ASSAMITES

19 min read

NOTE: Those who are not familiar with World of Darkness vampire roleplay or have not roleplayed an Assassin in another roleplay sim may be better suited in choosing a different vampire clan to start.

Cult of Killers

The clans of Caine have only recently seen the true face of Clan Assamite. Once assumed to be mere assassins, the Assamites have thrown off the Camarillas debilitating curse and their mantle of silence. A diverse clan of noble warriors, erudite scholars, learned sorcerers and murderous diablerists, the Assamites have stepped forth to claim their legacy in the Final Nights. -- Clanbook: Assamite - Revised Edition

CLAN OVERVIEW

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother.
— Henry V, Act IV, Scene iii

The childer of Haqim, known as Assamites to the rest of the Kindred, are a silent knife in the dark, have been know as nothing more than bloodthirsty assassins who participate in the secret wars of the undead by operating as killers for hire. In today's modern world, that designation no longer entirely applies to the Assamites. In the new world order of Vampires, Assamites have become the left hand of darkness, serving the Camarilla Princes in keeping the Masquerade safe, and ensuring a swift and absolute death to those that threaten it. By the time a mark realizes that he’s being hunted by an Assamite, it’s often far too late. Needless to say, this makes the Assamites both feared and reviled by many of the other Clans.

In truth, the Assamites are more than simple thugs and killers. Theirs is a complex but insular Clan predicated upon the three principles of wisdom, sorcery, and diablerie. Most Assamites that other vampires encounter are members of the warrior caste, however, so Kindred society has painted them all with that brush. For their part, the Assassins have done nothing to stop this misunderstanding. If it helps them acquire contracts and it occludes the true nature of their Clan, the better for them.

NOTE: Assamites are the same thing as the Children of Haqim (or the Sons of Haqim, the Daughters of Haqim, or Haqim’s Children). All three castes (Warriors, Viziers, and Sorcerers) are equally Assamites. Assamites of all political affiliations or lack thereof (loyalists, schismatics, antitribu and dispossessed) are equally Assamites, too.

ABOUT CLAN ASSAMITE

Nickname: Assassins, Banu Haqim

Clan Curse: It should be noted that Dominions of Darkness takes place AFTER the Tremere curse was lifted. This means that Assamites suffer no ill effects from drinking the blood of other Vampires. Also, while they may hold some ill will toward the Tremere, they have made their peace with the Camarilla and seek to uphold the Masquerade doing what they do best.

Sect: For the most part, the Assamites are a very close-knit clan with very strict rules and professional ethics of conduct. They are the overseers and enforcers of the Masquerade, in that they realize the importance of keeping the kindred hidden from the modern human world and, with the permission of the city's Prince, punish those who threaten that secret with the true death.

Sub Classes: Warriors, Viziers, Sorcerers

Appearance: Older Assamites often come from Middle Eastern and North African cultures, though more and more young Assamites come from a wider demographic. In traditional environments, the Assamites prefer garb appropriate to religious or Clan custom. When in public, however, Assamites wear whatever the locals do, allowing them to fulfill their contracts without anyone noticing anything amiss.

An Assamite’s skin grows darker with age (as opposed to other vampires, whose skin gets paler); ancient methuselah Assamites are almost ebony in complexion.

Haven: Assamites often share communal havens with others of their local cell, remote structures that allow the Assassins to watch the larger domain from a distance. These havens are generally well appointed, but not so lavish that the whole place can’t be moved on short notice. Individual Assamites also tend to keep personal hideouts of a much more humble nature, for when they need a place to lay low.

Background: Those Embraced into Clan Assamite tend to fall into two distinct types: The “provincial” members of the Clan fit whatever their locality is, and can blend seamlessly in with the people around them. The higher-profile“ jet-setters” transcend cultures, bolstered by their ability to handle interpersonal and intellectual challenges.

