Updated: 13 April 1999
Meryt-Neith
4th Generation
Sechat/Hecate/Laureen/Myriam
Lady of the Knights of Meryt-Neith

	Sire:	Unknown (-3088)
	Nature:	Autist
	Demeanor:	Autist
	Humanity:	5
	Secrets:	***** *
	Status:
	Esprit:
	Elder Status:	*****

Background:

                    The history of Meryt-Neith is the subject of passionate discussion among the Kindred scholars: Indeed, the first interrogation that comes to the mind is her Clan, and true Generation.

Meryt-Neith is known to be born around -3000 and, some speculate, after having discovered her luxious but empty mastaba, that she could have been the first recorded female Egyptian Pharao, of the First Dynasty.

The truth is somewhat different, as some Kindred discovered: Meryt-Neith is the daughter of the Pharao Oudimou, son of Djer and Grand son of Aha. Destined to marry her father to replace her own mother Neferou as the feminine principle necessary to the Pharao's balance, she, and her father were victims of an intrigue by the pharao's adviser, Hemaka.

She was entombed alive with the corpse of her father.

When she came back, she was changed, forever, and became the first Kindred Queen of the Two-Lands.

While this part of this story is well documented (because of the discoveries of Alexis in her subterranean pyramidal tomb, but the Toreador was unable to discover the name of her Sire, or her Generation).

Some believe Japhet was her Sire, and that she is the Grand Childe of Cappadocius. Her paleness is a proof of that, as well as her well-documented mastery over Necromancy and Auspex.

Others believe she was of the original Brood of Osiris, undead sister, or Childe of Kenthamon. She was not known, through, to shave her hair completely, as do now the other Children of Osiris. As one theory says that Osiris was the Childe of Cappadocius, it would make her a Cappadocian, too.

Another possibility would be that her Sire was one of Set's Childer, or even the Antediluvian himself. Little is known about the mysterious Childer of Set, that existed before his corruption and before the birth of the Clan known as the Followers of Set, so there is no way to verify her real Clan by possible Clan weakness. Her presence was somewhat unconfortable to others around her, and it could be well the Weakness of the first Childer of Set, but no one know for sure. The writtings about Set's vitae are not precisely deciferable enough to understand if she was Blood Bound to the Antediluvian, or if her Vitae was born from His.

One even believe she was the result of a pact between Osiris, (or Kenthamon and Set, and that from their mixed Vitae they created a Kindred that could be considered as one of the first (or simply the first) Caitiff. She was of weak endurance even when alive, and she could not have survived her 30th anniversary, so her undead paleness could be explained from her living weak condition.

But one thing is known, through: She was a Mage when alive, wielding Ra-Hekau (True Magick) with ease, even with her frail body. And somehow, she retained or recreated a form of Thaumaturgy that was of course, pale in front of the Ra-Hekau, but anyway unique and powerful enough to surprise her Antediluvian Mentor.

With other supernatural creatures, she, then known as Sechat, the Chronicler god, formed what would be known as the Enneade, the assembly of Egyptian gods. Few believe some peace existed between the Kindred and the Shapeshifters, but the extermination of the Mokole, as well as the Bubastis could be well the price paid for their allegiance to the red-haired Set.

Anyway, around -1500, the Kindred from all the Clans were united behind the Salubri of Saulot, against the Baali whose Minoean civilization was growing too much powerful. Set's nature, as fiery as his hair, was proved once more, as he and his followers (among them Sechat) used High Thaumaturgical Rituals to provoke the Santorini's eruption that entombed the Baali for centuries, and so, was the beginning of the end of the Minoean civilization that had threatened Egypt by invading the delta for more than two centuries.

The Setite, taught about the Kindred Enneade, led by Sechat (as was known Meryt-Neith), Amon, Childe of Montou (also known as Montano of the Clan Lasombra), and Ankh-Meres-Bast, of an obscure Gangrel-like Bloodline, know that Set, saddened by such treason within his own ranks decided their destruction. Nefertiti, former Ghoul and then, Childe of Set, was given the task to destroy her in her subterranean pyramid. Of course, Nefertiti diablerized the Methuselah. Thus, from the corrupted ashes of the Childer of Set, a new Bloodline, the Followers of Set, were created, around the mysterious Discipline of Serpentis.

