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Mouths open, in
awe.
I stood in front of the painting and tried to remember
what it was like to cry. Some muscle When I would go to the museum, I was often not the
only one of my kind there. New York City is a metrop-
memory of the sensation still remained in the muscles
olis in every sense of the word and my fellow Kindred
around my eyes, the tight and stinging
and other creatures, both bearable and deplorable, often
feeling, how it deepened in the chest and made it hard crossed my path as I walked the hallways. It was neu-
to breathe and hard to talk. It used to bring tral ground. So I wasnt at all surprised when another
stood beside me the eleventh time I went to go to the
heat to my skin and the feeling of moisture in the
exhibit.
form of tears and mucus was familiar as it was
You like his art a lot, dont you? Id seen her in
frustrating. The release of tears brought relief and
the museum before, but never spoken to her. She was
shame. Now I rarely felt either of those things.
dressed for the cold weather, not for her needs, as was I.
The art of William Blake used to move me. I was I remember her gloves and I thought maybe she had just
named after him, Blake. My parents were art students come in from the cold, but now that many years have
in South America decades ago and they gave me, their passed, I know better.
only daughter, this name in the hopes it would help me
Its a compulsion, I said with half a smile. In
assimilate better to the mainland. Instead it just con-
those days, I could manage to be endearing, or at least
fused everyone. One of the things that enamored me to
thought I was liked.
my sire, before I knew what her intentions were to me
and before I was Embraced, was how she never asked And what compels you to come to this exhibit eleven
me about my name. Where it came from, why it was times in the last twenty days? I remember being sur-
chosen for me, why I kept it. The day I saw her for what prised she knew that. It took me a while to answer her
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she was, I knew she was old and had heard so many as I tried to think of what to say.
names given and chosen, seen the trampling and co-
I just really like his art, I said, smiling, my hands in
alescing of cultures and languages time and time again.
my pockets. And Im named after him.
It wasnt curious. It was a given. And when I awoke, the
ple
shock of empty veins rattling hollow within my body, I William? she asked with a cocked eyebrow. Her
knew names didnt matter either. Just blood. Its prom- brown eyes were so cold, like all of us. She joked,
ise and fulfillment. friendly.
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The William Blake Exhibit had come to New York Blake, I answered. I waited a few seconds before I
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City and as it was winter, I was able to visit the muse- asked. And may I know your name?
um for hours at a time. Days were short and the time
Its Anahita, the woman replied. You come here
I could walk among the rest of humanity was longer.
so much, but I always see you stand for an hour at one
The city reeked heavily of progress, especially in this
plate. Tell me, why do you?
edifice which held tombs of long dead rulers. I knew
many individuals older than the pieces in the museum, Another vampire watching me without my noticing
but I still enjoyed going whenever I could, especially in alarmed me. The fact she didnt say it as a threat sur-
the winter. I knew children came here in the mornings, prised me. It was a question of curiosity from an elder
lively and excited from school, their energy bouncing vampire caught me off guard yet again. I knew which
from wall to ceiling. Evening at the museum was mostly piece she was referring to. I gestured for her to follow
adults, some families with small children. me.
They came to feel the stretch of time, to reach back with Its this one, I said. I pointed to it. She stood in front
their eyes into the depths of humanity and see the beauty of the plate and furrowed her brow.
which had been wrought over the years. They came to
Its rather plain compared to his other work, isnt it?
compare themselves to those societies and cultures of old,
to see what was good back then and compare it to now. It is, I asked. But the words are what I like. If any
To become inspired. To laugh at the nudity. This last one could desire what he is incapable of possessing, despair
is true, I would never pretend otherwise. I saw them. must be his eternal lot.
I went to try and be moved. To be moved by these You sound like a lot of others of our kind, she said
relics of time and passion and see what I could do. with a grin. I could see her teeth.
I looked at the careful line work, the way the paint
soaked into or lay on top of the canvas, observed the But then there is this, I said, walking over to the
cool hardness of marble and the austere gleam of fine next plate. The desire of Man being infinite, the pos-
metals. I tried to feel more like those observing the session is infinite and himself infinite. I looked at the
art on the pedestals and behind the glass and less like image, reaching up towards the heavens William Blake
the objects. I watched people talk about the pieces. had depicted.
What does it mean to you? Anahita asked me. I The Hand, if its real, is old. I said, looking at the
knew she would. I shrugged, even though I knew the print. But the secrets are in something so fresh, so
answer to her question. new? I can almost smell the wet ink on these.
