Khalid al-Rashid is the de jure Nosferatu primogen of Chicago. A powerful elder, Khalid was a highly respected member of Chicago's Primogen, a seeker of Golconda, and one of the few aware of the battle between Helena and Meneleus in the metropolis.
Biography[]
Khalid al-Rashid was one of the few Moslem leaders who deserved the bloody-handed reputation that the Crusaders tried to pin on all Arabs. His appetite for atrocity was rivaled by few, even in an age of cruel men who slew and tortured in the name of their gods. Indeed, it was just this appetite that first drew the attention of a few Cainites to Khalid. The Crusades, held before the Inquisition and the imposition of the Masquerade, brought many Kindred to the Holy Land.
Battles always leave harvests for those who feed upon blood. Aside from those who came for the bloody feast, some Kindred were ideologically committed to one side or the other. Among these was Alexius, a Byzantine Nosferatu and former prelate of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who believed the only way to free the Holy Land was to corrupt the Islamic leaders just as he had been corrupted. Khalid was his first victim.
Khalid went berserk upon discovering what he had become. The first victims of his rage were his own men, who came to his tent to see what was wrong. Khalid fled into the desert, where he would have died but for the intervention of a reclusive Jewish hermit, who dragged Khalid's body away from the sun's killing rays and into the cool darkness of his cave. Khalid stayed there for a month, feeding on the hermit's sheep and studying the Kabbala, an ancient form of Jewish mysticism. When Khalid was ready to leave this sanctuary, he had been transformed and went forth to make whatever peace he could with the world.
He began his quest by visiting various Islamic mystical sects, where he found others of his kind who told him of a state known as Golconda. For six centuries, Khalid wandered the world, looking for a path to peace. However, every time he came close to Golconda, the vicious side of his personality, heightened by his vampiric Beast, sent him spiraling down in a frenzy of violence and despair.
He arrived in Chicago shortly after the Great Fire of 1871, searching for an Inconnu who was said to have shown other Cainites ("those of flame and fury") the path to Golconda. While he never found this Inconnu, he did find himself involved in the city's turbulent political scene and chose to back Lodin after learning of Maxwell's violent nature. Since then, his support for Lodin has lessened, and it was his vote in the primogen that led the group to try to overthrow the prince in the mid-'80s.
The flood of his underground kingdom came as a shock to him. Like many Nosferatu, Khalid had established a civilization under the streets of Chicago, populated by the outcasts and unfortunate. The flood killed many of them. Khalid survived it easily but has no idea what really caused it. It did cause him to reevaluate his position in the city, however, and he has become more active. While he used to hide his presence, most Kindred now know who he is.
He was one of the few Cainites to play an active role in defending the city when the Lupines came, and he killed a number of them. The destruction left him extremely dissatisfied, and he is afraid he may well have done his soul irreparable harm. Now he casts about for a way to redeem himself.
Indeed, Khalid has recently become less interested in the Machiavellian maneuverings in the city and has begun to think about seeking Golconda in some more tranquil place — an act which would throw the delicate balance of the primogen into chaos. It is unlikely that he will leave in the near future, though, for he is fascinated by the war between the two Methuselahs. He understands that in some small way he holds the wild card in this game, and that when the time is right, he might be able to influence its result. Thus he waits and tries to learn more of what is going on.
He can no longer feed on animals but still tries to limit his hunting among humans. He is a Cunctator and takes no more than one or two Blood Points from any one vessel. He usually confines his drinking to the city's down-and-out, making him particularly susceptible to diseases.
Morality is very important to Khalid, but it does not come naturally to him. His rage continually bubbles to the surface and drives him to commit actions he later regrets. Over the centuries, he has desperately tried to gain control of his violent emotions but has never succeeded.
During his long stay in the city, he has learned of the machinations of both Helena and Menele and is intrigued by the sheer dimensions of their feud. Recently, he has come to consider leaving Chicago in his search for Golconda, but is aware of the severe political repercussions this could have on the city.
