Updated: 16 August 1998

Bal-Noure
The Eyes of the Vulture

                    This Bloodline is as old as the Ouro-Sen. Nekhbet was the twin sister of Wadjet, and shared most of her sister's philosophy. Still, she was less inclined to engage physical fight and more contemplative than her sister. Nekhbet knew Set took his power from the Desert, and pondered at the implications. She was awed by the desert birds of prey, who could feed when others starved and who saw better than everyone else. And they could fly...

Nekhbet then took the vulture as her symbol, and used the power of her Blood to create the Nouris Discipline. Soon after, she joined her sister in her mission to protect Egypt and Pharao. Soon, the Uræus and the Vulture appeared in the royal crowns as the protectors of royalty.

                    Unlike the Ouro-Sen, the Bal-Noure are more balanced, as 4 women can be found among 10 Bal-Noure. As most of the males are chosen within the army, they tend to be dark skined (at least, because of the sun) and muscled. The females tend to come from more pacifist milieu, like the priesthood. While the Ouro-Sen traditionnaly produce infiltrator spies, the Bal-Noure can find among their numbers the best scouts of Egyptian armies, spying the enemy army movement from the night skies.

While the females tend to wear vulture or falcon headresses, the males tend to show their Bloodline allegiance by wearing hawk-like collars.

                    The Bal-Noure have no real need for Haven when in the desert, as they soon have the power to merge with the desert sands. Still, they tend to make their haven within military fortresses of the southern egypt. As they have no real priesthood dedicated to Nekhbet, they tend to have no temple but chambers within Pharao's own temples.

                    The females are, from the most, coming from the priesthood. The others were chosen for their sight, their intelligence and cunning, as well as their dedication to Pharao.

Most males were soldiers, or more probably scouts when alive.

                    Mental Attributes, as well as skills, tend to be primary.

                    Obfuscate, Presence and Nouris.

                    Like the other Childer of Set, the Ouro-Sen tend to have an eerie presence that increase the difficulty to Social Rolls by 2.

                    Similar to the Ouro-Sen, Nekhbet has the final say to the affectation of the Bal-Noure, which is considered as one of the armies of Pharao. Half of them are assigned as scouts in the southern armies, while the other half are either bodyguards or scouts in other lands.

Prestige is won by being a scout, or creating military tactics, as well as winning Senet games (similar to chess) as well as other strategy games.

Bast-Hemet: The Bast-Hemet are less interested in the active defense of Egypt, but their wits balance their tastes for superficial pleasures.

Hat-Maat: They are our philosophers. They are the heart of our Clan.

Hekau-Nebet: Their magic is powerful, and by merging magic and bronze, our armies could be invincible. We have yet to make them get out of their pyramids...

Meryt-Pneter: Well... They have their uses... Don't ask me what uses...

Ouro-Sen: They are our twins.

Khui-Amon: They hide something.

Anoup: They protect the people of Pharao as well as we do, and they are sons of the Deserts, as we are. We have much in common.

Msoh-Sobek: Despite the apparent differences we have a lot in common. Too bad they can't keep their promises.

Nerhib Pehrt: The Bubastis are to be trusted to protect their own people, and thus, the people of Egypt behind their borders, but I wonder if they would come should the Higher Egypt be invaded by Nubians.

Hon-Aton: They are Priests and Magicians, more interested in the people than in court intrigues. We can trust them.

Isis-Tiaou: We would like to trust them, but despite our tries, they continue to avoid us. What do they hide?

Shemsu-Heru: They are, as the Hekau-Nebet, the Hon-Aton and the Isis-Tiaou, magicians. Somehow, they found the way to come back from the dead. The problem is that they are influenced by Horus, who, I believe, who do anything, including sacrifying Egypt, to avenge himself.

Clan: What we think of this Clan?

                    The Bal-Noure will be weakened in the New Empire, as the Khui-Amon leading the conquest of the Delta sacrified them to weaken their hold over Higher Egypt. They won't recover enough, and will be easily wiped out in the Great Purge. The few who will survive will be destroyed at the hand of Horus forces because of their tie with Set (They are the Bloodline of the Desert, and Set was said to be God of the Desert... It appears it was enough to be their death sentence...)

Nekhbet is said to have survived, through no one ever saw her again.

                    You're blind to the Desert's Beauty and Power... We do not need to move to attack the enemy... Let them feel the wrath of Set and of the Bal-Noure...

                    While less powerful than the Ouro-Sen, the Bal-Noure will keep its power until the Hyksos invasion. Then their numbers and power will decrease with the battle of Cretia, the Setite Purge. The forces of Horus will destroy the last of the Bloodline.

                    There is no real Priesthood of the Vulture or Nekhbet. Still a small priesthood honor them in the city of Nekheb.

                    Like the Ouro-Sen, they will join at each crowning of a new Pharao. When they meet, they like to challenge each other in the Senet games, or in flight competitions.

The Embrace of a new Bal-Noure is difficult indeed, as they are entombed in the desert, and as they must reach the closest city, temple or fortress alone in the desert. Should they survive, they will be introduced into the clan. Should they fail, they will probably enter Torpor, and their body will burn in the sunlight if unprotected, or be mummified if under the sands. Anyway, most of them are unable to move should they awaken without enough blood to re-hydrate their bodies.

                    The Bal-Noure don't trust the Khui-Amon, and search actively for proofs of treason.

Nekhbet; 4th Generation.

Horoun; ?th Generation.
Sopdu; ?th Generation.
?; ?th Generation.

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