That Im not just here to eat until theyre all dead, I Now she laughed, putting her gloved hands together
murmured. Despair may be my eternal lot, but that does and nodding. So you say. Tell me, where would you
not mean I do not share something with these people look for clues for their existence, what they want, what
who come here as well. Desire. It is something I still feel, they are doing?
and not just to be sated. And it elevates me beyond this
I thought about the question as I started at the image
life I lead. Eternal is not the same as infinite. I stared at
Anahita had picked and the figures therein, both human
the image on the wall again, thinking about the words.
and beyond human.
Do you wish to be infinite? Anahita asked. She was
Nothing we have is new, I said. Id look back.
still smiling, and I thought she was maybe making fun of
I know the elders believe. I would ask those who
me. Does your sire know you speak like this?
believed.
She does, I laughed. She asks me not to go on
And what if they all had different answers, as to
about poetry too much, as my understanding is, as she
whether it was real and what it was? Many of us are old
puts it, infantile.
and our fear of what is new has stretched back to color
A common complaint among sires, I can assure you, what is old.
Anahita said. While I am not a fan of Blake per se, as I
I wouldnt expect to hit on the answer right away, I
have issues with certain artists who came after him, I must
replied. Its not the kind of answer one receives. Its the
admit that I do have a favorite piece. She motioned for
kind of answer which must be excavated and revealed.
me to follow her and I did, looking back over my shoulder
at the pieces we had just examined before we entered the True enough, Anahita said, nodding slightly. She
file
next room. Humans moved out of our way as we walked, then smiled and held her hand out for me to take in
parting like schools of fish as we cut through the crowds. I hers. I wondered if she wanted me to shake her hand or
followed behind her, wondering if my sire knew her and if kiss it. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Blake. If
this would be the last time I would see her. I see you in the future, I hope you would not mind my
ple
one. mine. I kissed the soft, brown leather, felt her slender
yet strong fingers within the glove.
Sa
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m
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2016 White Wolf Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher
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4
The Dark Conspiracy: Introduction 11 Themes 37
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Whats In This Book 12 Moods 37
Lexicon 12 The Hand Concealed: Activity and Ideology 37
The False Hand 38
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Asakku:
Old Clan Tzimisce 165
The Fevered Curse 108
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Maeghar 167
Whispers from Afar, Whispers from Within 108
New Disciplines 169
Andeleons Folly 109
Koldunism (Koldunic Sorcery) 169
Children of the Loyal Angels 110
Necromancy 174
Two Millennia of War 111
New Necromancy Ritual 176
The Corrupted Way 114
Merits and Flaws 177
The Path of Asakku 115
Physical 177
The City that Caine Built 118
Mental 177
The First City 118
Social 177
Necropolis Enoch 120
Supernatural 178
The Black Citadel 126
Diablerie and Golconda 180
The Forgotten Necropoli 127
Diablerie 180
The Aralu 129
Possession 180
Nosferatu, Toreador, and Ventrue 129
Seeking Golconda 181
The Lilin 130
The Baali 131 Chapter Five: Stealing the Dead 187
The Nephilim 132 Introduction 187
The Unknown 132 Backstory 187
Chapter Four: Dirty Secrets 139 Chronicle Map 188
Hook Antoinettes Task 188
Those Among the Damned 139
Scene 1 The Crash 188
Abominations 139
Scene 2 Entering Enoch 188
Fae 142
6 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Scene 3 Meeting the DelRoh 189 The Labyrinth 192
Scene 4 Antoinettes Contact 189 Cast 192
Scene 5 Encountering the Idran 189 Sample Characters 201
Scene 6 Bahari Ambush 189 Hook Antoinettes Task 203
Scene 7 Bahari Instructions 189 Scene 1: The Crash 203
Scene 8 Working with Pietro (Optional) 189 Scene 2: Entering Enoch 205
Scene 9 Contacting Allies 189 Scene 3: Meeting the DelRoh 207
Scene 10 The Getaway Car 190 Scene 4: Antoinettes Contact 207
Scene 11 Palace Heist 190 Scene 5: Encountering the Idran 209
Scene 12 Race to the Byway 190 Scene 6: Bahari Ambush 210
Scene 13 Aftermath 190 Scene 7: Bahari Instructions 211
The Slums of Enoch 190 Scene 8: Working with Pietro 212
Safe Haven 191 Scene 9: Contacting Allies 213
Bahari Stronghold 191 Scene 10: The Getaway Car 214
Idran Stronghold 191 Scene 11: Palace Heist 215
Order of Moloch Stronghold 191 Scene 12: Race to the Byway 217
The Dread Palace Ghemal 191 Aftermath 219
The Entrance to the Catacombs 192 Characters 220
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away with it, someone older than myself may not. You I knew this one. Agda. Older than me and an enemy.
