D'Habi

An ancient family of revenants, the D’Habi claim that their lineage can be traced back through the ages, long before the First City was built. Millennia ago, the D’Habi family served Nergal, a Baali Methuselah, in Mesopotamia as his most sacred and holy warrior-priests. Nergal, who was worshipped as a god of the underworld in Mashkan-Shapir, commanded the D’Habi as his agents for a time, until he was overthrown.

Though Nergal created this family of revenants, the other Clans did not understand his infernal methods. At first they believed the D’Habi was a family of Bound ghouls, but did not question the family’s true nature until centuries later. When Clan Tzimisce began to experiment with Koldunic sorcery, they wondered whether or not the family was a product of a demonic pact. Soon, however, they had more troublesome matters to attend to, for the Baali wars were in full swing, and the strange D’Habi were only one threat the other undead faced. Eventually, the D’Habi betrayed their master for reasons unknown, and were not present to witness the end of the wars. Many wrongly assumed they’d been utterly destroyed.

Following the disappearance of Nergal some time during the final nights of the Baali Wars, the surviving D’Habi scattered to the four winds. Some sought out other Baali elders and pledged themselves to their service, while others fled to far off settlements. Wherever they went, plague and ruin followed in their wake, leading some to believe that they were cursed. Many of the D’Habi revenants that served the surviving Baali were enslaved, Bound, and bitterly abused as servants or playthings. Over time, centuries of harsh treatment turned these revenants into broken shells that begged for death. By the high Middle Ages, the D’Habi had become craven, cowering creatures living in the shadows of their infernal masters.

Most vampires assumed that the D’Habi would eventually die out, if they hadn’t already, but despite the odds this revenant family has managed to survive to modern nights. In fact, much of what is currently known about the D’Habi is gleaned from whispered sightings of them. No one outside of the Baali is certain what the D’Habi have been commanded to do. It is suspected, however, that unwitting D’Habi revenants search for profane, forbidden lore while being hunted by vampires and mortals alike, for the D’Habi cannot escape being associated with infernalism.

While it is true that the D’Habi are obsessed with the darkest corners of the occult and avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible, many of them perform a variety of useful services which includes restoring occult tomes, procuring supplies and rare artifacts, participating in rituals, and acquiring sacrificial victims on behalf of their masters. Those who hunt for their domitors typically pick targets of opportunity such as children, the elderly, and mortals too naïve, helpless, or desperate to fight back. Most Bound revenants, however, are forbidden to go anywhere without another family member present, so the D’Habi tend to hunt as a group.

Despite the fact many revenants are forced to work for the Baali in captivity, there are rumors that some D’Habi have escaped servitude and have branched off on their own. Baali scholars find this hard to believe, and are convinced they have managed to remain a tight group over the entire family. The truth would be difficult to prove, regardless, for the infernal Baali have few allies and most vampires, regardless of Sect, would not openly admit their motivation for working with the D’Habi.

The D’Habi revenants who do not serve a Clan might be found lurking among other iconoclasts and social deviants. Operating under an assumed name, these revenants might be spotted in a crowd listening to a heavy metal band or in a fetish club like the Scarlet Crown. Most often, however, they will remain hidden from view, and will go to great lengths to protect their anonymity for fear of being attacked or hunted.

**Appearance:** The D’Habi have traveled all over the world, following wherever their masters bid them. They come in all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. But a D’Habi can be easy to spot, if you know what to look for. Often, they’ll stand with their shoulders slumped and arms crossed. Their strangely scarred bodies often communicate victimhood and submission without saying a word. Their only hint of the supernatural is their gaze: direct but vague, piercing but empty.

**Character Creation:** The centuries of abuse and servitude suffered by the D’Habi are often reflected in their personalities. Martyr, Soldier, Fanatic, and Conformist are common Natures, as most feel a desperate need to be devoted to something greater than themselves. Physical and Mental Attributes tend to reign supreme; most D’Habi have middling Appearance and Charisma scores, though skilled Manipulators are not uncommon. Like their erudite masters, several D’Habi are well-versed in the occult.

**Disciplines:** Presence, Obfuscate, Daimonion

**Weakness:** The D’Habi were originally Bound by blood and infernal magic to a powerful Baali warlord. Centuries of servitude have all but broken their spirits, and they are extraordinarily suggestible. They suffer a +2 difficulty on all Willpower rolls.

**Quote:** “I know it hurts, but you broke the rules. I warned you, and now you’ll have to pay the price.”