Ghuls

## Introduction

Ghuls are one of the three type of Greater Afflicted and by far the oldest. They controll most of Africa, India and large parts of America. They are also known as *Sculpters*, revering their ability to reshape lifeless fless into constructs of necromantic might.

## History

### Ancient Sumeria

When the Eternals of Eridu expanded their rule over all of Mesopotamia, Pazuzu was one of their greatest Edimmu. His strength laid in his flesh which he could reshape freely. He did not only master his own but also that of mortals and other Undead. Pazuzu had learned the arts of Nergal which allowed him to project curses and pestilence that ravage mortal forms. He and his children began to feed on diseased and rotting creatures to expand their powers as Pazuzu wished to unlock the key to the nature of the human form. He emerged successful but his practices where seen as so loathsome that he and his entire bloodline where commanded to serve rather then rule as it was Pazuzus birthright. He and his children where struck by the curses they had sought to master, turning them into weak creatures with the need to feed on mortal flesh. They where turned into a caste of servants that where bound to create constructs of lifeless flesh for their masters to serve as carriers, guardians and engines of war.

### The Egyptian Uprising

It was in the later days of the Edimmu reign over the mortal world that egypt was under the sway of the sadistic Lamias. They had erected a dark cult that forced their mortal thralls to sacrifice their firstborn to serve as fodder for their Blood Sorcery. They treated both humans and Ghuls brutally, punishing even the slightest mistakes with a gruesome death. There had been several smaller revolts in the past but they where cast down by Lamatshu, their powerful progenitor. As an act of humiliation she had commanded her Ghuls to reshape her into a mighty beast which used their own powers against them. When she left Egypt however the godess left it in the hands of three of their children: Ra, Osiris and Isis. They where particularly cruel and eager to learn the secrets of their bloodythristy nature. The three siblings and their children had developed a particular weakness against sunlight, a flaw they traded for great power.

One day however the Ghuls flocked together under the banner of Anubis, a particularly powerful Ghulconstructor. Under his rule they lead a great uprising against their Lamian masters that raged across all of upper egypt. They attacked only when the blistering sunlight scorched the lands and with the aid of its light they cast down their idols and slaughtered their sympatisants. For the three Lamian gods and and their children however the Ghuls intended a different fate. Each of them was bound into the depts of a great temple dedicated to their name, rendered helpless with powerful curses. The Ghul-priesthood that attented them would simply ensure their existence would continue while allowing their younges to feed on the flesh of the former gods to gain strength.

However Anubis knew that the terrible magic and the centuries of dark influence the Lamias had worked upon egypt was too much to simply revise. Although they where cruel they still had the support of the majority of the human population. For that reason Anubis decided to allow their cult to flurish and live on while infact they had become puppet dieties.

   At the same time he and his scholars persued the goal of breaking the curses that weakned their blood since the day of ancient Pazuzu. In the end with the flesh of the Lamia and powerful necromancy he reforged them, binding all egyptian Ghuls to the image of the jackal which should represent them from this day fourth. He himself fully embraced the corruption this new bound brought them, even combining his own flesh with that of a jackal. Anubis was about to cease controll over upper egypt when his kin betrayed him. He was wounded and placed next to the enchained Edimmu he worked so hard to bring down. His flesh was used to give each new Ghul in egypt new unlive while the other fallen gods stengthened the older ones. What followed where years of bloody power struggles until Khons, Anubis childe, established *Maat.* It was a state of balance that would force Ghuls to guard their secrets and internal struggles from the mortal side of egypt while placing the pharao, a Wigth under their controll, as the figurative ruler of the land. This decree would later gain divine meaning in egypts faith.

### Sub-Saharan Empires

After Anubis fall a power struggle between his strongest successors broke out. After centuries of shifting rule Set the tyrant ceised the throne of Memphis and ordered all supporters of his siblings executed. Although many fell victim to his mummified servants there where countless Ghuls that fled egypt and wandered southwards into the heart of africa. While many joined the countless tribes of the great planes as shamans or gods, there where many that made it into the southern civilisations.

The first of these was Aksum, an early kingdom in the lands that should later become Ethopia. They took over the cast of Necromancers that had ruled the people of Aksum as wise sorcerers and founded and Empire of freerer Ghuls. They persued knowledge above power and erect great stone steles that functioned as anchor points for their strange magic.

Far later they aided in the founding of Kanem and other Westafrican Empires, laying the groundwork for the (...) the *Land of the Western Winds*.

### The Lemurian Invasion

The first *Lemurian War* began with Alexanders conquering of egypt and the establishment of the *Ptolemaic Kingdom* whose rulers where greek Lemures. They fought a brutal civil war against the egyptian Ghuls. After some time the majority of powerful Ghuls from upper egypt fled from upper egypt into Ancient Kush where they continued their reign for hundreads of years. Yet the old heart of their empire remained in the hands of the Lemurians, ancestors of their ancient enemy. Only rumors tell of the unspeakable practices the ptolemaic Undead put to work to remain in power, the darkest suggesting the usage of Lamian Sorcercy and the blood of Lamatshu.