About Haquim, the Assamite Founder: In his mortal life, Haqim was a warrior and a hunter, a member of one of the myriad nomadic tribes that followed the migrations of animal herds across the Fertile Crescent and into Asia and Northern Africa. He was highly skilled, but, by his own admission, he was far from the best among his peers, and he believed that his sire chose to Embrace him more for his strength of will than for any quality of skill or appearance. Accounts differ as to the identity of the second-generation Cainite who sired Haqim, but several records refer to Arikel, the presumed founder of the Toreador line, as Haqim’s “sister,” which would make En’esh, or Enoch, the most likely candidate.

Organization: An insular, hierarchical organization shapes much of Assamite custom. In the old days, “The Old Man on the Mountain”— the master assassin who makes his haven in the mountain fortress of Alamut — was the ultimate authority, and the Clan heeded the orders that trickled down to them with a mix of reverence and terror.

In this new era, the Assamite Primogen receives the contracts from the Prince to hand them out to the best Assamite candidate for the particular job. The three sub-castes are treated equally when it comes to assigning contracts, and the Primogen decides who is best to handle a particular Mark.

Clan Curse: All Assamites suffer from an addiction to vampire vitae and an aura stained by diablerie. Even if they have never actually engaged in diablerie, their aura shows their blood lust clearly. For those who can read auras, this will appear as a red aura with streaks of black. (For more information, visit the White Wolf Wiki.)

OVERVIEW

IMPORTANT NOTE: To play an Assamite, you must first have the permission of the Sim Admins, or the Assamite Primogen/Clan Leader of that city.

Rightfully feared among other kindred and supernaturals alike, Assamites are a small but powerful clan. While traditionally a male-dominated clan, in Dominions of Darkness an Assamite can be of any gender. However, this is not a role for the weak of heart, those ruled by their emotions, or the merciful.

Assamites all share the Camarilla belief that the Masquerade must be protected, policed, and upheld if they are to exist at all in this new age. Humans have become powerful in their modern technology and this threatens their very existence. While they have little concern for other vampires in general, the Assamites can not deny they must all be monitored and regulated to the shadows if they are to continue. Having an insatiable appetite for vampire blood, their motivations are by no mean selfless. Secrecy and staying in the shadows has never been more important in their history as it is in today's modern world.

Originating in the Middle East, they are known throughout the world as dangerous assassins who crave the vitae of other vampires. In truth, they are much more than that. Guardians, warriors and scholars, the Banu Haqim also pride themselves on intellectual pursuits and have distanced themselves from the Jihad.

Assamite Progeny, the Embrace, and Ghouls
Assamites look to Embrace someone (male or female) who will be "a valuable asset" to the clan as a whole. While they are known for ghouling their war horses and predators, they only ever ghoul a mortal for the purpose of evaluating that prospective childe's skills, knowledge, obedience, and potential for the embrace. Unlike most other vampire clans, Assamites have little interest in creating ghouls who are merely convenient servants, or in whom they have no interest in Embracing.

Prospective candidates for ghouling and the Embrace are those who will without question fight and die for the clan's goals. In modern times, Assamite's no longer strictly embrace only Muslim males, nor do they have any religious affiliations. As their world became smaller in this time period of jets and instant information, Childer now come from any continent. This has significantly strengthened the entire clan and has brought them into a new era of power and authority.

Unlike any of the other clans, the Assamite embrace is not restricted to the sire's sub-caste. An Assamite Warrior has a right to select his or her own progeny, but they cannot select if that progeny is reborn into a Warrior, a Vizier or a Sorcerer. Just like human parents cannot predetermine the gender of their offspring, neither can an Assamite determine the calling of their Childer.

Assamites in Dominions of Darkness Cities
Assamites in the cities of Dominions of Darkness play a critical role in ensuring Player vs Player killings are done according to the rules (see Death in Dominions of Darkness under Players Rules). A secondary or non-official role of the Assamites is of a Kindred police of sorts when under orders from the Prince of the City. Of all the character types that can be played, Assamites are the most strictly regulated. Mortality, and the extinguishing of it, is a very serious business to them (and DOD). Without their oversight and control, vampires would easily give in to their murderous nature, and in the age of neon, the internet and surveillance cameras on every building, street corner and doorbell, the Masquerade would be irrevocably shattered.