know how we get in our old age. A young, drunk, and dirty human walked behind her
like a puppy dog. I could see the glint of something
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Welcome to the Black Hand. The TalMaheRa. The deadly sorceries that would frighten even hardened Archons
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True Hand. The Manus Nigrum. A group that shares a and Templars. And thats just the vampires, to say nothing
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unique and intricate role in Vampire: The Masquerade, of the sorcerers and mummies and greater abominations in
and indeed the World of Darkness at large. their ranks. Were handing you a bomb. You can use it to
Here, were walking a whole lot of tight ropes. We want build tension, or to lay waste to a chronicle.
you to walk with us. Finally, the Black Hand has a weird history in publication.
First off, were following on a twenty year legacy. The first It had different treatment across different editions. We cant
full treatment of this conspiracy, called Dirty Secrets of the accommodate all those treatments. For example, in Vampire:
Black Hand, is one of the most well-known supplements in The Masquerade Revised Edition, the Hand doesnt exist.
Vampire history. Its renowned and reviled, depending on They fell victim to a spiritual nuclear weapon. Every last one
who you talk to. How do we please everyone with such divided of them gone forever. This book assumes that didnt happen.
opinions? Well, we try really hard, and we approach it with After all, itd be weird filling pages with information about a
love. I hope you love this book as much as we loved writing it. completely eliminated cult. Instead, were going to showcase
the Hand, to give you the tools to use them and some hooks
Second, were sharing a conspiracy with you. How much to make them work in your story in different ways.
can you peel back the curtain before you lose all mystery?
How little can you pull back the curtain and still make the Were erring on the side of giving you more mysteries, more
conspiracy sexy and scary and cool? Were walking that options, and more leeway. Were going to introduce and present
line. We want to give you the tools to make the Hand a things that might go against other Vampire chronicles, and
great element for stories, but we dont want to answer even other Vampire products. Perhaps more than any other
every question, because the answers at your table will fit book, were presenting a variety of options that may or may not
your stories better than if we hold your hand. be true for individual chronicles. But were not going to show
you something, then step aside and tell you that youre a bad
Third, this is the Jyhad at its rawest. In Enoch, the ghostly person for using it in your game. The Black Hand has a far
stronghold of the TalMaheRa, some of the eldest known reach within the Vampire mythology. It should feel that way.
vampires pull strings. The vampires of the Black Hand wield
Hand.
Chapter Three: The Dark Below Eastern Hand: (alias: Right Hand) the half of the
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Infernalism is a complicated topic in the Hand. To some, Sect who remained localized to Enoch, the Middle East,
its a powerful tool for bringing forth the apocalypse. For and India after the War of the Betrayers. In the Modern
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others, its a disease that needs rooting out. Here, we offer Nights, membership in the Eastern Hand denotes focus
Dark Thaumaturgy, infernal rites, and a new treatment upon scholarly pursuits.
of Vicissitude. Lastly, we close out with some treatment Elioud: (alias: Shadow Crusade) Hand members tasked
of Enoch, the first city, lost forever in the Shadowlands. to investigate, track and exterminate Asakku. Named for
the grandchildren of the Nephilim in Abrahamic lore.
Chapter Four: Dirty Secrets
Next, we talk about the types of characters you might find in Enoch: (alias: The First City) a city purportedly built by
the Hand that fall outside the Kindred norm. We offer ideas Caine, the progenitor of all vampires. Thought destroyed,
and rules for portraying mummies, werewolf Abominations, its dark reflection was discovered in the Underworld
and other monstrosities among the TalMaheRa. and subsequently requisitioned as the capitol of the
TalMaheRa. One unpopular theory posits that the citys
Chapter Five: Watch the Hand current purpose is to act as a prison for the Aralu, placing
Lastly, we provide a sample chronicle you can jump right them as far away from the mortal world as possible.
into, which showcases the moods and themes we wish to False Hand: (alias: Lost Tribe) members of the Sabbat
communicate with the rest of this book. Black Hand unaffiliated with the TalMaheRa. Their
practices center on the teachings of the Weeping Master
and his pupil Anosh.
