Setite

Setite You call us heathens, thieves, and serpents. You fail to understand that your hatred says more about you than it does about us.

The Followers of Set are corrupt, hedonistic, and venal. They are evil incarnate, spreaders of disease, heresy, and dissolution. They devote themselves to their god and their sinful pleasures, and must be uprooted whenever discovered. Or at least that’s what most clans would have you believe. As always, their interpretation of the truth is selective at best. Set was one of the chief gods of the Egyptian  pantheon. The god of the desert desert and storms, he was a harsh god for a harsh land. Then the Ptolemy’s came, and the Romans after, and twisted the myths to suit their own purpose. Ptolemaic influence turned Set into a god of violence and chaos whose worship was gradually forgotten in favor of the gods of the Abrahamic faiths. And so the rest of the world remembers Set as an evil god best abandoned. The Followers of Set remember the truth. Set, not Caine, was the progenitor of all vampires. The myth of Caine is lies and propaganda, designed to Christianize vampires. Though Set disappeared from the world, it remains the duty of his faithful to spread his word. Followers of Set actively seek to undermine Christian and Islamic rule in Europe. They do this not out of a love of chaos, which is anathema to Set. Instead, they seek not only the restoration of worship of their god, but to spread it across the known world. More than anyone, the Followers of Set know that religions are living things —  things —  they  they are born, flourish, and die. By working to eliminate the invasive influence of Christianity and Islam, they seek only to hasten the inevitable. inevitable. Sobriquet: Serpents, Followers of Set Appearance: Followers of Set are mostly Egyptian or  North African in origin. The few Europeans they Embrace tend to have red hair, which is seen as a blessing or sign of favor from Set. Styles of dress vary according to need. When traveling in less tolerant regions, Setites often dress in the style of North African merchants to avoid drawing undue attention. In the safety of their temples, however, they favor the linen robes of the old Egyptian priests. Haven and Prey: Hatred of the sun god, Horus, and a need for secrecy lead many Followers of Set to places underground. They frequently establish centers of worship to Set in abandoned temples long-since buried or natural

caverns. However, this is not always practical. Many Setites  bow to necessity by establishing havens in port city slums, or risk maintaining a secure mobile haven as part of a trading caravan. Regardless of location, most Setites feed on the dregs of society who will not be missed, so as to not draw attention from those in power.

Character Creation The Embrace: Followers of Set tend to recruit from within the ranks of the secret Set cults that they establish. Through these cults, they identify mortals with the cunning and charisma needed to survive and spread the worship of their god. Potential recruits often serve as ghoul retainers to their vampiric masters. Those with real promise are selected for the Embrace, while the weak remain as servants to their  betters. The The Embrace Embrace itself itself is a secret ritual ritual that serves as the new childe’s initiation as a pr iest iest of Set in their own right.

Despite that many of their adherents are European, most new childer are of Egyptian, Nubian, or Arabian descent, as many elders of the Clan look down on the colonial aggressors who destroyed their way of life. As the Followers of Set expand further into Europe, however, they invite more Europeans into their ranks — particularly Gaul’s and Franks, as they are more likely to have red hair. Clan Disciplines: Obfuscate, Presence, Serpentis Weaknesses: The enmity between Set and Horus, sun god and son of Set’s hated brother Osiris, is eternal. The Followers of Set carry Horus’ curse more heavily than other vampires and take twice the amount of aggravated damage from any exposure to sunlight than members of other clans.

Setite Warriors

and

Witches

At this point in history, most Setites encountered in Europe are of the priestly variety. However, the clan sees three major divides: The Priests, the Warriors, and the Witches.

Warriors of Glycon Yes, all Followers of Set are subtle, forked-tongued seducers. But to the Warriors of Glycon, every pen is held  by a fist; words without action are no more than weapons without a wielder. The priests of Set can have their temples and cults. Leave the witches their caves and smoke. The Warriors of Glycon claim the body. Kings, merchants, craftsmen, and criminals all share a s ingle thing in common:  power is only relative to the bodies beneath it. They know it is not the mind, but the body that acts. Violence is a tool: steer the body and the mind can’t help but follow. It was a serpent that slept with Olympias to give birth to Macedonia’s great conqueror. It was also a serpent that put him down. It is violence, nothing more, that gathers the world, and words wielded by violence are all that ever hold it together. The rule of the warriors over the rest of the clan hangs  precariously thin these nights. Echidna’s children prophesy dire omens that forecast not only their own doom, but that of the Minyan generals as well. The priests retain their own guard trained in Potence, and some among Set’ s chosen display strange, new powers tied closer to the heresies they spread, than the gifts of Typhon and the Mother. Yet, as the warriors partake in the masses prepared by the priests in celebration of their god of the red desert, the offerings of supplicants swallow their attention, and any caution is soothed by affirmation of clan. Though the clan does not appear in any way divided, the witches are quick to point out that some venoms still the body, while others strangle the mind. Sobriquet: Crooks Disciplines: Obfuscate, Potence, Serpentis Weakness: The Warriors are power-obsessed by nature, and each has a special focus. At character creation,