As time passed on, the waging war with free Carthago aswell as nothern africa and lemurian rome further weakened the mediterranean Ghuls. With Carthagos fall and the roman invasion into the egypt the Ghuls lost the last bit of controll they had over the upper kingdom. Even their ghul-priesthood that had be allowed to exist under the ptolemains was dimished, romanised and mostly cleansed of Undead.

What followed where years of bloody but hopeless resistance against the Lemurians. The brutal practicesses of their predecessors faded into distant memories however. The Lemurians allowed the remaining Ghuls to continue their existence if they supported their reign and placed themselves under curses that would kill them should they rebell against their roman masters, a common practice in ancient times. Yet these Ghuls used any opportunity to fight their oppressors, creating countless Ghul-childer in secrecy that where free of Lemurian curses. What remained where a group of radical Ghuls known as Ammetai, named after the egyptian godess that consumed the hearts of sinners.

After more then 300 years of lemurian reign the Ghuls of egypt rebelled once again. With the aid of nubian and malian Ghuls they broke their curses with the powers of western Voodoo and cleansed their lands of most Lemures. Yet the overwhelming presence of roman powers in and around their lands forced them to reign egypt in secrecy and keep up with the roman rule as its motherland was in desperate need of egyptian grain.

Yet their sucessful rebellion startet a revolution in Ghul-culture that echoed across all of africa and the middle east. It is only because of their ideals and the symbol of their victory that all modern Ghuls call themselves *Ammetai*.

## Characteristics

Ghuls derived their names from their muslim scholars in old araby which compared them to corpseeating demons. And indeed the Ammetai sustain themselves from rotten flesh. This reality is enough reason for most other Afflicted and Demonologist to refer to them as savage beasts of lesser worth then any other Afflicted. Many picture them as dirty and animalistic graverobbers, rummaging through desecated burial sights. The Ammetai see themselves as the most humane of Afflicted as they never need to take a single live to sustain their state of undeath. In addition many of them are even capable of consuming raw or cooked meat, somewhat enabling them to eat human food. Through their digestive activities their body stays warm when they are fed, purging the cold from their bodies that all other Undead share.

### Center of Power

A Ghuls most vital organ is their stomach. It produces their Essence, grants them their powers and warms their flesh when well fed. Unlike other Undead their skin does not feel cold but as warm as a human body. A Ghuls stomach is most likely the most protective of all Centers of Power. It must be completly destroyed before resulting in their final death. Although puncturing it causes severe pain and cripples them it is not enough to kill them as oppose to vampiric hearts. It usually requires two to three bullets to kill them when hitting their stomach although a silver stake driven through it is more then enough to end their unlife.

### Essence

A Ghuls Essence takes the form of a thick and colorless mucus commonly refered to as *Alhaya*. It is a non-newtonian fluid, meaning that it hardens when physical pressure is applied to it. Outside of a Ghuls body it quickly dries and turns into a colorless crystal. It is produces by their stomach and obtained through the consumption of flesh.

### The Hunger

Ghuls feed like jackals, the animal their ancestors bound them to. All four of their incisors are extremly strong and sharp, yet most of the time their largest part remains submerged in their jaws, granting them a regular human denture. When angered or exposed to the stench of rotten flesh their fangs will begin to extend and their *Ghul-Eyes* will begin to shine. Should they suffer from stravation even the smell of animals or humans can raise their appetite while an open corpse might instantly send them into a feeding frenzy. Their Hunger is described as by far the most aggressive and bestial. Unlike the cold hunger for souls of Revenants or the playful vampiric lust for blood, Ghuls turn aggressive. They will howl and shriek like a jackal while exposing their fangs and rushing to their target and tearing it apart. Should they feed on something living they will shred it, breaking its bones with their supernatural strength and consuming flesh with their sharp teeth. It is by any means a violent death and not as mercyfully quick as a Revenants claws. Unlike Vampires Ghuls are not driven by a sadistic tendency when feeding, merely a violent vein that bursts out during their Hunger.

Every Ghul has their own taste, yet most of them favour rotten meat over fresh one. Humans are generally more valuable to them then animals and the healthier the human was the better. The flesh of other Afflicted is most desirable to them as it grants them great powers. A Ghuls tongue completly changes the way it interprets taste to favour food regular humans would find most repulsive. Despite individual tastes every Clan has their own preference when it comes to meat.

### Bane

Ghuls are extremly vunerably to saltwater. It burns their flesh and dissolves their body. When completly submerged in saltwater they will die and completly dissolve within a few minutes depending on their age. Ghuls are deeply tied to their land and its life. They prefer large and dry planes and even manage to thrive in scorched desert heat or the jungles sultriness. What they instincly fear however is the ocean. Most Ghuls are drawn away from coasts and larger bodies of water, developing some form of Aquaphobia. They refuse to use ships at any cost in fright of capsize. Even the salty sea air is causing them displeasure, distrubing their sleep and buring with every breath they take eventually.