Having recently rejoined the Camarilla in the past 200 years, the Assamites have struggled to find a new path in this modern age. Through strength of purpose that has pulled them out of the blood haze they had devolved into during the industrial age, they are once more seen as an important pillar of the Ivory Tower. Camarilla-sworn Banu Haqim have groomed sectors of the kindred domains by gaining influence over Kindred Laws, and the breaking of them — specifically those involving executions and vengeance killings. Too many times they have seen amateur's break the Masquerade in botched assassinations, putting all of the Kindred at risk.

An important aspect of the Assamites in modern Kindred society are as masters and overseers of the laws pertaining to the Camarilla, and specifically the Mortality Laws. While they may be called upon by the city's Prince for other duties, the Mortality Laws are their domain. Killing is strictly regulated by them and any vampire or other supernatural being who wishes to take the life of another (PVP) within their clan's city must hire their services, or be granted approval to conduct their own hunt. This does not include a vampire or other being hunting or killing NPCs. This is of little concern to the Assamites. Human NPCs are but cattle to be bled or slaughtered. But those who seek to hunt and kill (PVP) in their claimed cities must pay for their services, or pay for their permission to conduct their own hunts.

Assamite Sub Classes (Overview)

Assamites fall into one of three sub classes, each of which have their own specialized abilities and curses. Players who wish to play an Assamite must choose which type of Assamite they wish to play. Each sub class has specific skills since not every Assamite needs to be a dedicated assassin. Though most certainly, any Assamite is more than capable of accepting a contract for mortality work.

A more detailed description of these three sub castes is listed below under Assamite Classes and Skills. In addition, all character types may also choose from the General Skills & Combat category.

SUB CLASS	ABILITIES	CURSE
VIZIER	Celerity, Auspex, Quietus	OCD
SORCERER	Auspex, Quietus, Dur-An-Ki	Aura Stain: Diablerie (unconcealable)
WARRIOR	Quietus, Celerity, Obfuscate	Addiction to Vitae

Assamite City Clans

In Dominions of Darkness, Assamites have glimpsed the future and have aligned themselves with the Camarilla. Though they may not entirely agree with all the Camarilla represents, they have weighed the logic and determined their best chance of survival lies with them. On the whole, this has proven to be beneficial in a number of ways. In the past, the Assamites were oftentimes considered loose cannons, hated as much as they were feared. As keepers of the Mortality Laws, they are still hated and feared, but they are also greatly respected as the left hand of the Prince serving as advisors as well as the executioners of the Prince's judgements.

All Assamites are trained in the art of the perfect Assassination. After they have achieved Fidais/Journeymen status, they may choose to serve their clan by accepting legitimate contracts.

Assamites have three levels of earned proficiency:

Mustajib—

All Novice Assamites begin at this level. Mustajib are the untrained newborns, or simply those who have not yet completed their formal training. Those with the Mustajib or Novice designation have not yet earned the right to accept Marks, conduct their own hunts, or continue their formal training in their chosen profession. A Mustajib is still a dangerous foe, as they are hungry to prove themselves with their accomplishments. This unfortunately has given them a reputation for being reckless in their pursuits.

Fidais —
- Journeymen Assamites who have completed their training (in character) and are now allowed to accept Marks and conduct their own hunts have earned the title of Fidais. Having survived their right of passage from Novice to Journeyman, they have earned this title with blood and steel.
Khabir —
- Master level Assamites are those who have accepted and executed at least five successful assassinations (in roleplay). They may also command a premium price for their services. (Assassinations can include paid PVP Marks, or organized NPC Assassination tasks/events presented by their Primogen or the Prince of the City. In any case, just because the Mark is an NPC does not discount the fact that all codes of the hunt must be followed.)

The Council of Mortality

In Dominions of Darkness, each City Sim has its own city clan of Assamites. For example, the Miami Assamites are known as the Black Scorpions. Other city sims will have their own Assamite clan names, to be determined by that city's Sim Owner. No two cities will have the same clan name, but they all follow the same laws and codes. When enough city sims have joined Dominions of Darkness, a Council of Mortality will be formed to include each city's Assamite Primogen, and that Primogen's second.