the player must select a nominated source of power  —  military prowess, status, politically relevant secrets, alliances, wealth, etc. Additionally, Warriors must accept an opponent’s surrender   when presented (usually proven through the defeated opponent submitting to a Blood Oath), lest they lose a potential convert. Whenever an opportunity  presents itself to directly acquire more power or a convert, the player must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to avoid  pursuing that lead to the exclusion of all else. Quote: “I will make myself into armor, because I’m hungry and hollow and just want something to call my own.”

Witches

of

Echidna

At one time, long before a myth propagated by a lone zealot from Ur would associate itself with the vampires of Europe, a kingdom devoted to the earth-encircling serpent encompassed northern Greece and Thessaly. Though her worship was later transposed upon the heavens as the dual deities Hydra, zigzagging at the elliptic, and Draco, s piraling around the “chasm,” the motifs are unmistakably the same. The Oracle at Delphi, the “omphalos” (navel) of the world, older even than the “tree of rejuvenation”   in the epic of Gilgamesh, was the Pytho. Thousands of years before Alexander’s devotees would birth the Ptolemaic heresies that now dominate the clan, the Cretan veneration of the mother serpent at Knossos stretched to the far North, shedding her skin and sex from mother to father to son, from Hydra to Ophion to Jörmungandr. The Witches serve the mother. No matter the form, no matter the name, the costume, or the dogma, the Witches serve the mother. Echidna ripples through their hearts, growing through her cycles to meet the new age. Though the priests of Set confuse the semantic in their fanatic Hellenistic fervor, they have ever done their part to push the clan forward  –   to keep it young and to keep the mother’s coils wrapping round the world. And for this, the Witches are grateful. While the Warriors of Glycon vie for dominion and control and the Priests of the aardvark-headed god spread her sermon, the Witches of Echidna serve. Sobriquet: Gorgons Disciplines: Animalism, Presence, Setite Sorcery (Thaumaturgy) Weakness: Echidna feasts with her children and displays herself through their Beast in times of stress. Whenever a Witch makes a frenzy check, he must also make a Self-Control check at the same difficulty level. If he fails either roll, his Appearance is reduced to 0 for the rest of the scene as Echidna’s Visage lashes out in fury, twisting her acolyte into a tartarine demon. No roll is required for Witches with Instinct, who automatically assume Echidna’s Visage whenever provoked to frenzy. Furthermore, Echidna claims her due. Each time a Witch uses or consumes blood, Echidna “consumes”  a point at the end of the scene. For example, if a Witch spends two points to boost his Attributes

in a scene, he actually loses three; if he drains a mortal of ten  blood points, he only gains nine. The only exception to Echidna’s feasting occurs when a Witch fuels his sorcerous  power, either through Ritual or Thaumaturgy. Echidna is appeased and abated by the blasphemous energy coursing through her servant and demands no additional tribute. Quote: “All you wanted waits reflected on the back of fear. I am that ruin wearing your lover’s skin.”

Attributes Abilities Disciplines Backgrounds Lores Virtues Max Merits bought with Flaws Starting Status (free) Freebies

Neonate 7/5/3 13/9/5 4 5 4 7 7 1 75

Ancillae 7/5/3 13/9/5 4 5 4 7 7 2 175

Only one max dot per category in attributes and abilities at creation. Only one discipline or primary path of Blood Sorcery, Thaumaturgy and Necromancy can have max dots at creation. Only one dot in one advance discipline is allowed at creation. Out of Clan Disciplines can be taken at character creation with Freebie points and only with Storyteller permission. Celerity, Fortitude and Potence does not need Storyteller permission, nor does it count toward the max in the other out of clan disciplines chart.

