Salim Al-Ahzan is an influential eighth generation Assamite Vizier of the Dark Ages.
Biography[]
There are many rumors about Salim Al-Ahzan. He walked in the desert and stayed in the cave of Hira, the place where Muhammad received his first revelations. He is said to be a magician from the Ahl-i-Batin tradition, having sold out his brothers for the secret of immortality. He could read in blood the wefts of destiny and was said to possess the eye of Al-Ashrad. The truth lies at the frontier of all this. Salim Al-Ahzan was born into a family of Visigothic origins, converted to Islam, near Toledo. Initially apprenticed to a blacksmith, he noticed for his manual dexterity and quick wit by a physician doctor from the Cordoba school. He worked as an apprentice and showed talent in pharmacopoeia and surgery.
He worked with Arab and Jewish figures in Cordoba, and took an interest in the writings of Abu Al-Qasim, in particular his treatise on hematology in the book Al-Tasrif. Salim perfected his knowledge his knowledge and became famous when he performed the first infusion on the son of the Emir of the Taifa of Sevilla. Salim's research attracted the curiosity of an Assamite who observed him in the the shadows. He carried out most of his work on the various pathologies in Toledo, but had to flee when the city was taken in 1085. He headed for Cairo, the first stage of a long pilgrimage in the Middle East. Salim is embraced in the town of Ma'arrat al-Nu'mân when the Crusaders seized it and committed acts of anthropophagy there in 1098, abominable exactions which still haunt him.
Salim showed an exceptional talent for learning the Assamite way and his rise was rapid, his gift to discern the smell of undead blood is an asset to the Assamite viziers. Salim serves the clan as a diplomat and, at the request of his sire and the Grand Vizier, builds a network of acquaintances and agents through the madrasas and hospitals from Damascus to Al-Andalus. All the while, Salim hasn't forgotten and gathers information and rumors in search of all those responsible among the descendants of the Count of Toulouse Raymond IV and their Cainite allies, in order to punish them, including an Armenian chieftain from Taurus, Yaruqtas al-Armani, nicknamed the "Monk of the Black Mountain". At Salim's request, the clan commissioned him to study and consolidate Assamite power. He relies on the Muslims of the new medical university in Montpellier, where he sometimes teaches. Disgusted by the fate reserved for the Cathar "Perfects Cathars," after witnessing acts of violence and humiliation against them that brought back dark memories, he now supports the Queen of Toulouse, Esclarmonde la Noire, in her battle against the Prince of Paris and his Toreador advisor--as well as the Cainite Heresy which extends its shadow over the region.
Salim fuels conflicts between the various factions. He passes on information to the Iberian Lasombra and, above all, to Nazirah, the Assamite witch of Granada. Salim offers his help to the persecuted Cathars and, under the guise of propaganda and a war of attrition he hoped to flush out the supporters of the Count of Toulouse Raymond IV and make them pay for their crimes. Recently, Salim met a Salubri from the Islamic world who has taken refuge in the the basement of Montpellier's medical school. But a dark secret secret undermines Salim: he maintains a correspondence with a member of the Tremere clan through a Nosferatu messenger, seeking forbidden knowledge of the blood that he desires more than anything else. His faith in Allah still prevents him from handing over the Salubri in exchange for the Tremere knowledge.
Description[]
Salim's temperament is subtle and measured. He can achieve more with a clever blend of patience and manipulation. He has also developed a network that extends all the way to Baghdad through the universities and madrasas. He is a believer whose faith is strong and who applies the five pillars of Islam, with a few adjustments due to his Cainite nature.
Loresheet[]
Clan: Assamite (Vizier)
Sire: Malik al-Din Mas'ud
Nature/attitude: Judge
Demeanor: Pedagogue
Generation: 8th
Embrace: 1098
Apparent age: late 30s
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 4, Vigor 3, Charisma 3, Manipulation 4, Appearance 3; Perception 4, Intelligence 4,
Cunning 3
Abilities: Fighting 2, Empathy 4, Expression 2, Intimidation 3, Subterfuge 4, Vigilance 3; Crafts 3, Equitation 2, Etiquette 2, Stealth 3, Melee 3; Erudition 4, Investigation 3, Medicine 5, Occultism 3, Theology 4
Disciplines: Auspex 3, Occultation 2, Presence 3, Quietus (Hematus) 5
Backgrounds: Allies 3, Contacts 5, Resources 3, Servants 1, Herd 1
Virtues: Conviction 4, Self-control 3, Courage 4
Thaumaturgical Path: Blood 6
Willpower: 7