Nakshadil
Title: Valide Sultan
Background: When eunuchs who guarded the imperial harem wished to be merciful, they would first suffocate or drug the women who were to be thrown in the Bosphorus as punishment for trying to escape. Nakshidil made too many enemies in the harem to receive any kind mercy; as she was sewn into a weighted silken sack and thrown into the cold waters of the strait at sunset, she prayed for a quick death. As the last tendrils of her consciousness faded in the dark waters, she thought she heard voices above.
The next thing Nakshidil recalled was the warmth of heated towels wrapped around her body and the soft yet powerful voice of a woman speaking. “My spies observed what transpired within the walls of the seraglio, and at my bidding they have saved you from a watery grave. You have presence, my childe; you have grace, wits and talent. But you lack subtlety. This I can teach you. I can show you power you never dreamed possible if you will stay with me, if you will pay the price of never seeing the sun again, if you will be my childe for eternity.”
Nakshidil agreed and thus became the pupil and companion of Vashtai for the next three centuries. She learned about her sire’s vast network of spies, her contacts with the Nosferatu and European Ventrue, the threads of power she manipulated in the mortal world and her sway over Prince Mustafa.
Later, Vashtai died at the hands of the Followers of Set near the end of World War I, and Nakshidil easily moved into the position of power held by her sire. Valued by the ineffectual puppet Prince Mustafa for her wisdom and loyalty, not mention her obvious beauty, she secretly rose to become his most trusted advisor.
For over two hundred years Istanbul knew relative peace beneath the benevolent if stagnant rule of Prince Mustafa and the Valide Sultan Nakshidil.
Current Events: Nakshadil has been missing since the Assamites took Istanbul. Her current status is unknown.
Image: Nakshadil is an beautiful woman, even by Toreador standards. She is a petite of form; her thick, honey colored hair hangs down to her slender waist, and her skin is fair and soft. Nakshidil’s large brown eyes are perhaps her best feature; those who gaze into them feel as if they are drowning in delight. She dresses in very traditional garments while at court: baggy trousers, silk blouses and brocade overcoats. At her haven, however, she wears very modern eveningwear and imported business attire.
Personality: In manner, you are the model of a gentle Turkish lady of long ago. You speak with a cultured tone, yet are always deferential to those more powerful than yourself. You take care to make sure everyone enjoys themselves at your fetes. What not even your most trusted servants know, however, is that your air of civility hides great ambition and the desire to be in charge. In your mortal life, you were nearly drowned because you lost the upper hand; that will never happen again.