A few drops of saltwater will cause slight burnings on their skin and several liters might dissolve entire parts of their skin when dircetly poured over them. A young Ghul might even survive several minutes swimming through saltwater without suffering severe injuries while a more ancient individual would die and leaving nothing but a blurring in the waves.

### Weakness

A Ghuls weakness is silver as it is strongly associated with the moon and the tides. Its touch burns their skin like fire and makes them unable to use their Essence for Metamorphosis Powers or regeneration. Silver amulets may even protect a mortal against most of their curses. Inducing a Ghul with silver dust will cause their insides to blacken and burn aswell as any wound caused by a silver weapon or bullet. Despite this burning effect silver easily cuts through their skin and flesh as if they where made from paper.

### Corruption

A ghulish nature takes shape in several mutations that can not be healed by the Ghul. Their skin will start to turn dry and darken until almost resembling small scales of grey parchment. Some Ghuls have been described to appear naturally mummified although this only occures in very rare instances. Their fangs will grow in size and sharpness until being as deadly as razor blades. All white in their eyes will perish and be replaced by a blurry red while their iris gains a bright yellow glow. Their nose and upper jaw will grow together forming an extremly short snout although it hardly resembling something animalistic. Their ears will lenghten and twist until becoming as sharp as daggers while far less defined and elegant as those of Vampires. Like all heirs of Edimmu their nails begin to expand over the years, slowly turning into claws. Those of Ghuls often start to blacken and grow into a curved shape closer to that of a canines then an elongated version of human fingernails.

Yet there are only few Ghuls that fully succambe to the corruption of their Affliction. Instead almost all older Ghuls undergo countless physical manipulations using Metamorphosis to craft a form that they deem perfect. Although there are those that grant themselves angelic beauty most older Ghuls subsume more monstrous appereances as they gained their own sense of beauty that is alienated to that of humans.

### Bound Animal

All Ghuls share a supernatural connection to jackals as their nature is intertwined with that of the scavengers since the days of ancient egypt. They will never harm a Ghul and often seek their company when smelling them with their sensitive noses, quickly recognising them as friendly kindred. To an extend all canines are bound to Ghuls and are far more friendly towards them. Even dogs will not bark or flee from them like they would do in the presence of other Undead. Instead they will grow trustful to them, often not even alerting their owners when a Ghul breaks into their house. Depending on the Ghuls clan a different form of canine will be closer to them. Aedifex are bound to wolves and most dogs, (Subsaharans) to hyenas and (Mayong) to Dholes. Many Ghuls keep them as pets or even friends and feed them with the spoils of their hunts.

### High Night

The Night of the Ghuls is far more frequent then that of any other Afflicted occuring once per month during full moon. It is only during those nights that ghulish Essence becomes animated enough to recreate and spread the curse that is their existence. As soon as the sun fades and the light of the moon luminates the land, the Ghuls begin to rise. Although this night grants them great power it also turns them into a danger for those around them. Only during full moon do Ghuls develop a taste for the flesh of the living. They desire to feast upon fresh dead rather then rotten meat. They are far more likely to fall into *The Hunger* during this night and for that reason many Ghuls refuse to go out, even chaining themselves to their homes. Depending on the individual the desire to feed and the preference of prey may vary, yet the flesh of other Afflicted is the sweetest for all of them. For that reason most Ghuls wait until full moon before starting an attack on other Undead.

The powers of all Ghuls are bound to the moon to some extend. Most are only able to sense when their High Night will occur and experience a slight weakness during new moon, some are feel an extreme connection to it and their powers rise and weaken with the moon. This effect usually strengthens the older and more corrupted a Ghul becomes.

## Clans

Skin Changer, Jackals Howl and the Evil Eye

### Sphingian

This oldest of Ghul clans has ruled the sands of egypt since the cursing of the Edimmu.

Strong Connection to Jackals

Masters of Distortion and Resurrection

Distortion- Claw of Dust and Mask of Death

Resurrection- Ashes to Ashes and Spark of Rampancy

### Aloka

Voodoo and Conntection to Hyenas

Masters of Execration

Metamorphosis- Patronage of Khepri

Execration- Ritualists Touch and Grasp of the Grave

### Mayong

Indian Ghuls

Masters of Prospection

Prospection- Dead Sight, Attuned Senses, Foresight, Eye of the Webworker

### Aedifex

Master creators

Masters of Metamorphosis and Creation

Metamorphosis- Sculpter of Undeath

Creation- Hands of the Creator and Attuned Artifact

Rogue traders

Connection to Wolves

### Host of Pazuzu

Corrupted Ghuls also known as Utukku

Masters of Execration, Contagion and Distortion

(...)- Voice of the Wyrm, Asp Call

Execration- Grasp of the Grave

Contagion- Nergals Flesh

Distortion- Claw of Dust

Metamorphosis- Patronage of Khepri