Starting out of clan Disciplines Age Max number of Disciplines allowed Max dots in each Discipline Max number of Physical Disciplines allowed Max dots in Celerity, Fortitude or Potence

Neonate

Ancilla

2

3

3 2

4 2

3

5

Freebie Point cost Trait Cost

(Per Dot)

Attributes Ability Discipline Blood Sorcery Path Blood Sorcery Ritual Backgrounds Lores Virtue Area of Expertise Road Willpower

5 2 7 4 Ritual Level 1 1 2 1 2 1

Organization: Setite enclaves follow the old Egyptian temple system. A Prophet and High Priest of Set leads each temple, with varying numbers of subordinate Priests beneath them. Larger enclaves might have many mortal cultists as well as ghoul servants and retainers, while smaller temples might boast only a handful of mortal adherents. Stereotypes

Assamites: The Children of Haqim are our enemies. They preach the word of a god that has supplanted the old ways. If the worship of Set is to flourish once more, they must be destroyed. Lasombra: The poor godless fools. They tear themselves apart from within, unable to decide which face of the Abrahamic god to devote themselves to. You need only give them the occasional nudge and they will destroy themselves. Tzimisce: Misguided, perhaps. But their war against the Ventrue crusaders is a noble one and should be supported, so long as it would not damage the cause of Set. Cappadocians: Their abiding interest in the past and the dead make them occasionally useful. However, they lack any real passion or fervor, which makes them useless as potential adherents of Set. Tremere: Their hunger for power makes them useful tools against our enemies, though one must never forget what lengths they are willing to go to for that power. Setite-Specific Merits/Flaws

Before buying the domain background consult with the storyteller.

Drug Resistance (2 Point Merit) You are unusually resistant to drugs. Alcohol, opiates and similar addictive substances have little or no effect "upon you. You can drink from winos with impunity, or pretend to

 be far drunker than you are in order to take advantage of an opponent.

motion and the gleam of eyes and teeth in the dark. They get closer every night. What do they want from you?

Poisonous Bite (2 Point Merit)

Obfuscate

You have developed poison glands in the roof of your mouth. The poison is virulent, although Kindred and other supernatural creatures are unaffected by it. You, of course, are immune. When you bite, you always inject this poison, usually killing your human victims. You must learn to feed in other ways, perhaps drawing the blood you need with a syringe or razor, if you do not wish to kill every time you feed. Addictive Blood (3 Point Merit) Your blood is especially delicious to others, Kindred or Kine, containing a substance they find physically addictive. Once they have drunk it, they must drink again, or spent a Willpower point at inconvenient moments to avoid the pangs of craving. Setites with this Merit find it much easier to Blood Bond an opponent, as once they have tasted the tainted vitae, they will do almost anything to drink it again.(Storyteller discretion if non Setites can take this flaw/rare) Scales (1-3 Point Flaw) During your Embrace, a portion of your skin became scales. If only a small area, one easily hidden, such as a patch of skin on your shoulder, this is only a one-point Flaw. Having an entire limb affected, such as an arm, forcing you to wear long gloves at all times is a two-point Flaw, while having a scaled, lipless face is a three-point Flaw.

Forked Tongue (2 Point Flaw) Your tongue is forked and flickering, like that of a snake. You speak with a hiss. Upholding the Masquerade becomes difficult for you. Note that this tongue does not inflict aggravated damage, nor draw blood.

Heartless (4 Point Flaw) Having removed your heart via the fifth level of Serpentis, you have lost it. The heart might be in the possession of a foe, or simply missing. If it is possessed by some other Cainite, (perhaps a Setite elder, or your sire) you must obey their every command. If it is lost, the anxiety this causes you interferes with your nightly existence.

Aura of the Typhon (5point Flaw)

Something slithers beneath your skin, coiled in your very essence —  something that causes the Lupines to stalk you for some dread purpose you do not understand. Their howls follow in your wake. You catch glimpses of blurred

Confusion of the Eye (••••• •) This power extends the effect of Mask of 1,000 Faces to another person in a specialized way. While under the influence of this power, the victim perceives one other  person of the vampire’s choosing as someone else. For instance, the victim might see and hear the city’s Chamberlain as a fishmonger, or a crusader knight as a Muslim silk merchant whose favor the victim desires. The victim hears whatever the “masked”   person says, but unconsciously explains away any inconsistencies in the  person’s responses. If the “masked” person directly tries to persuade the victim of his true identity, the victim will  prove hard to convince and may become angry. System: This power costs one Willpower point to use. The vampire’s player mak es a Willpower roll (difficulty of the target’s current Willpower). If the roll succeeds, the victim sees one person of the character’ s choosing as one other person, also of the character’ s choosing. The effect lasts up to 24 hours. The victim will rationalize or ignore most evidence that the “masked” person is not who he believes. If the “masked” person tries to convince the victim of her true identity, the “masked” person makes a Charisma + Subterfuge roll, while the victim makes a Willpower roll (both difficulty 7). If the victim gets more successes than the “masked” person does, she is convinced. Otherwise, she isn’t, and must make a Self-Control roll to keep her calm.

