Baali (World of Darkness)
Encyclopedia
The Baali are a bloodline of vampire
s from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade
books and role-playing game
s.
The Baali were a bloodline of vampires associated with demon worship. Much of the Baali in-game symbolism is inspired by real-world Mesopotamian and Phoenician sources. The very name Baali is originated from the Phoenician word Ba'al, meaning "great lord". Some versions present the true purpose of the Baali as keeping demons sleeping by feeding them with carnage and destruction. Most presentations show them as Infernalists, using demon worship to gain additional power. The Baali had rules for the unique Daimoinon discipline. Additionally, many practiced Dark Thaumaturgy, a name given to Thaumaturgy learned from demons.
They have a somewhat complex heritage, appearing at times as a bloodline and at times as a clan. There is some indication that they may be a bloodline of the Salubri, but their origin may also be as descendants of the Gangrel line. Additionally, they recruit vampires from other clans to become Baali, further confusing the issue.
The in-game history has the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Salubri waging wars against the Baali. The Salubri and Assamites in particular had a deep seated hatred for the Baali. The Assamite warriors' blood addiction can be traced to a curse leveled by the Baali. Partially as a result of these wars and having been hunted by both the Camarilla and Sabbat, the Baali were almost extinct in the modern era of the game.
), encountered the "First Tribe" and killed them before he buried the "First Tribe" in their own pits and spread drops of his blood over the "First Tribe"'s corpses. Only three (Nergal, Moloch, and a third unknown individual sometimes said to be "The Crone") crawled out of the pit, and thus the vampiric bloodline Baali began.
An alternative story of the bloodline speaks of a single progenitor, called Shaitan, who was in life a slave-boy with a beautiful singing voice who attracted the attention of an unknown vampire. This version of their creation does not explain the origin of the corpse-pit embracing ritual the bloodline is often known for. Additionally, Shaitan is known to be a false name of Nergal.
Many Baali during this time imitated their legendary creation by embracing mortals in a similar fashion. That is, to create a new vampire, a Baali sire-to-be will drain all the blood out of a target mortal and throw his body into a pit of corpses, then the vampire will spill some of his own vampiric blood into the pit. Only the strong-willed who drink the blood will survive and become Baali. This practice is very different from that of other vampires; the Baali childer are not turned into vampires by their sires, but they become vampires on their own. In the modern era setting, this practice was largely abandoned explained by the difficulty of procuring the number of corpses required without attracting the attention of law enforcement. The background rumors also spoke of the Baali ability to "re-embrace" existing vampires, converting them to the Baali cause.
roleplaying game, it is said that the Baali actually worshiped the Earthbound Demons, and that their worship kept the Earthbound in slumber. Ironically, the very efforts to exterminate the Baali due to their foul practices helped unleash their infernal Earthbound masters, paving the way for the wars in the Demon: The Fallen plotlines.
The early Vampire: The Dark Ages books presented a more complex history, where the Baali were allegedly descended either from the Salubri or Cappadocians, and acted to keep "The Children" (either demons, Earthbound or the Yozi) asleep by appeasing them with sacrifices and chaos.
Later Vampire: The Masquerade supplements, such as The Storyteller's Handbook, shy away from firm details and present an enigmatic story of "dalliance with a low-born singing slave-boy." Gehenna treats Saulot's creation of the Baali as fact in at least one scenario.
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The Baali are explorers, first and foremost - students of the unknown, the unknowable, the unspeakable. They toil for the erosion and eventual destruction of this world, to make way for "Those Who Wait Beyond."
For cards marked as "infernal," during his or her untap phase, a Methuselah who controls an infernal minion burns one pool or taps that infernal minion.
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s from White Wolf Game Studio's Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade
Vampire: The Masquerade is a role-playing game. Created by Mark Rein·Hagen, it was the first of White Wolf Game Studio's World of Darkness role-playing games, based on the Storyteller System and centered around vampires in a modern gothic-punk world....
books and role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
s.