*To learn more about the history and culture of the Assamites, visit the White Wolf Wiki pages. CLICK HERE.

* While much of the White Wolf history and culture are valid in Dominions of Darkness, the above text on this website should guide you on where the clan is today and the part they will lead in roleplay. If you have any questions on this, please contact an Admin via email or in person on a Dominions of Darkness Sim.

The Codes of the Banu Haqim

An Assamite must be trained by a clan mentor in the Code of the Hunt before they are allowed to conduct paid assassinations. In Dominions of Darkness, Assamites have a special dual Player/Character function, which is why joining is by request and invitation. Those who are not familiar with World of Darkness vampire roleplay or have not roleplayed an Assassin in another roleplay sim may be better suited in choosing a different vampire clan to start with.

Assamites are in charge of maintaining the peace in the City when it comes to PVP battles to the death. While Assamites are most definitely player-characters, it is essential that the Players roleplaying Assamites have a deep, thorough understanding of DOD Rules, and how executions of other Player Characters take place. We realize that allowing death to happen among player-characters is a risky move for a sim that can lead to drama and hurt feelings. We also understand how this makes the role of Assamite a critical in-character monitor for maintaining the order of how it is structured and conducted.

Killing is a very serious business that has a strict code, both IC and OOC. Done right, it culls the herd of those who threaten the Masquerade, creates order from chaos, and strengthens the whole of kindred society. From a Sim standpoint, it deepens the roleplay by creating structure for killing, provides options for either accepting the death or working around it, and puts the Darkness back into World of Darkness.

This is not an easy roleplay for either the Character, or the Player behind the keyboard, but it is an essential one. There should always be a very real opportunity for the death of a character to occur. This creates an edgy roleplay that quickens the blood with both fear and excitement. But it must be strictly policed and the code/rules upheld. At best, a botched killing will result in the roleplay being invalidated. At worst, roleplayers are angered and drama or rage-quitting ensues. This is the risk of allowing player death to occur. But if there is no risk of death, then life loses it's value and meaning.

WEAPONS OF CHOICE
Any object in the hands of a trained assassin is a potentially lethal weapon. There has been some disagreement in the clan regarding the cowardly use of modern firearms from elders of the clan. Their main distaste of such weapons is that killing is an up close and personal business that requires the assassin to pit their skills against those of their prey and risk their own life. Guns used as sniper weapons rob the Assamites of this experience, but more importantly it denies them the joy of witnessing the spark of life leave the eyes of their marks.

ASSAMITE CODES OF ASSASSINATION

1) THE CODE OF THE MARK:
Any trained Assamite may conduct the business of Mortality with any other vampire or supernatural being. Assamites DO NOT do the bidding of mortals...for any price. It is their responsibility to establish if there is a legitimate reason for the assassination to take place, then bring the proposed contract request for approval from the city's Assamite Primogen. The Primogen then approves, or disapproves the request. If approved, the Assamite who presented the contract may then accept payment. Once payment is made, the Assamite is honor-bound to make this kill. If the Assamite has a Novice they are training, the Novice may only track and observe but must neither interfere nor assist in the kill. Even if their mentor's life is in peril.

It is NOT forbidden for an Assamite to accept two marks on the same target from two separate clients. The Assamite is under no obligation to admit they have already accepted a mark for the same target.
The Assamite *MAY* sell the contract to an Assamite he or she Sired, but the one who accepted the contract is still, ultimately, responsible for the mark being eliminated. If the childe fails to complete the contract, the Sire is honor-bound to eliminate the target, or die in the attempt.
An Assamite in under no obligation to accept any Mark, even if ample proof is given that the offense warrants death.
Primogen may take the opportunity to test the abilities of Assamites seeking clan promotions by accepting a mark, and then awarding it to two or more Assamites, giving any prestige promotion to the one who successfully completes the Kill.
It should also be noted here that if an Assamite accepts a mark and the target is killed by accident or murdered by another, he is honor-bound to return the payment and admit to his Client that he was not the responsible party. He IS NOT under any obligation to tell the Client who the actual killer was if he has that information.