Mental Maze (••••• •) This power removes a victim’s sense of direction, forcing him to move in circles and binding him to an area of the vampire’s choosing. The vampire can trap a person in his own home. To the victim’s point of view, the house folds back on itself, and all the exits lead back inside. System: The vampire’s player must make a Charisma + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the target’ s current Willpower). The difficulty increases by 2 if the character cannot speak to her chosen victims, telling them they cannot escape. For each success, the character may affect one victim. The effects last a full scene.  Normally, the power is used in a multi-room structure such as a house, or an outside area about the same size. A much larger area (anything from an office tower to a neighborhood) reduces the difficulty by 1 and increases the duration to a full day. If the vampire wants to trap a victim within a single room, the character must expend a point of Willpower. A character must also expend a Willpower point to use the Mental Maze upon

supernatural victims such as werewolves, mages, other vampires, or ghouls.

victim sees the vampire as a loved one for as long as the vampire remains in her presence.

Presence

This power costs 18 experience points to learn.

Temptation (••••• •) This power lets a Setite tempt the victim into some action that she normally wouldn’t do. This is usually some sinful action, but Temptation works just as well to  provoke unwanted generosity as greed, or chastity as well as lust. The Setite must talk to the victim for at least a minute and allude to the action she wants the victim to  perform. System: To goad the victim, the character must make a successful Manipulation + Leadership roll (difficulty of the target’s Humanity or Path of Enlightenment rating). A simple success results in a change to the victim’s personality and goals for a scene. If the number of successes exceeds the victim’s Conscience or Conviction rating, the change lasts indefinitely (although the victim may overcome it with time and expenditure of Willpower, like a Derangement). The Setites have created many variations on this  power. The player chooses which variation at the time of  purchasing this power. Sample variations include: Obsession: The victim suffers an overpowering lust for a certain substance, action, or condition. She may fly into a rage (the victim receives a frenzy check) if she cannot possess or experience the object of her desire  before her next sleep. True Will: This persuades the victim, for a time, to act on any passing desire, or according to his Nature, without self-restraint.

Combination Disciplines True Love’s Face (Obfuscate •••, Presence •••) Through perfect combination of Mask of 1,000 Faces and Entrancement, the Setite can appear to another  person as someone he already loves. If she does not know of such a person, she can let the victim define his own “true love”  and let the power do the rest. In that case, however, the Setite will have to use her wits to discover who the victim thinks she is. System: The vampire receives a roll of Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 6). Success means that the chosen

Typhonic Beast (Potence •••, Serpentis ••••) The Setite calls upon the primordial chaos of the Duat, expressing it through his own flesh. The vampire takes on the form of the mysterious Typhonic animal. System: This power requires the expenditure of three blood points; the transformation takes three turns to complete. The transformed vampire gains one dot each of Strength, Dexterity, and Stamina, as well as the benefits of Potence. The Typhonic form gains the s oak benefits of Skin of the Adder: dropping the soak difficulty to 5; and the vampire can use her Stamina to soak aggravated damage from claws and fangs, but not from fire, sunlight, or magic. The Setite also gains the venomous bite of Form of the Cobra, doubles her running speed, and gains +2 dice on all Perception rolls related to smell or hearing. The vampire remains in bestial form until the next sunrise, or until she voluntarily changes back. Clothing and other small personal items transform along with the vampire.

This power costs 21 experience points to learn.

Weigh the Heart (Auspex •••, Serpentis •••••) The ancient Egyptians believed that conscience and judgment resided in the heart. In the afterlife, the gods weighed a person’s heart, the record of his deeds, against the feather of truth. A Setite who has learned The Heart of Darkness not only can remove a vampire’s heart to keep it safe, he gains a potential insight into the consciences of others. He can develop that potential through Auspex. Like the god Anubis, a vampire with this  power can “weigh” another person’s heart to read his character and sins. Such knowledge of another person’s character makes tempting, corrupting, or teaching him much easier. System: This power calls for a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 8). Each success reveals one truth about the target’s character, with particular emphasis on the person’s weaknesses, passions, and guilts. The first truth is always the target’s Nature. Subsequent truths might include any Derangements or mental Flaws, strong  passions, or deep-laid fears and guilts (although never specific details about specific crimes).

This power costs 24 experience points to learn.