The Baali were a bloodline of vampires associated with demon worship. Much of the Baali in-game symbolism is inspired by real-world Mesopotamian and Phoenician sources. The very name Baali is originated from the Phoenician word Ba'al, meaning "great lord". Some versions present the true purpose of the Baali as keeping demons sleeping by feeding them with carnage and destruction. Most presentations show them as Infernalists, using demon worship to gain additional power. The Baali had rules for the unique Daimoinon discipline. Additionally, many practiced Dark Thaumaturgy, a name given to Thaumaturgy learned from demons.
They have a somewhat complex heritage, appearing at times as a bloodline and at times as a clan. There is some indication that they may be a bloodline of the Salubri, but their origin may also be as descendants of the Gangrel line. Additionally, they recruit vampires from other clans to become Baali, further confusing the issue.
The in-game history has the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Salubri waging wars against the Baali. The Salubri and Assamites in particular had a deep seated hatred for the Baali. The Assamite warriors' blood addiction can be traced to a curse leveled by the Baali. Partially as a result of these wars and having been hunted by both the Camarilla and Sabbat, the Baali were almost extinct in the modern era of the game.
Origins
The Baali were infernalists who once dealt in the names of ancient beings that existed before God created the world (as simply knowing the names of such powerful beings can give one access to some of that power). The game's background has Baali legends stating that there was a group of people called the "First Tribe" who discovered the existence of those old ones and became their acolytes. They were degenerates, who murdered their parents and raped their children, and threw the corpses of their victims into deep wells or pits. An unknown vampire (speculated to be either Saulot, the antediluvian father of the Salubri, or Ashur, the founder of the CappadociansCappadocian (World of Darkness)
The Cappadocians are a clan of vampires from White Wolf Game Studio's role-playing games Vampire: The Dark Ages and Vampire: The Masquerade....
), encountered the "First Tribe" and killed them before he buried the "First Tribe" in their own pits and spread drops of his blood over the "First Tribe"'s corpses. Only three (Nergal, Moloch, and a third unknown individual sometimes said to be "The Crone") crawled out of the pit, and thus the vampiric bloodline Baali began.
An alternative story of the bloodline speaks of a single progenitor, called Shaitan, who was in life a slave-boy with a beautiful singing voice who attracted the attention of an unknown vampire. This version of their creation does not explain the origin of the corpse-pit embracing ritual the bloodline is often known for. Additionally, Shaitan is known to be a false name of Nergal.
Dark ages
In the time covered by the Vampire: The Dark Ages setting, the Baali became so numerous during the Dark Ages that they were widely considered to be a clan. They also garnered many enemies among the greater clans, particularly the Assamites and Salubri. It is after one such battle between the Assamites and Baali, that the Baali managed to enact a blood-curse on the entire Assamite tribe making every last one addicted to vampiric vitae. However, despite the many wars fought the Baali were often the losers and their numbers dwindled.Many Baali during this time imitated their legendary creation by embracing mortals in a similar fashion. That is, to create a new vampire, a Baali sire-to-be will drain all the blood out of a target mortal and throw his body into a pit of corpses, then the vampire will spill some of his own vampiric blood into the pit. Only the strong-willed who drink the blood will survive and become Baali. This practice is very different from that of other vampires; the Baali childer are not turned into vampires by their sires, but they become vampires on their own. In the modern era setting, this practice was largely abandoned explained by the difficulty of procuring the number of corpses required without attracting the attention of law enforcement. The background rumors also spoke of the Baali ability to "re-embrace" existing vampires, converting them to the Baali cause.