Hunting Protocols — Assamites & Blood Hunters
If a non-Assamite Player-Character (Vampire or Garou) wishes to conduct their own hunt and assassination is called a Blood Hunter, and they must pay a Homage Price for the right to blood hunt in the Assamites' city. This is set by the Assamite Primogen.

If the player-character does NOT follow the rules for the hunt as laid out in the Player Rules (Killing Your Enemy) they may expect a "reprimand" (a punishment up to, but not including death) from the Assamite clan and banned from ever conducting a blood hunt in that particular city again.
Breaking the Masquerade while conducting a hunt is a different infraction and will be punished separately from failing to follow the Mortality Rules.
Assamites conducting a hunt in a different city than their own must "inform" that city's Primogen they are hunting in their city, but are never required to pay an Homage Price. This is only required of non-Assamites conducting a blood hunt.
Permission to a Blood Hunter given in one city DOES NOT constitute permission to hunt a target in another. The Player-Character (the Blood Hunter) must seek permission from that city's Assamite Primogen to hunt in his city. However, if permission was already given in one city it is rare that it will not be approved in another. Non-Assamite Player-Characters (Blood Hunters) will be expected to approach the Assamite Primogen and pay the required Homage Price for the right to hunt in that city. (Nobody said conducting your own Blood Hunt would be easy...or cheap.)

2) ACCEPTING A MARK

Assamites, unless they are under the direct command of the Prince of the City, are killers for hire when the circumstances warrant it. While cash, jewels, or other valuables are legitimate forms of payment, an Assamite values vampire vitae above all else. The older or more powerful the vampire, the more valuable the vitae.
Assamites have a code for accepting a mark from any non-human client wishing to have another (player character) assassinated. Killing any NPC can be done all night long with little reason, but any Player-Character who wishes to kill another Player-Character must first have a "valid reason" and gain permission to conduct the hunt or hire an Assamite. (See MURDER! – Rules of Engagement).
Non-Vampire Blood Hunters. In the instance of other Player-Character supernaturals (werewolves, fae, mages, etc.), they are honor-bound (though begrudgingly) to notify the Assamites they are about to hunt in their territory for the purpose of murdering another Player-Character. OR, they may instead choose to hire the Assamite to do the deed for them. They must also identify who that character is and the reason for the kill. The Assamite Primogen may then "validate" their reason in roleplay. If there is a disagreement with the Assamite Primogen on the validity of the player-character's reason, the Sim Admins will make the decision, and their judgment is final.
Acceptable Reasons for Taking a Mark:
- 1) Loss:
  - Documented roleplay regarding significant loss of the client's property/reputation, or personal loss incurred during roleplay by the character the client wants killed. This includes the killing of a client's Player-Character sire, siblings, childe or ghoul. The loss must be the client's own loss, not the loss of another vampire or supernatural.
  - Killing a vampire's human non-ghouled pet or a Garou's Apex Kinfolk is not considered a valid reason to be marked for an Assamite assassination or a Blood Hunt. Asking an Assamite to take a Mark on a human is an insult to their skills, so do so at your own risk.
- 2) Revenge:
  Assamite assassinations or a non-Assamite Blood Hunt can result from previous roleplayed consequences, of which the prospective client is the primary recipient of the damage that was caused by the person you now wish to kill. For example, the vampire was permanently injured, or disabled by another Vampire or supernatural creature. Or, their potential ghouled childe was stolen and sired by another of a different Vampire clan. Another example is if it can be proven that someone successfully used lies or deceit to promote themselves at the expense of the potential client, damaging their reputation in the eyes of the Prince or their clan Primogen.
- 3) Clan wars:
  An official clan war must be declared and authorized by the Primogen/Leader of the Clan/Guild/Pack. The Primogen/Leader is responsible for this action and may be held accountable for the actions of those who are under their direction.