The apparition of a Kindred supposed to be of Clan Lasombra, named Hecate, in Greece around -500 is known to most Ancient Kindred. She was a loner, believed to dabble in Magic, and believed too, to have power over Hell (at this time, Hell was the realm of Hades, and is, in truth, the decaying world of the Wraith). The Tal'mahe'Ra's archives talks about the introduction of the Lasombra into their numbers, and how she participated in the Vicissitude's analysis, and how, corrupted by the Souleaters, she fled before the Tal'mahe'Ra succeeded in destroying her. The Tzimisce Andeleon, discoverer of Vicisitude, and one of her ally, did not have her luck. The Shadow-Crusaders since researched for Hecate's presence in all the world.

When Cahete, of the Clan Malkavian, appeared in Rome, her mind was changed in so strange way that even her ''Clanmates'' believed she was too much spooky: Her face didn't show any emotion, and the few succeeding to read her mind discovered her cold, fast and deadly thought, full of logic too alien to understand. Cahete was destroyed in the burning of Rome...

Around 300, a Kindred named Eve, of unknown Clan and Generation, battled a specter of undead and corrupted appearance near the city that would become Paris. One Kindred, Varro Dominus, of the Clan Nosferatu, discovered the link between Eve, and Hecate, and identified the other, monstrous specter as Nebneferptah, a Kindred of Egypt, possibly of the Followers of Set.

The destruction of Saulot by the Clan Tremere was unopposed as a whole: In the middle of the Inquisition era, battling the Kindred-Magi and the mysterious Thaumaturgy they mastered as never a Clan did before, was unthinkable. But some individuals knowing about Saulot and the Salubri since the fall of Minoea, didn't liked it at all.

Laureen, a sickly young woman of england, was discovered to have True Magick powers. The Tremere, hopelessely needing any supernatural help for their war against the Tzimisce and the Gangrel, asked Sara, a 6th Generation Tremere, to Embrace her.

The new Clan was soon followed in example by a convenant of italian necromancer, the Giovanni family. Introduced in the Clan Cappadocian, they destroyed the Clan and took the Antediluvian's Vitae. In the same time, the Anarch Uprising was gaining in momentum, and Sara was destroyed by a Lasombra fleeing the fledgling Camarilla.

Laureen is then supposed to have hunted the killers of her Sire around Europe, and when she came back to the Tremere Chantry, the Blood of the Lasombra, the Tzimisce and the Tremere Antitribu was said to flow in her body, giving her new insight on Thaumaturgy, as well as knowledge of their Discipline. And her cold ambition was visible in her blue eyes...

Since then, Varro Dominus discovered, Laureen is working to uncover secret occult mysteries in Paris. If Varro Dominus and Alexis know about some truth of her past, the Nosferatu does not understand what is her aim in Paris, and the Toreador has still to discover why she hates Nebneferpath so much to search for him to destroy it, once for all.

Destiny

                    Meryt-Neith will search for the surviving Founders of the Childer of Set. The Antediluvian is the youngest of the 3rd Generation, but Meryt-Neith believes the legends saying Set was a God could have some kernel of truth. Whatever his ''divine powers'' before his Embrace, he could have kept it through it and as such, be one of the most powerful 3rd Generation. Meryt-Neith will use her Knights to destroy the God Set.

Appearance:

Age:	5085	Hair:	Dark Red	Height:	1m58
Apparent Age:	17	Eyes:	Black	Weight:	45Kg
Date of Birth:	-3105	Race:	Mixed Blood	Sex:	Female
RIP:	-3088	Nationality:	None	Esprit:

                    Meryt-Neith's true appearance is that of a young girl seventeen years-old, with a mix of subtle womanly appearance and still girlish traits. Her skin is white as chalk, and her long dark red hair flows in graceful waves down to her tight. She has unexpressive black eyes which appear as almost red in strong lighting, and bloodless, never truely smiling lips. Her silhouette is slender, fragile, and she died too soon to develop real feminine caracteristics.

