Authors Notes: Hello! This is the second prologue of this story. It tells the history of the Temple of Ini-Herit. Please write a review, and use constructive criticism. (in other words, if it sucked, tell me WHY it sucked.)
As a side note: all conversations are to be in Arabic in this chapter, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Prologue Part 2: History of the Temple of Ini-Herit
The Temple of Ini-Herit was built about forty miles outside of Cairo, in roughly 1100 AD It was founded and built by Ini-Herit, one of Set's loyal minions (but not one of his Twelve Disciples, all of which abandoned him). After he built the temple, he put himself into torpor (A form of vampiric hibernation, which you can enter willingly or if you are very near death), to rise after Set has risen again.
Before he self-torped, he created a caste system for the Temple to run on, a more refined version of that which all Settites follow. Lowest on the caste system where the mortals who followed Set, yet had not become vampires (yet). Then there are the lowly Followers, which gather resources and establish influences for the Temple. Their leader would be a Priest, who coordinates the efforts of the Followers. There are the respectable Warriors, who officially guard the Temple, though in actuality guard the Priests. Their official leader is always a priest, however usually the First of Four of the High Priest/ High Priestess is the un-official leader. The Priests, which are in charge of the rituals, celebrations, and all other Temple events, are lead by the High Priest/ High Priestess. In summary, Ini-Herit made it so that the Priests control the Temple, and that the High Priest/ Priestess controls the Priests.
In addition to the Caste system, he made some very important rules, all of which were on pain of death or exile, discretion of the High Priest.
You will put your Temple above your Self.
You will never commit Amorath (Diablerie, aka eating a Vampire's soul to gain their powers.)
You may never abandon the Temple. When you are ours, you are ours forever.
Nothing worth mentioning happened to the Temple between 1100 AD and 1400 AD, other than some land purchases in Cairo and the entrance of Zam into the Temple in 1323 AD. 1400 AD rolls around and the High Priest mysteriously dies. The new High Priest, who led the Warriors before his promotion, came into power. There is much distrust in the Temple through this time, especially since the new High Priest forced the Temple to make a mass blood bond (a forced emotional connection, where the one who drinks the blood becomes bound to the donor.), which he donned, but did not participate. This is when Naeem enters the story, about 1550 AD.
Naeem was a student under the warrior Zam, who latter sired him. He rose through the ranks of the Warriors slowly, but was very devoted to learning the art of fighting, which Zam taught him. This was all before 1757.
So here comes the year 1757! The Priests finally found proof of the "new" high priest's actions, concerning the old Priest's death. However, instead of revealing the information to the temple, they met and unanimously agreed to slowly and secretly leave the Temple, after they kill the High Priest. They do so, around the year 1825, and all of them leave few by few. They were all hunted down and slain before 1830. There were no priests in the power structure, so no Head Priest could be called forth. In fact, the only one qualified to be a priest at all (let alone the "High Priest/ Priestess") was a young, blind adept, known as Ameena, who was Zam's childe (as was Naeem, remember).
Ameena became High Priestess, and began training new Priests, as well as learn herself in the lores that a Priest is expected to know (through the Temple's Arcane Library). Ameena has become wise in her short time as High Priestess (short being 200 years-ish), and has made many decisions which has lead to the expansion and integrity of the Temple. She did not abandon the idea of mass blood-bonds, but instead joined in.
Over the last decade or so, though, she has become more and more seclusive, staying in the Arcane Library for weeks at a time. However, in a sudden change of character, Ameena has not been in the Arcane Library for almost a year, since late 2004…
(story begins, through the eyes of Naeem, the First of Four of Rupert, Leader of the Followers)
(Disclaimer: All work on this is based off of a Live Action Role-Playing Game, run by my cousin, as well as White Wolf's World of Darkness. Any and all material that is contained in this fanfiction belongs to White Wolf, and should be treated accordingly. Any opinions or views (if any) explored in this fanfic is not necessarily those of White Wolf.)