| “ | The Serpent was in the garden first, you know | ” |
| — Hesha Ruhadze | ||
Hesha Ruhadze is the signature character of the Followers of Set in Vampire: The Masquerade. One of the most prominent Setites, Hesha is an archaelogist and art historian, working to gather as much ancient lore as he can in order to bring about the awakening of Set.
Biography[]
| “ | Be reasonable, Mr. Bell. I have the information that you need. If you cannot make a simple deal without consulting your master, however, I will wait. Do not make me wait too long. | ” |
The night had much in store for Ruhadze, who would later change his name to Hesha after his Embrace in the midnight shadows of a Nubian gold mine. The harsh Nubian climate and Ruhadze’s poverty tempered him from a very young age. To avoid conflict, he and his family adopted whatever religion had grown prominent at any given time: Islam, Christianity, and even Animism at certain points. By the time he had reached a relatively advanced age for Nubians—his 30s—Hesha had not fallen in with a cult but had gained no small bit of notoriety.
This was a blood cult, a herd of mortals tricked into believing in the divinity of their Kindred patron. The cult’s Setite leader, Enkaku Hoa, recognized in Hesha a cleverness and intellect that he thought would serve him well in his quest to reincarnate his dead god. Indeed, Hesha’s sire grew so proud of his progeny in the modern nights that he renamed himself Abu Ruhadze, in the Islamic tradition of “Father of Ruhadze.”
After his Embrace, Hesha acclimated quite well to the "Cainite" condition. His newfound toughness was a great boon during the long nights he spent uncovering the hidden lore of Kindred and other chthonic creatures. Mentored at first by his sire, Hesha felt the calling of his clan’s legacy. Abu Ruhadze knew he had chosen wisely and instructed his childe in the ways of the Path of Typhon. His progeny proved, once again, to be a fervent pupil.
To this night, Hesha’s clanmates consider him a near-paragon of the Theophidians, revered for his devotion to the god of the Underworld and his spiritual wisdom.
Hesha’s undead travels took him everywhere, and he met a great many prominent Kindred. He has crossed paths with the Kindred archaeologist Beckett a few times, and the two consider themselves cordial rivals. Additionally, his zeal to uncover the next set of hidden revelations earns him great status among members of his clan. He is glad to dive into forgotten tombs as long as he believes they offer something of worth.
In the modern nights, Hesha continues his tireless quest for knowledge. He has established various havens and at least one secondary identity to help him in the trade of cryptic lore. Those who know him also know that he is willing to share almost any secret—for the right price. Sometimes, Hesha warns, the price of knowledge is the knowing itself.
The World of Darkness contains entities and forces far more malign than mere vampires dread—creatures more powerful than the human mind can comprehend. The Antediluvians seek to assume such power, but the Eldest Ones were ancient when the Antediluvians were new. Very few vampires of other clans know that Hesha also seeks to protect the Earth from the Eldest Powers. No one destroys the world until the Setites are ready for their own ascension to godhood.
Description[]
Though the Ministry has largely aligned with the Anarchs in these turbulent nights, Hesha Ruhadze stands like an old rock in a stream. When asked about sectarian allegiances, the Nubian archaeologist rolls his eyes and mutters to himself. He spurns politics, referring to it as a wasted focus for creatures that might live for an eternity. His dedication is to history, the mysteries of vampire origins, and, importantly, discerning their fates. All the while, he sits in at Anarch moots and listens attentively.
Hesha is a willing servant of the Blood and believes he can understand the voice of Sutekh calling from his vitae. Where this might be a mark of insanity for some vampires, Hesha’s standing among Kindred far and wide lends credence to his claims. He is still the same coolly charming man, and every word he speaks feels heavy with gravitas, but now he speaks as the herald of his god’s will. Every time he does so, it is with a smile.
Loresheet[]
One of Hesha’s Works: You own one of Hesha’s treatises on the history of Kindred existence. While the work may be controversial and oppose the traditional Cainite mythology, it conveys one additional die on Occult-based dice pools, or pools relating to vampire origins. This work may be sold in exchange for one dot of the Resources Background.- Something Hesha Wants: You know what Hesha currently seeks, and can access it or already own it. This item can be used to bargain with, blackmail, or threaten Hesha, or even present it to him as a gift for future favor. This artifact or piece of information conveys an additional three dice to Persuasion or Intimidation dice pools involving Hesha or his cult. It can also be sold, adding three dots to your Resources (up to five) for the duration of the story.