Yet, she is incredibly beautiful, in her own way, having inherited her mysterious mother's beauty, and she kept as well the appearance of her mortal failing health.

Role Playing:

                    No real expression appears in her face, unless she wants to simulate it. She is cold beyond the coldness of the grave, and this is true, too, for her mind. She is logical, thinking so fast and in so much different things in the same time that the lucky Kindred who would read her mind would be lost in the middle of different and loosely related thoughts crossing her mind at light's speed!

She is like a machine, like a computer, seeming to understand emotion in a logical viewpoint, but now unable to really feel it. She is a monster, in a curiosity-like viewpoint, as most Kindred reaching similar states decide to Torpor, or even to commit suicide. The True Hand saw this as a proof of her total corruption by the Souleater.

Notes:

                    She saw the rise and death of religions, and as a neverending contempt for those with True Faith. Having dabbled with True Magick, she understands Faith as a kind of Tenth Sphere of Magick. she likes nothing more than use her superior intellect to destroy her faith by using its own internal contradictions.

Since before her introduction in the Tal'mahe'Ra, she had united around her a group of Kindred she helped to reach powers beyond their Generation in exchange of their promise of protection, should the need arise one night. They are called the Knights of Meryt-Neith, and she used her Necromancy Hekau Rituals to take their heart as a proof of their loyalty. Their numbers must reach 30, half of them older than a thousand years! By using them all in a city, she could well take momentarily almost any city from any sect, Sabbat, or Camarilla. but this would destroy any power and influence they have either in the Sabbat, Inconnu, True Hand or Camarilla. She find this influence too useful to use her Knights in so blatant manner.

She is herself an accomplished sorceress, and while at first the Hekau Thaumaturgy could be seen as weaker than the common Thaumaturgy, its range is wider (emcompassing both the Thaumaturgy and Necromancy Disciplines). Her magickal power easily rivals almost any Kindred magician, including the Seven Tremere Councillor, thanks to the thousand years of practice...

She met recently a young DST agent, Thierry Rethers, that had a strange power indeed: He received mental impressions from contact with living or non-living objects. Impressed by the yound man's courage and still, unwillingness to sacrifice other to his personnal ambition, she used her Auspex on him to read his mind. But in the same time, the injured man touched the hand of Laureen, and a feedback occured between the two. Sudden and painful, the empressions she received from her own mind, of her own still barely living human soul in the middle of the monstrous wheel machine that had become her mind, unbalanced her.

She felt once more, an emotion she had forgotten long ago: Love.

Thierry Rether's impressions were no less shocking, and the Five Thousand years of history mingling with his own few decades of life threatened his sanity. Recovering, he felt, too, an emotion similar to pity and compassion to the soul he had seen trapped within the mind of the Methuselah.

Unlike what it is believed by the Sect known as the Children of Osiris, the Discipline of Bardo has different origins. See Bloodlinebook: Childer of Set for more information.

The Hekau Avatars Background is the number of Avatars that are still ''living'' through the use of high-powered rituals of the Hekau Path of Necromancy.

• A black cat.
• A hawk.
• A Kindred called Laureen.
• A Kindred called Myriam.
Note that only two bodies (including her original one) can be active in the same time.

Actual Aim:

                    Hiding behind the facade-intrigues of Laureen, Meryt-Neith is working hard to find anything about Nebneferptah whereabouts. She uses the Veilleurs to reach her ends, feeding them with informations and powers that could help them, thus helping herself.

Knowing the Seven Elders of the Clan Tremere are now wondering at her history, and wondering about her true aims, she decided to ''kill'' her ''Laureen'' incarnation, and remove herself from Paris' social world. while it will cut a lot of information sources from her, she will have more time to use to Nebneferptah's discovery.

