#baali

Slowly getting back into drawing. I've been doing studies from a plaster cast head, and for character practice I chose Hampsicora.

You know Carthage, right? I thought it would be pretty ironic to make a Baali from there and send him to Rome 👍

A short introduction: he is a priest of Ishtar/Astarte who believes in maintaining balance in the world through destruction and rebirth. Existing somewhere on the boundary between masculine and feminine, he sings well, performs elegant occult dances, and hunts demons. His goal is to keep them locked away where they belong, so they cannot disrupt the balance of the world with their destructive entropy that brings no renewal.

Within the same concept, and considering the Baali curse, there is another layer of irony: this deeply religious Cainite can no longer be near sacred religious objects. As a result, he has come to believe that the Goddess has abandoned him.

Why?

Because of the nature of his cult. As the embodiment of rebirth from the masculine aspect (Melqart), which must die, into the feminine aspect (Astarte), he was meant to undergo a ceremonial death as a sacrifice.

Then the Baali became involved. Their Embrace is very specific: they throw their drained childer into the bottom of a well and leave only a single heart filled with their sire's vitae among countless corpses. The choice is simple — either die or be reborn as a Cainite.

He was prepared to let go of his life and simply remain there without touching the heart. But in the end, he was afraid of death and chose Cainite existence instead.

To him, this feels like blasphemy. Rebirth was never meant for him, and now he believes he has angered the Goddess

He sincerely hopes she will forgive him once he fulfills his duty and locks every demon away forever.