SEBEKITES: CHILDREN OF SEBEK

By Fabian Alvarez (maldoror@eucmax.sim.ucm.es)

Description

The Sebekites are a relic from a lost glorious past; they are the Swamp-Crocodiles, the Jaws in the Night, the Thieves of Children and the Hoarders of Secrets: they are the Followers of Sebek, the Crocodile God of Ancient Egypt.

The legends of the bloodline talk about Set, the God of Darkness, and how wise Sebek aided him several times when Osiris and Isis wanted to punish his crimes (you know, nobody can choose his family). In Egyptian mythology, Set had only one true friend: Sebek, because Sebek admired and befriended Set the way a lesser bully befriends a really bad boy. So, the Sebekites are the only friends of the Setites, and they usually help them with their wicked plans.

As centuries passed, links between Sebekites and Setites have come and gone, never drying up but never as fresh as they were in Ancient Egypt; some Sebekites have joined the Camarilla and fight their former allies.

Sebekites are not widely known of, and most Camarilla Kindred ignore their existence; the Sabbat, however, hates them with a passion because more than a pack has gotten lost in the swamps of Lousiana or the Haitian jungles due to the powers of the Sebekites. The Serpents of the Light are known to kill any Night-Gator they encounter.

Sebekites are not usually found alone, and Princes dealing with them may better search for Setites, because it's sure they won't be too far away.

Nickname

Devourers, Devourers of Sinners (Old Form), Night Gators (Modern Slang)

Appearance

Sebekites are usually stubborn and slow in appearance, the better to trick their enemies; like their god, they are mortally fast when they need to be. They normally have tough builds; great strength and speedy brains are common; sneezing looks are also usual. They have a taste for gold and silver jewelry, and are rarely seen without some.

Haven

Sebekites love water; they dwell in moist places, like sewers, swamps or rivers. Like the Setites, the Followers of Sebek usually paint hieroglyphs in the walls, telling tales about their god and ancient Egypt.

Background

Sebekites are very cautious with their Neonates. They are patient like crocodiles, and study carefully their recruits. Sebekites-to-be tend to display a fair mix of scholar and brute.

Character Creation

Sebekites are normally more callous than cruel, but not always; Architect and Bravo are common Natures for them; Bon Vivant, Judge and Caregiver are less common, but not unheard. Many Sebekites have the Autist, Conformist or Bravo Demeanors. Physical or Mental Atributtes are Primary; either Talents or Skills tend to be the Primary Abilities. Due to their terrible Hunger (see below), Sebekites tend to possess fairly big Herds; Resources (jewelry) and Retainers are also common Backgrounds.

Blood Disciplines

Animalism, Crocodilis, Dominate.

Weakness

Sebekites are always ravenously hungry; all their Frenzy difficulties about blood have a +1 difficulty. Also, they lose one additional Blood Point each night.

Organization

Sebekites are not very social, but they gather in Temples similar to those of the Setites. The highest-status Sebekite is always a Priest of Sebek, and usually answers to the highest-status Setite in the city. In this century, however, fights between Sebekites and Setites are not uncommon . . .

Prestige

Sebekites are not very concerned about Prestige, and they usually work for the welfare of the Bloodline first. Sometimes, the Prestige of a Sebekite is measured with the size of his personal treasure.

Quote

" "Look, the old crocodile is blind and asleep! Let's kill him!" And no one heard never again of these foolish hunters... Do you want to know what happened to them?"

The Sebekites in the Dark Ages

In the Dark Ages, the Children of Sebek are mainly unknown due to the fact they are strongly allied with the Setites. But they are also more common, mainly among the Mediterranean princes and around the Holy Land.

Devourers

Animalism, Crocodilis, Dominate

The same than in V:TM

Sebekites and Thaumaturgy

Sebekites can learn the Path of Neptune's Might (they call it the Path of Khunm's Might) without learning Thaumaturgy previously. They use it in its more primeval, egyptian seeming, and dislike the Hermetic trappings of the Tremere. They cannot take it during character creation.

The Sebekites Sigil

In the modern world, the sigil of the Sebekites is a carved head of Sebek, easily mistook for the sigil of the Setites. In the Dark Ages, their sigil was an Egyptian cartouche displaying Sebek aboard the Sun Boat of Ra.

Stereotypes

The Camarilla: These Kindred are not really too bad, but I don't like some snobbish Ventrue or whatever telling me what I have to do... we know.

"Who? Ah, they must be some of those elders that are no longer with us."

-- Zachary, 8th Tremere

The Sabbat: You are bunch of mindless, brainless, stupid fanatics! And you say we are the lunatics? (Excuse me, I didn't want to rip your arm off. I'm sorry)

"Set and his children were bad; Sebek's and himself were worse; gold-hungry, flesh-renders mad men who mummified and worshipped crocodiles."

-- Bernard, elder Tzimisce

The Inconnu: Hiding from the world is not the answer. Their Hungers will make them fall . . .

"They are blind, arrogant bastards who follow stupid, arrogant snakes. They will all fall in the same pit. Someday . . ."

-- Khensutiri, 5th Ventrue

Assamites: Warriors of an enlightened culture; be careful when crawling around them.

"They are like the Snakes; vile and dangerous. Fear the crocodile because it's the animal of Iblis."

Baali: Destroy any you encounter. They do not seek darkness; they follow beings that only want to put them in chains.

"They can be easily corrupted; greed will be their damnation."

Brujah: They are interesting; befriend them whenever possible.

The who? Yeah, Kindred who can become crocodiles. I don't believe you for one damm minute but if they are real, I wanna meet one.

Caitiff: These lost ones have no father, no customs, no laws. They are a pool of almost willing converts to our cause.

No; I don't know anything about those guys.... (mumbling to the shadows) (Was that good? Was I really convincing?)

Cappadocians: They are very, very interesting. Introduce them to the Children of Horus, and they will become your everlasting friends.

"They are enigmatic, like their supposed founder. But we think they can guide us towards these enigmatics beings called the Reborn . . ."

Children of Horus (Mummies): Help them whenever possible, but stay clear from their leader. He hates us like he hates all Kindred.

(No comment)

Children of Osiris: We mean them no harm, and while they don't like us, they don't hate us.

I have found some of these "Children of Sebek"; I'm not sure whether they are minions of the Setites but, if we discover they are, they won't be much longer.

Gangrel: Remember the tale about the crocodile, the snake, the dog and the young prince? We do not dislike these Kindred but, more often than not, our fates clash.

"I have found them to be both kind, caring, cruel and manipulative. Judge each one on her own actions."

Lasombra: They see themselves as the heirs of Imperial Rome. I see them as bastards that respect nothing and care only for themselves.

How can the bastards of Set not be as vile as Set's own brood?

Malkavian: Listen to their words, because they are reservoirs of incredible wisdom.

"Yes, please, please, I wanna have those precious eyes of you. How do you do that?

Mokole: They are the living descendants of our father Sebek before he becomes a vampire. Respect them as you would respect a distant cousin.

They are our kin, but neither our friends nor our allies.

Nosferatu: They are curious and know too much; be cautious when dealing with them.

"Do you think that the legends of alligators in the sewers were only myths? I swear you there are crocodiles in the sewer, and they speak Old Egyptian!"

Ravnos: Its too difficult to steal without limbs...

"They hoard gold and treasures, but seem to have a taste for chopping the hands and legs of those that want to "admire" them. Be careful."

Setites: They think they manipulate us. Of course they do . . .

Is any of them here? Geez, I wonder if they really know how we loathe and... (shrudder) fear them... (goring sound of smashing ribs and chopping bones) (whispering voice) "There was once a time a little snake who dwelt too near the lair of an ancient crocodile, and them, one night..."

Toreador: Listen to them when they speak about art or love. Ignore them otherwise.

"I think they are, at best, weird, at worst, monsters."

Tremere: These magicians have good ideas but very bad ways of preaching them.

"They are interesting, but I wonder if they are really helping the Setites or if their disputes are real.

Tzimisce: Not too bad; they like to study, and if you can pass about all that stuff (Yeah, I'm a mighty vampire lord who rules the night), they are not bad people.

"Interesting; not as corrupt as their Setite cousins, and sometimes, very smart."

Ventrue: Interesting ideas. No more, no less.

"They seem to dislike their cousins; we should try to recruit all of them in the Camarilla..."