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The desert sands of Africa hold many secrets long buried, some best left undisturbed. Claiming literal descent from the dark Egyptian god Set, the Setites hoard the secrets of their lost civilizations. According to the Setites, Set himself will rise - soon - and he will reward his faithful while plunging the world into eternal night. Organized more like a cult than a clan, the Followers eagerly search for the mystic means to rouse Set, while they simultaneously spin webs of deceit and fixation to sway others to their service. Needless to say, the Setites are regarded with wariness at best and horror at worst. Vague and contradictory rumors surround the Serpents' origin. Most Cainites hold that the Serpents are simply another branch of Caine's tree, from the far-wandering days of the Antediluvians and their mythical sires. For (heir part, the Followers of Set often insist I that Set himself was no mere Cainite, but a true god of ] darkness. Such wild stories are discounted by most vampires, though the Serpents seem to hold bits of lore and wisdom from lost days that would legitimize their claims.... With respect to the other clans, the Setites are carefully neutral. During the formation of the Camarilla, it is said, the Setites were invited to join, but few deigned to do so - much to the secret relief of that sect's elders. As far as the Serpents are concerned, the Jyhad is just a petty struggle between the upstart children of Set's inferiors. The Setites thus broker their influence carefully, trading in commodities and vices that make them valuable, if covert, suppliers for many Kindred. Where a particular vampire has a weakness or desire, the Setites quickly move in to fill the vacuum, indebting the buyer to them and sometimes exacting favors through blackmail and addiction. Such tactics naturally don't endear the Setites to the other clans, so most Serpents make a great show of dissembling and an outward display of friendship. Of all the 13 clans, the Setites reserve their greatest hate for their own kind: The Serpents of the Light, a small cult of Haitian Setites who broke away from the clan to join the Sabbat, are viewed as heretics and wiped out ruthlessly. Setites tend to Embrace from among people who share an understanding of dark appetites and forbidden desire. Scholarship is highly prized in the clan, for only with the ancient lore of the earliest days can Set be found and awakened. Secrets of all manner are their stock in trade, and the vices that humiliate others are their best weapon. Those who partake of desire are naturally inclined to understand it, and so they form the basis of the clan's recruits. With time and education, Setites learn to weave webs of subtle deceit, drawing in ever more unwitting servants while plucking out the dirty secrets and lies that others try so carefully to bury.
Roleplaying Hints: You are a disciple of a dark god, and you must do your best to uphold that faith. None outside your clan will serve Set willingly, so it is your duty to ensnare them with their own weaknesses. By plying the illicit trades to support the hungers of others, you can gather their support and force them to pay for their needs - in deeds, in secrets or simply in "a few favors later." With such secrets and assistance, you can gather the knowledge necessary to raise Set, to enshroud the world in the darkness of your clan's grip and to cause all others, vampire or mortal, to bow before you,
Advantage: The Followers of Set choose recruits with connections in the underworld, crime and politics. By preying on the weaknesses of influential and important individuals, the Setites turn them into allies, willing or otherwise. Every Setite thus has one bonus Streetwise Ability Trait and a level of Political, Street or Underworld Influence. The rare Followers who eschew such connections can still gather a modicum of aid from their clanmates, equivalent to the same Traits. The Setite philosophy, though Darwinian, stresses the need for the clan to cooperate in raising Set, so resources are shared (albeit begrudgingly).
Disadvantage: Just as Set was banished from Egypt into the darkness, so too do his followers hide in the shadows and the night. Setites are particularly sensitive to light, especially sunlight. Exposure to sunlight always inflicts an extra health level of damage on Setites. Even bright spotlights, flares or floodlights are uncomfortable, causing the Setite to suffer a one-Trait penalty on all challenges.
Bloodlines: Among the Followers, different philosophies divide the clan into sects that practice disparate methods of serving Set, Most Setites espouse the Path ofTyphon, seeking occult knowledge to raise Set from his age-long sleep. A few work as martial students in Set's army; these "Serpent Warriors" study Potence instead of Obfuscate. Some Ecstatics indulge themselves in the pleasures of debauchery, and a small, heretical splinter sect affiliated more with voudoun than Egyptology, called the Serpents of the Light, claims allegiance with the Sabbat.
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