Final nights
In the modern era, the Baali are in decline, having been hunted to near extinction by both the Camarilla and Sabbat. Those who remain are divided into two camps: Baali who simply crave power and are willing to deal with infernal entities to get it, and Baali who actively attempt to pacify the dark beings whose names they once used to give them power.Demon: The Fallen
In the Demon: The FallenDemon: The Fallen
Demon: The Fallen is a role-playing game and a fictional setting from the World of Darkness line by White Wolf Game Studio. The player characters in the game are fallen angels, who were cast out of paradise after a thousand year war with God.- History :...
roleplaying game, it is said that the Baali actually worshiped the Earthbound Demons, and that their worship kept the Earthbound in slumber. Ironically, the very efforts to exterminate the Baali due to their foul practices helped unleash their infernal Earthbound masters, paving the way for the wars in the Demon: The Fallen plotlines.
Gehenna
At least one scenario in the Gehenna companion book treats Saulot's creation of the Baali as fact. However, as Gehenna offers many conflicting end-game scenarios (including a few where the Baali have their own 3rd generation founder) it is not canon.Minor bloodlines
Members of Clan Baali are often among the most varied of the Kindred. Significant differences can be found centering on ideals and the demon masters specific groups worship. One such sect of Baali are particularly vile and worship "The Swarm." These individuals form "Brood Mothers" who host ghoul-like insects within their bodies. Though these varying sects often display unique powers they aren't often considered unique bloodlines of the clan, however. (The now ret-conned The Chaos Factor divided these sects into 13 separate and unique bloodlines).Azaneali
One significant historical bloodline of the Baali are called Azaneali; the result of a pact between a Baali named Azaneal and infernalist Lasombra (angellis ater). Azaneal sought to find the lost city of Mashkan-shapir said to be built over an ancient demonic entity named Namtaru. The Azaneali may replace either Daimoinon or Presence with the Obtenebration discipline. Only twelve such Baali were sired, and they carried the additional weakness of being sterile. It is uncertain if any survived into the modern era.Version differences
In 1st and 2nd editions of Vampire: The Masquerade, the Ba'ali bloodline were descended from the Methuselah Shaitan who was embraced in the Second City sometime around 4500 BC by Ashur. Ashur is generally considered to be Cappadocius, but The Chaos Factor source-book suggests it was the Gangrel antediluvian. This history claims that of all of Ashur's childer, only the one named Gangrel could not be counted among the Ba'ali and thus the bloodline was originally the majority of the elder's clan. However, many elements of The Chaos Factor were retconned in later editions of the game, since it was considered by fans to be an unpopular source-book that promoted unwarranted crossovers, like Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand.The early Vampire: The Dark Ages books presented a more complex history, where the Baali were allegedly descended either from the Salubri or Cappadocians, and acted to keep "The Children" (either demons, Earthbound or the Yozi) asleep by appeasing them with sacrifices and chaos.
Later Vampire: The Masquerade supplements, such as The Storyteller's Handbook, shy away from firm details and present an enigmatic story of "dalliance with a low-born singing slave-boy." Gehenna treats Saulot's creation of the Baali as fact in at least one scenario.
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
The Baali also appear as a bloodline in the card game Vampire: The Eternal StruggleVampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, published as Jyhad in the first or "Limited" edition and often abbreviated as VTES, V:TES or V:tES, is a multiplayer collectible card game set in the World of Darkness. It is published by White Wolf, Inc....
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Background
The first Baali is rumored to have forged an unholy pact with those who dwelt in the shadow outside the periphery of this world. In doing so, the devil-child took on something of the place Beyond, becoming something more - and less - than human.The Baali are explorers, first and foremost - students of the unknown, the unknowable, the unspeakable. They toil for the erosion and eventual destruction of this world, to make way for "Those Who Wait Beyond."
Strategy
The Baali cards mix well with the Followers of Set. Since the Baali vampires are all identified as "infernal", they are expensive to play in a single-clan crypt (with duplicates, since their numbers are so few), but it could be done.New terms
InfernalFor cards marked as "infernal," during his or her untap phase, a Methuselah who controls an infernal minion burns one pool or taps that infernal minion.