its relation to True Faith is constant. If a Baali tries to use Dark Faith against an individual with True Faith he must subtract the True Faith rating from the Dark Faith rating, this is the effective rating for all purposes. If the result is negative (True Faith greater than Dark Faith) then the Baali is susceptible to the wielder of True Faith. It takes experience equal to the current rating times three to gain Dark Faith up to rating five and rating by five from then on. The maximum rating in Dark Faith is ten.
Note: an individual with Dark Faith may enter a building/area with True Faith (such as a religious site) if her rating is higher than or equal to the area True Faith rating.
Piggy-Backer (1 point Flaw)
You have a small demon or imp along for the ride. Only you can see it and it is never of any help; in fact it is totally insane. This demon takes over at certain times and is quite a hinderance to you. Choose the occasion; it can be anything from "on the night of the full moon" to "whenever someone mentions avacado." Create the demon: give it a name, detail his madness, and give him some abilities. Play this out to the max when the situation arises. If the storyteller deems that you are not playing this well, he can declare that you have spent a willpower point to suppress the little imp.
Level One
Rite of Contact: This is a method by which Baali can announce their presence to others of their clan in a city. When a half hour incantation is recited, with the Baali enveloped in total darkness, a telepathic message is sent to the oldest Baali in the area and then to all others in order of age. The ritual allows a one minute dialogue with each individual, contacted at their discretion. This ritual has also been used as a distress call.
Level Two
Power of the Invisible Flame: as the Thaumaturgical ritual, except that it effects the Dark Thaumaturgical path Fires of Inferno.
Level Three
Summon Gremlins: This simple ritual sends one chosen machine of small size haywire. This is especially damaging to computers which are usually irrevocably damaged, all their data corrupted and their hardware beyond repair.
Level Four
Balefire: This ritual allows the Baali to draw upon the Balefires of Hades to bathe her body in a sickly blue green glow. The Baali is able to throw bolts of this toxic stuff at her enemies. Any number of bolts may be thrown, at the rate of one per turn, but each costs the Baali one blood point. Hitting requires a Perception+Firearms roll (difficulty 6); he take three points of aggravated damage and in addition mortal victims must roll stamina+4 and match the Baali's number of successess or suffer a damaging mutation (storytellers discretion).
The material component is a piece of radioactive waste or raw uranium.
Unlock Dormant Wisdom: This ritual allows the caster to gain some part of the knowledge of a dead being by consuming her brain. The age of the corpse is irrelevant, so long as some part of the brain is intact. The caster must role Intelligence+Occult versus a nine. The number of Successes indicate the degree of transfer (one for minor/most recent, five for total recall).
This ritual can be performed on any being with a physical form (vampires, garou, mortals, etc.) except mummies (including bane mummies) but is ineffective on such creatures as demons or other spirits.
Level Eight
Form Theft: The Baali have found it useful to take the forms of others. This ritual is a higher level version of Transfer Essence. It allows the Baali to steal the body of a recently slain human, vampire, or shapechanger using the same system as Transfer Essence.
1 Point Investments
Aura Perception: The infernalist can see auras of other beings, the colours indicate their moods, identities and levels of hostility. This power operates in all ways as the second level Auspex power of the same name with one exception, the Auras of individuals with True Faith, or vampires in Golconda will blind a Baali viewing them for 1-10 turns.
Eyes of Hades: For the expenditure of 1 bloodpoint the Infernalist's eyes glow with hellfire (red if not observed closely). The Infernalist may then see objects via heat rather than by light (allows vision in total darkness). Anyone looking directly into the eyes will see dancing flames, and feel distinctly uneasy at the sight. The power may be 'turned off' at any time with no cost.
False Purity: The infernalists aura is permanently set at one specific colour, masking true feelings and diabolic taints.
Gaseous Form: The Infernalist is able to diffuse her body into a gaseous state; this takes only 3 seconds. However, the infernalist must expend one bloodpoint to become gaseous and expend another point to become solid again. The gaseous form remains cohesive in a strong wind. The infernalist emits a horrible stench while in this form.
2 Point Investments
Begin Decent: With the expenditure of one blood point the infernalist decends into the earth, thereby moving closer to hell. The infernalist can rest during the day without fear of exposure to sunlight. The power can only be used in soil or other loose material. It has no effect on stone or concrete surfaces. The infernalist can choose to end the power at any time, rising from the earth.
5 Point Investments
Devil's Advocate: One of the most subtle and devious of investments, Devil's Advocate allows the infernalist to act as a type of middle-man in the soul trade. By finding individuals willing to bargain away their souls the infernalist may receive a percentage of the take in the form of investments. Most often Baali form cults, and double the cost of investments received by their mortal followers. The remaining soul points are used by the Baali themselves to gain more powers. The other party must sign a contract in her own blood for this power to work. Some Baali are known to collect soul points for such things as fleshcrafting, or wealth, thereby insuring a larger profit margin for themselves.
8 Point Investments
Ignore the Blinding Light: This grand investment gives the Baali some degree of resistance to sunlight. In an area of high smog, or on days with significant cloud cover, the Infernalist has only to wear high SPF sunscreen on any exposed skin. In all other situations the infernalist takes only one aggravated wound per turn in sunlight (rather than the usual three).
Attributes: 7/5/3 (Mental usually primary)
Abilities: 13/9/5 (Talents usually primary)
Disciplines: 4
Backgrounds: 1
Virtues: 5 (Callousness, Instincts, and Courage)
Freebie Points: 14 (7/5/2/1)
Baali do not have humanity; instead they follow Paths of Enlightenment. Only the Paths of Evil Revelations and the Hive are condoned by the clan.
Virtually all Baali have the Autocrat, Bon vivant, Bravo, Conniver, Critic, Deviant, Fanatic, or Sychophant natures but may (and usually do) have any Demeanor.
Baali have certain minimum requirements. They must have an Occult of at least one, a Linguistics of one (Latin), and must possess the Background: Alternate Identity. Also during character generation the Baali must choose a loyalty order and corresponding primary path of Dark Thaumaturgy (even if the individual does not have any rating in Dark Thaumaturgy). All Baali must have a rating of at least one in either Daimoinon or Dark Thaumaturgy. Mental Attributes and Talents are usually primary. Many Baali also know the Dragon Tongue of the Nephandi.
All Baali must have at least 1 investment, and some have several. No player Baali can start with more than seven points of investments, and most have between 1 and 4.