She is still searching for new Knights. Ron Stewart, Chad, Juan and Jonathan Nostram were chosen in Paris to serve her, and all but Nostram were raised, after intrigues, up to the 7th Generation. Strangely, Chad and Juan proved to be poor allies, but possible new Gangrel Ducs should their Lady disappear...

Rumours:

                   

• Meryt-Neith was the lover of Set (False: The fact she had hair as red as Set's own, could well explain why he choose her as his Childer. There was, too, a confusion with Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs meaning Sister, Lover, Loved and Childe...).
• Meryt-Neith is Inconnu (False)
• Meryt-Neith is member of the Camarilla's Inner Circle (False).
• Meryt-Neith is in Torpor, somewhere in Egypt (False: She is one of the Kindred who spent the less time in Torpor... You can see the results...)
• Somewhere in Egypt lies the secret of the Hekau Thaumaturgy created by Meryt-Neith, with High Rituals that could dwarf the commons Thaumaturgical Paths of the Tremere (Partially True...).
• The Tremere are researching any proof of Meryt-Neith's whereabouts, but the Setite prevents any study in Egypt. (True).
• Hecate was a Tremere (False!!!).
• Hecate was a Mage with Kindred followers (False).
• Hecate was among the first Infernalists (False).

Elder/Supernatural Merit : Atheism (7-points Merit)

                    See Merit & Flaws.

Note that Meryt-Neith is known then, after this Merit takes effect, to use her own Presence, Obtenebration, Dementation and Dominate powers to destroy or unblance the psyche of the insulting, puny mortal...

Auspex ***** * : Clairvoyance

                    See the Vampire Player Guide, p71

Hekau Thaumaturgy ***** ****

                    Meryt-Neith is the Kindred who created the Senef Hekau, also known as the Hekau Thaumaturgy. Assume she has access to almost all Rituals described in the HTML document, as well as almost all described in the World of Darkness: Mummy 2nd Edition, p79-105.

As described before, Meryt-Neith is an accomplished sorceress, and almost every known existing Hekau Ritual is known to her. As such, it is really difficult for anyone not of her age to affect her in any way, as powerful spells protect her body and mind from most physical and magickal attack. And even if possible, her Auspex and Obfuscate can still make her capture or destruction an impossible mission indeed.

Obfuscate ***** * : Kindred Arcane

                    This power is a resurgence of Meryt-Neith's Arcane Background when still alive. See Mage: The Ascensíon for more information about Arcane.

                    System: Automatic
This Obfuscate power simulate an Arcane-like power equal to half the Kindred's Stealth score (rounded up). Note that People with Auspex-like powers higher than the Kindred's simili-Arcane's score will be unaffected by this power, no matter the Kindred true level of Obfuscate. In the same way Arcane would be inefficient against the senses of a Kindred with a level of Auspex higher than the level of Arcane (See Vampire: The Dark Ages, The Crossover Rules, p264-265).

Obfuscate ***** ** : Veil the Legions

                    See Dark Ages Companion, p86

Obfuscate ***** *** : Phantasmagoria

                    This power can be used in two ways:

The first is the creation in the mind of one victim, whatever his nature (Vampire, Lupine, Mortal) an illusion only he can see, a dark, cloaked figure, sometimes armed with a deadly weapon, sometimes not, who seem to pursue him to kill him. The Phantasm has every Traits of the of victim save for the physical which are equal to the Vampire's level in Obfuscate. Indeed, it even has the same Disciplines of its victim. The phantasm will hunt his victim with random obsession: At times, it appears and strike to disappear in the shadows, and at other times, it will appear and fight to the death. The Vampire have no real control over the phantasm, and the victim's greatest fears will feed the phantasm hidden within the deepest recesses of his mind. Should the phantasm kill its victim, it disappear. The victim can die from the mental shock, or even awaken, forever terrorized by the experience...

The second way acts in conjonction with the Level Four Power of Obfuscate: If the Vampire succeed in disappearing, she can let behind her, in the minds of those affected (that is, everyone affected by the Level Four Power) a trace of her presence. The phantasm will take the place of the Vampire, and will fight her enemies in her stead. Damage done by the Phantasm isn't permanent, and ''killed'' characters will simply be knocked out, without further damage. The phantasm has the same traits of the Vampire who created it, and have the same powers (whose effects are only in the minds of those affected).