V5 Timeline[]
Khalid has absconded from Chicago. Abhorring a power vacuum, the upstart ancilla Cedrick Calhoun has begun impersonating him.
Description[]
Ancient and powerful, Khalid was a well-respected member of Chicago’s Primogen, and still is to those who believe Cedrick Calhoun’s subterfuge. Khalid walked the earth for nearly a thousand years in continual battle against his Beast, always seeking, yet never achieving, Golconda. Khalid’s quests led him to Chicago in search of a legendary Inconnu. What he found was a city firmly in the grip of an unending Jyhad between Helena and Menele.
Taking to the shadows, Khalid managed to remain unbeholden to either Methuselah and managed to identify a circle of Kindred equally free from their influence. Digging deeper, he found something else entirely, and may well be in hiding, have met the final death, or worse.
Khalid is your Primogen, Mawla, or even sire. You pity his inability to attain Golconda, but admire the fact that Khalid never, ever, quits.
Loresheet[]
Safe Haven: Khalid’s tutelage provides two dots to divide between the Haven Merits of Postern and Security System.- Deadly Stroke: Khalid was a master swordsman in life, and more so in death. You may have fought beside him during the War of Chicago or studied at his feet as your Mawla. Either way, you learned well. Whenever you wield a sword, its damage rating increases by one.
- Khalid’s Notebook: Khalid recorded his suspicions about the eternal war between Helena and Menele in a notebook filled with coded pages. He tore out many pages of this notebook and secreted them about Chicago and beyond. You have acquired pages from this book and the secrets they contain. Once per story, you may ask the Storyteller for one secret Khalid would have access to about Helena, Menele, or the identity of one Kindred under (or formerly under, in the case of Menele) their control.
- Wicked Garden: You learned from Khalid or discovered notes he left behind about strange entities living in Lake Michigan, with oblique references to his sightings and suspicions about the creature known as Nerissa Blackwater. Once per story, this knowledge reduces the difficulty of all Investigation tests involving Nerissa Blackwater or the being she serves by four. Total Failure means Nerissa becomes aware of your inquiry.
- Unbeholden: Khalid knew about Helena and Menele and assembled a coterie of “wild card” Kindred free from their influence. You are not presently under the control or dominion of Helena, Menele, or a similarly ancient vampire. Once per chronicle, you automatically escape one attempt by an ancient to ensnare you in their Jyhad. Work with the Storyteller to determine exactly how this feat occurs, but you manage to retain your freedom, for now.
Character Sheet[]
† Chicago by Night applicable stats
†† Chicago by Night Second Edition applicable stats
CbN 1st & 2nd Edition[]
Note: Khalid's two extra levels of Obfuscate allow him to conceal non-living objects of great importance to him (like his haven), and to continue his concealment of people, places, and things even when he is not present. If he believes he is about to enter combat, he will carry his ancient sword (which does two more dice of damage than a normal sword).
Image: Not only does Khalid have the naturally horrific appearance of the Nosferatu, but he has never healed the scars he received from the sun on his first day as a vampire. He keeps them as an eternal reminder of his violent nature.
Roleplaying Hints: Speak mysteriously and in parables, unless you are sure you can trust your audience — a rare occurrence.
Haven: Khalid currently makes his haven in a large cave just north of Evanston.
Secrets: A+
Influence:He has a great deal of subtle influence over the Kindred of Chicago. He knows almost everything that goes on in this vast metropolis — at least, everything that matters.
Gallery[]
References[]
- WOD: A World of Darkness, p. 71-72
- VTM: The Players Guide, p. 134
- VTM: Chicago by Night, p. 96-97
- VTM: Chicago by Night Second Edition, p. 103-104
- WOD: Outcasts: A Players Guide to Pariahs, p. 28-29 (Quote)
- VTM: Clanbook: Nosferatu Revised, p. 98-99
- VTM: Beckett's Jyhad Diary
- VTM: Children of the Night, p. 71
- VTM: The Chicago Folios