Assamites in Dominions of Darkness are the left hand of the Prince, and the guardians of the Masquerade. While any vampire or supernatural may attempt to approach the Assamites regarding a PVP killing, permission to go forward is conducted by a strict code of rules that hinge on the reason for the desired killing. This brings order to what could quickly devolve into a spiral of chaos and prevents spontaneous senseless murders from occurring between Player Characters (which is forbidden in DOD).

2) THE CODE OF THE HUNT:

This is all about stalking the target according to these hunt directives. During the Hunt, the Assamite is learning their target's habits, where they hang out, who they hang out with, what they are doing with their time, etc. Assamites are allowed to be in disguise while conducting hunts.

To qualify and validate their hunts, Assamites who have taken a Mark must:

Engage with the target in documented roleplay a minimum of three separate times, on three separate days. These do not need to be consecutive days, and the time it takes to accomplish this is up to the Assamite, whether it's days, weeks or months.
Collect Intelligence on your target a bare minimum of 5 lines of chat per session to qualify your hunt for that day, (this includes both you and your target, total). The target must respond to or acknowledge the conversation at least once.
- For example, you chat five lines, but the target is standing in the street AFK (away from keyboard) and does not respond. This does not qualify because you have not collected any intel.
- You CAN join your target in conversation with others. For example at a bar or public gathering. If what you and your target say in that conversation totals 5 lines of chat or more, that still qualifies, even if the target was not specifically addressing you or if they simply emote participation within the conversation (such as nodding or reacting). In this example, you are still gathering intel.
  
  Put these encounters into a single notecard as proof you have done your due diligence. What that roleplay entails is entirely up to you and your target. This is called, Stalking Your Victim.
Document your qualified hunts into a single notecard as proof you have done your due diligence. What that roleplay entails is entirely up to you and your target. Give this proof to the Assamite Primogen of the City in which you will be making the execution for permission to complete the assassination.

3) THE CODE OF THE KILL:

Making a clean and swift execution that does not break the Masquerade. This also means following the DOD rules for PVP combat, having a city-approved mod in OOC attendance, rolling for initiative and then conducting the combat session. This is no different than other NPC/PC combat, but with the exception that either you or your target will be declared dead instead of unconscious. (See Death in Dominions of Darkness.)

Making a Kill
An Admin or Moderator of the sim you are on must be available for the kill to take place. You cannot have a moderator from one city sim moderate your kill on another city sim, unless that person is also a designated moderator on that city sim as well.

Unless stealth is used, the target and the assassin must follow the Rules of Engagement and roll for initiative. The highest role has the opportunity to take the First Action — whether that is a defensive/offensive move, or an attempt to escape.

The kill is completed when either the Target or the Assassin has been taken down to ZERO hit points. When this happens, the fight is over and the Contract has been completed. (See Death in Dominions of Darkness.)

NOTE: IF you find that your target has a habit of logging off for any reason or tp-ing off the sim when you log on (documented by you three times) please send your documentation to the City Admins. This is considered "Avoiding Consequences" and is against DOD Rules.

ASSAMITE SUB CLASSES AND ABILITIES

Quote: Your blood is anathema to me, but the act of spilling it brings me closer to Haqim.

In addition to general Skills & Combat Abilities, which all Player-Characters may choose to acquire, Assamite sub classes receive slightly different class-specific skills.

While all Assamites are of one clan, their clan structure separates them into one of three castes: Warrior, Vizier, or Sorcerer. The caste heads create the Assamite Du'at council. The head of the Warrior Caste is called the Caliph; the head of the Vizier Caste is called The Vizier; and the head of the Sorcerer Caste is called The Amir. Typically, the Eldest of these three heads is the Primogen. The Assamites refer to this official office as "the Old Man," whether or not the holder of this title is male or female. In Dominions of Darkness, the "oldest" refers to the Player Character who has the oldest character in terms of days/months/years of playing. Though the oldest Player Character may decline the office, allowing the next oldest to become the Primogen/Old Man.

For more information on the Assamite Sub Classes/Castes and their specialized skills, click the links below: