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The Life of the Corrupter "'And
were you pleased?' they asked Helen in Hell. |
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The Life of the Corrupter "'And
were you pleased?' they asked Helen in Hell. |
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 for ever 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.
Playing the Innocent
Baali carefully create identities beyond suspicion. 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.
Organization
"Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles you
will never be in
peril." - Sun Tzu c. 500BC
Since the Great Dispersal the Baali have held a very open
structure. They
are organized into Orders which fall into two main categories:
the Loyalist
Orders and the Infiltrator Orders. The Loyalist Orders bind the
Baali in
corruption, each reveling 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.
The Loyalist Orders
All Baali are members of one and only one of the loyalist orders.
The Pleasurists
"The devil hath power. To assume a pleasing shape." -
William Shakespeare
These Baali corrupt through pleasure. They are masters of the
Dark
Thaumaturgical path of Pleasure and are allied with Lucricia the
Succubus
(see Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat) or Empress Aliara, the
Maeljin
Incarna of Desire (see Book of the Wyrm) whom the Baali see as
aspects of
the same dark being. This is the most popular of the loyalist
orders.
The Seekers
Those Baali who seek Dark Knowledge above all else are members of
this
order. They are masters of the Dark Thaumaturgical path of Secret
Knowledge. They are allied with Grantel the Mandragora (see
Storytellers
Handbook to the Sabbat) or, less commonly, with Mahsstrac, the
Urge Wyrm of
Power (see Book of the Wyrm). This is the second most popular
Loyalty
Order, and the most ancient.
The Terrorists
Baali who revel in fear are most often members of this order.
They are
masters of the dark Thaumaturgical path of Phobos. They are
allied with
Hakaken, the Bane-Totem of Fear (see Book of the Wyrm)
The Bringers of Pain
The Order for torturers, the members of this dark order are all
skilled in
the Dark Thaumaturgical path of Torture. Their dark allies are
Lady Aife,
the Maeljin Incarna of Pain (see Book of the Wyrm) and Tivilio,
the Injurer
of Cats (see Storytellers Handbook to the Sabbat). 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
These Baali delight in the spreading of disease. They are allied
with
Thurifuge, Maeljin Incarna of plagues; Collum, Lord of Sludge;
and Lady
Yul, Mistress of Toxins (all see Book of the Wyrm). This order
has been
instrumental in the rising disunity and paranoia within the
Sabbat.
The Harbingers of Decay
Baali masters of the Hands of Decay. These Baali revere Knight
Entropy, the
Maeljin Incarna of decay (see Book of the Wyrm) although they
have never
managed to fully ally with it.
Bearers of the Inferno
The smallest of the Loyalty Orders, these Baali are masters of
the Fires of
the Inferno. They have no specific ally although they have been
attempting
to make contact with Kerne, the Maeljin of Hellfire (see Book of
the Wyrm).
The Summoners
Specializing in the Path of Summoning (see Book of Madness for
Mage), these
Baali are few and far between. There powers are amongst the most
indirect
of all the orders. Although they can call on great power through
their
contact with Banes, Wraiths, and Demons, they are not allied to
any
specific individuals.
The Corrupters
Whilst corruption is the heart of Baali life, this is a small and
powerless
group within the clan. This is largely due to the fact that its
members
specialize in the Path of Corruption, which is both a Path of
Thaumaturgy
and Dark Thaumaturgy) .
Infiltrator Orders
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts." -As you like it,
Act 2 Sc 7,
William Shakespeare
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 none the less 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
or the Path of Corruption. 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. Only the
Tremere antitribu have a sub-order.
Tzimisce Order
Most Baali see the score with the Tzimisce settled but some still
carry a
grudge, and these make up the majority of this order. They 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.
Banned Order
Inner Light
"Even while a thing is in the act of coming into existence,
some part of it
has already ceased to be" - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations,
2nd Century AD
This order is outlawed and reviled by the Baali. Its followers
believe in
the
use of dark powers for the greater good. They hide amongst the
other Baali,
professing allegiance to the Loyalty and Infiltration Orders
whilst
secretly trying to convert their kin. Virtually none of its
members hold
much power among the Baali as the great dark powers are supremely
corrupting, still they maintain enough power to survive under the
noses of
their dark kin. This order had an hand (albeit hidden) in the
creation of
the Daughters of Cacophony.