Lexicon Ghemalish: the original tongue spoken in Enoch
and etymological root of the Indo-Dravidian, Egyptian,
Aralu: (Ghemalish: sleeper) four mysterious beings whose
Sumerian, and Mixe-Zoque languages. Ghemalish is named
crypts rest in the heart of the catacombs below Enoch. The
for the tower of Ghemal in Enoch, where inscriptions of
majority consensus holds them to be the torpid bodies
the language were first discovered. Enochian is a phonetic
of Antediluvians.
mountains of Anatolia. For centuries, Kaymakli was a who allow pinholes of light to etch scarification patterns
prison to the Cappadocians entombed within. Once freed, upon their bodies as they rest during the day.
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the Harbingers of Skulls offered the city between worlds, Underworld: (aliases: Shadowlands, Deadlands) the
gateway to the Deadlands, as a gift to the TalMaheRa spirit plane of the dead on the edge of nothingness, com-
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upon joining the Sect. posed of ghostly echoes from the material world.
Marijava: A revenant family that has served the wazir: (Arabic: minister, plural: wuzara) the seraphim,
TalMaheRa as spies and assassins. Some believe that a cadet yamasattva, and the DelRoh. The wuzara determine
family of the Marijava also serve the Ravnos and Setites. the Sects direction and monitor the development of its
Molochim: descendants of the Baali Methuselah Moloch long-term goals. When capitalized, the Wazir refers to the
(called Adramelech by his flock), Molochim are among entire group as a whole.
the most effective infernalist hunters in the Black Hand. Western Hand: (alias: Left Hand) the portion of the
Nergali: (alias: infernalists) Nergali are Baali offspring Sect who made Europe their home when the TalMaheRa
of the Methuselah Nergal and other vampires in allegiance was divided. The Western Hand fosters members whose
with demonic entities. specialization revolves around worldly pursuits.
qadi:(Arabic: judge, plural: qadis) an interpreter of law Yamasattva: (Sanskrit compound of death and purity) an
who, with other qadis, adjudicates the policies of the Sect. immortal magus whose soul is bound to their animated
When capitalized, the Qadi refers to the entire group as dead body through powerful magic. Three yamasattva
a whole. from the Idran serve on the Wazir, devoted guardians of
rawi: (Arabic: reciter, plural: ruwat) a scholar of the Enoch who predate the foundation of the Sect. Younger
TalMaheRa who, with other ruwat, protect and study of vampires sometimes refer to these sorcerers as liches.
the lush booth. I thought for sure youd be back- do. And a favor to a friend. Im watching my friend
stage, getting out of your costume. Pallas.
Pallas played Hamlet today, I said with a smile.
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And who will play Hamlet to our drowned star- shrugged her shoulders, the dark fabric slipping
let when you are both gone? Pim asked. over her skin as she did. But Im sure your friend
is different.
So, you heard about our trip? I said. That was
fast. Pallas is a good ally. I trust her. And we are
looking into her latest... whisperings. I said. Who
Ophelia learned how to use a computer, finally, knows, maybe well find the monster lurking with-
so Ive learned all kinds of things, Pim replied. in every Malkavians head.
You and Pallas. A trip on Malkavs whim. I
thought you were smarter than that. I love the young, Anahita said, taking the
small, golden goblet in her fingers. They bring a
Its important to Pallas, and there are some new way of looking at things. The old would be
people Ophelia wants me to meet on our trip, I wise to put their paranoia aside and have congress
said, picking up my glass. Blood, thick and room with those whose eyes can see the present with
temperature, and what I need right now, sloshed clarity and understand it, see the patterns. What
around the inside of the glass as I swirled it careful- the young really lack is self-control. They think
ly, sticking to the glass. I sucked in a mouthful and they know what want is. A few years of hunger
held it against my tongue and the insides of my pangs and they seem to think they know the scope
cheeks. Wet. Rich. of need, of longing. They havent been through
Be careful, young Blake. There are monsters enough to know what true abstaining and measure
in the Old World the likes of which you never is. She took a sip of her blood and licked her lips,
dreamed of in your yesteryears, Pim said. He looking right at me. Find me a young Sabbat who
turned in his chair and looked towards the door knows restraint and Ill show you one chosen for
before looking back at me. And here comes one of greater things.
them. Ana! he called, waving his hand.