                    System: Automatic. X Points of Willpower


The Vampire must spend Willpower to create her Phantasm. Each Willpower thus spent will give the Phantasm 2 Health Levels (Note that the Phantasm never have damage maluses).

The Assassin Phantasm have the same traits of the Victim, but the physical (Vampire's Obfuscate) and the Health Damage. The Assassin is immune to any mental damage (in some cases, the victim can suffer the damage, as his own mind is creating it!), and will suffer only the damage done by the victim if the victim succeeds in a Courage Roll (Diff:7). Every damage taken by the Phantasm is considered Lethal no matter the source (and thus can be soaked through the Phantasm's Stamina). Note that if the victim fails the Courage Roll, he does make no damage, and if he actually Botches, the Assassin wins back 1 Health Level (in addition to any normal effect of a Botched Virtue). If the Assassin Phantasm is reduced to one Health Level, it disappear (hides in the mind of the victim). Each time the victim will fail a courage roll, the Phantasm will win 1 Health Level, and then roll its Health Levels, difficulty 8. A Botch means the Assassin disappear altogether, a failure means it remains hidden, and a success means the assassin will strike soon (the scene, or the night). A victim ''killed'' by an Assassin Phantasm will roll Willpower, difficulty 8. A success means nothing happens, a failure means the victim loses a permanent Willpower point, and a suitable Derangement. A Botch means the victim is dead. Note that the mental damage is such one can't get used to it. Note that for all the time the Assassin remains in the mind of its victim, the victim has the Flaw: Nightmares (Vampire: The Masquerade, Revised Edition, p299). The only moment the Assassin will not strike is when the victim is unconscious.

The Illusion Phantasm has 3 Health Levels per Willpower spent, have the same stats of the Vampire who created it, and will feed in the minds of the victims to attack them: If trapped in a Labyrinth, the Phantasm will appear from behind to attack a victim, or turn left to disappear in a dead end. The Illusion Phantasm takes damage normally, and anyone ''killed'' by the illusion will be simply knocked inconscious, and will wake at the end of the Scene.

Obfuscate ***** **** : Create Name

                    See the Vampire Player Guide, p77

Obtenebration ***** * : Walk the Abyss

                    See Vampire: The Dark Ages, p157

Presence ***** * : Intensification

                    See the Clanbook: Toreador, p38.

Presence ***** ** : Presence's Touch

                    This power is unly usable in an artwork representing the Vampire (at least, enough to be ''recognized''). The Vampire can let, by touching the object, and spending a permanent Willpower point, one of the basic effects of Presence active on the Object. Usually, it was used on the Egyptian Statues representing the God. Everyone looking at it will feel the power of the Presence.

                    System: Automatic

Presence ***** *** : Ironclad Command

                    See the Guide to the Camarilla, p96

Presence ***** **** : Inspire Faith

                    People with Faith believe they can sometimes channel the power of their God, act as a humble emissary for their god's will. Meryt-Neith knows better: Faith's source of power is within one's soul. Few people have the possibility to have Faith, and among them, few even know of it.

By the use of this power, Meryt-Neith can inspire the people who see or hear her, and awaken the latent Faith of those with the potential to have it, or even redirect the original Faith they had on another ''god''.

                    System: Automatic.
This power is for Role-Playing use only. Each Faith must have its own game mecanics to affect it, affected by the events around the meeting with Meryt-Neith. Note that sometimes, the only effect of this power is to destroy the Faith. The victim becames then cynical and bitter...

Note that House Shaea of the Order of Hermes is known to have for Avatar Sechat...

To learn more about Meryt-Neith, the Childer of Set, their history and their lost Disciplines, please refer to the Clanbook: Childer of Set and to the URÆUS: Gods of Egypt Chronicle.

Go to Laureen's Character Sheet
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