- Museum of the Faithful: You possess the rare privilege of membership in one of the Ministry’s museums of vampire history. These underground treasure troves are securely guarded but contain a plethora of accessible information about legendary Cainites. You must submit a new treasure to the museum every year for continued membership and will have your access denied if you fail to do so or ever steal from one of these Setite hoards. You gain three additional dice to all tests involving the research of vampires and vampire history for as long as you keep your membership.
- Blood Cult (Ministry characters only): Hesha has taught you the old ways of the Followers of Set, in which mortals and ghouls perform more than a servile role. Your cult encompasses a warrior, a priest, and a scholar, as well as willing vessels from which you feed. Three Background dots can be split between these specialized cultists, who can count as Herd or Retainers. They possess more knowledge and ability of your kind than typical servants and ghouls, giving them an additional die in all interactions with vampires.
- Hear the Blood Sing (Ministry characters only): Maybe Hesha taught you how to hear the words, or perhaps you accomplished the feat yourself. You hear the voice of Sutekh more loudly than you do your Beast. Through riddles, visions, and musical refrain, the Storyteller will occasionally offer you guidance from the godlike voice issuing from your vitae. Once per session, you are also able to automatically resist Frenzy, treating it as a Ministry Compulsion instead.
Character Sheet[]
Image: A dapper Serpent, Hesha now shows no trace of his village past. In fact, he owns nothing that he does not want others to see. Hesha combines the bearing of a runway model with the flawless calm-under-fire of a combat veteran. His dark-amber gaze is almost enough to entrance an onlooker without even calling upon his Discipline.
Hesha carries himself with grace and dignity, equally at home at an embassy ball or in the catacombs of a ruined temple. He customarily wears perfectly tailored gray business suits and a monocle, despite the fact that he has perfect vision. His shaved scalp bears a tattoo of twining serpents, but in public, he hides this through Obfuscate.
Roleplaying Hints: No problem is so great that it cannot be overcome by reason. You remain cool and stable even under the direst of circumstances—whether facing down a rampaging Sabbat, jumping across a chasm to open the tomb of a forgotten king, or negotiating with dangerous Kindred.
Most people and Kindred are but tools to you, and they work best when willing, so you indulge them when you can. Even those who aren’t your tools have something to offer; acquaintances, old allies, and new faces alike all have as-yet-unrealized potential.
Most of the time, you affect a courtly, formal charm that makes people think they know you far better than they actually do. Now and then, you startle people with your encyclopedic knowledge of history, archaeology, mythology, and art, but you don’t deliberately show off—unless you see a good reason for it. You never tell the whole truth. Considering what you know, that is probably a kindness.
Trivia[]
- Hesha may appear reasonable, honest and even noble in that stoic, all-business manner, but make no mistake: He very, very much likes to twist facts to make himself appear in a better light.
- While with most Setites, its sensuality and corruptive nature are played up, Hesha more closely resembles the silver-tongued, fiercely intelligent manipulator that appears in the Book of Genesis.
- He is relatively kind to his underlings, building a reputation of avenging their deaths without mercy. He is also always working towards a fairly amicable, somewhat family-like climate. While he is not above brainwashing them, he still believes that a motivated follower is much more useful than one that has been coerced and so goes to great lengths in explaining and justifying himself.
- Compared to most Kindred, he has an excellent control of the Beast, owing to his high rank in the Path of Typhon, but also to well thought-out feeding habits and care in avoiding temptations.
- One of the most prominent Setites in existence, looked up to by many and respected even among other Clans.
- His Establishing Character Mom'ent is educating a fellow Follower of Set on the fine nuances of changing one's accent and choice of words in order to pass for an individual of different nationality. In game terms, he has Linguistics 5 as well as the Natural Linguist merit. That's at least 16 languages.
- His sire, who is so proud of Hesha that he renamed himself Abu Ruhadze.
- Going against the exaggerated Obviously Evil stereotype of Setites, Hesha represents the modus operandi of many real-world cults, using supposed benevolence and the manipulation of facts to make themselves look better, playing to individual weaknesses and desires in order to trick people into joininhg.
- Hesha has even been known to deceive readers into thinking he might be a genuinely good person.
Gallery[]
References[]
- VTM: Clan Novel Saga
- VTM: Clanbook: Followers of Set Revised, p. 99
- VTM: Gehenna
- VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary
- VTM: Anarch, p. 196
- VTES: Fifth Edition - Anarch