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You’re close to <strong>the</strong> truth now. You’ve gone from beating heart to wi<strong>the</strong>red organs. You’re a demon chained to<br />
dead meat, almost free from <strong>the</strong> prison <strong>of</strong> flesh. Seek those who can unbind you fur<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
Legend holds <strong>the</strong> Baali to be <strong>the</strong> first bloodline to<br />
st<strong>and</strong> apart from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Clans</strong>, a tainted <strong>and</strong><br />
cancerous lineage plaguing society<br />
from <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Second City.<br />
As for what progenitor sired <strong>the</strong><br />
wicked line <strong>of</strong> infernalists, none<br />
can say. Some believe <strong>the</strong> Tzimisce<br />
responsible, due to that clan’s long<br />
association with <strong>the</strong> demon called<br />
Kupala. The Tremere spread this<br />
tale, but <strong>the</strong>y will turn <strong>and</strong> blame<br />
Saulot in ano<strong>the</strong>r breath; <strong>the</strong> Shepherds’<br />
pogrom against <strong>the</strong> Baali<br />
smacks <strong>of</strong> hidden guilt, <strong>the</strong>y say.<br />
The Malkavians refuse to speak<br />
on <strong>the</strong> matter at all.<br />
The bloodline’s record <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong>ir origin is transmitted orally<br />
from sire to childe. Their genesis<br />
lies in a nameless tribe in what<br />
would become Tyre, a people that<br />
clung to atrocity as revelation <strong>and</strong><br />
sacrificed without underst<strong>and</strong>ing.<br />
During a pre-dawn rite around<br />
<strong>the</strong> sacrificial pit, <strong>the</strong>ir orgiastic<br />
violence was interrupted by a<br />
terrible figure, silhouetted in<br />
<strong>the</strong> sun cracking <strong>the</strong> bloodred<br />
horizon. It tore into<br />
<strong>the</strong> tribe, rending <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
mortal flesh into<br />
obscene patterns<br />
<strong>and</strong> twisting<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir hearts to<br />
<strong>the</strong> sky before<br />
tossing <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
mutilated<br />
corpses into<br />
<strong>the</strong> pit before<br />
departing.<br />
Three crawled out at sunset. They took <strong>the</strong>ir mortal<br />
god’s name for <strong>the</strong>ir own, for <strong>the</strong>y were<br />
kin to him. When <strong>the</strong>y turned <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
blood to <strong>the</strong> summoning rites<br />
wrought by mortal mages,<br />
<strong>the</strong>y found Hell answering<br />
back. They still spill blood as<br />
sacrifice, but now <strong>the</strong> blood<br />
is <strong>the</strong>ir own.<br />
Broken into ever-quarreling<br />
factions, <strong>the</strong><br />
splintered <strong>and</strong> fractious<br />
bloodline claims <strong>the</strong>y<br />
do not serve <strong>the</strong> Abrahamic<br />
Devil (<strong>the</strong>y long<br />
predate that <strong>the</strong>ology,<br />
without question) but<br />
<strong>the</strong>y cannot agree on<br />
whom <strong>the</strong>y do serve.<br />
The bloodline last saw<br />
philosophical unity<br />
during <strong>the</strong> advent <strong>of</strong><br />
Zorastrianism, clinging<br />
to <strong>the</strong> idea <strong>of</strong> existence as<br />
a struggle between great<br />
powers <strong>of</strong> darkness <strong>and</strong><br />
light. As v<strong>amp</strong>ires are<br />
beings <strong>of</strong> irrevocable<br />
darkness, <strong>the</strong>y reason,<br />
why not play for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
side to win? O<strong>the</strong>rs fear<br />
<strong>the</strong> demons, seeking to<br />
keep <strong>the</strong>m placated <strong>and</strong><br />
slumbering in Hell. Still<br />
o<strong>the</strong>rs seek to awaken<br />
those same Fallen to end<br />
<strong>the</strong> world. To <strong>the</strong>se ends,<br />
Baali hide inside Cainite society,<br />
seeking favors, showing<br />
subservience to (<strong>and</strong> in some<br />
THE CLANS OF CAINE<br />
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