Akhud

The Akhud clan are one of the possible explanations for the mysterious VII Covenant that plagues Kindred society. In this scenario, VII call themselves Ahranites.

Within the covenant resides Clan Akhud, a group of powerful and influential vampires, fiercely loyal to each other, who seek to create a new vampire order, with themselves on top. They share the lust for power of Clan Ventrue, the secrecy of Clan Mekhet, and the inherent distrust from their brethren that Clan Nosferatu suffer from.

Weakness
The Akhud clan weakness makes them unable to knowingly harm or betray other members of their clan or the mortal descendants of their founders. Additionally, the Akhud are tormented by the whispers of the demon Shaddad, represented mechanically by a small penalty to derangement rolls, as well as a penalty to resist frenzy in any scene in which they speak, write, hear or read the name Shaddad. Furthermore, they are not affected by the Taint of the Predator and are able to sense other vampires through it. As a side effect, Akhud are protected against mind reading.

Their Clan disciplines are Obfuscate, Celerity and their unique discipline of Praestantia. Additionally, many learn Ahranite Sorcery.

History
The members of VII- and such, of Clan Akhud- are descended from the sons of the last king of Gomorrah, one of two cities (the other being Sodom) destroyed by god in the old testament. According to the story, it was a mysterious stranger who came to the city of Gomorrah, enticed the king, turned him against his sons, and tempted the old king and his people to sin grievously. It was these sins that brought the wrath of God down upon the city. The three sons watched their city burned to the ground with fire and brimstone, and vowed to find the stranger and punish him for leading their father astray.

After centuries of searching, the sons discovered this stranger was a vampire through their contact with the old Camarilla in Rome. They also found that before leaving, the stranger had passed his curse on to the king and his sons. A demon named Shaddad was summoned by one of the sons' progeny in a moment of desparation, and told the sons that if they could eliminate all others like them, when they were the only ones left a new Gomorrah would be granted to them. The descendants of these sons continually hunt the kindred to this day, in the hopes of restoring their lost city.

Symbol
The name VII comes from an old Gomorrahan symbol left by the Ahranites, painted on the sides of buildings in Rome as a warning to the kindred, reading "As the ground swallowed the city of pillars, so shall we devour you." This symbol contains the roman numeral "VII" within its markings.