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Maharet and Mekare were twin sisters, from a Palestinian tribe who lived during the Egyptian reign of Akasha and Enkil, 6,000 years ago. They also had special powers - they were witches who could control the rainfall and had a very strong link with the spirits, particularly a dangerous spirit called Amel. Their religion required them to consume their dead mother's brain and heart in a cannibalistic ceremony but Akasha and Enkil's soldiers intercepted before they could fulfil their task.
They were forcefully taken to Akasha and Enkil's court, where Akasha questioned them about their powers and beliefs. Akasha ordered her court steward, Khayman, to rape them to see how the spirits would react - which infuriated them. Then they were freed. As a result of her sexual attack, Maharet became pregnant and give birth to a daughter, Miriam.
The soldiers came again, led by Khayman, telling them of a terrible curse which had befallen the Egyptian King and Queen.
The angry spirit of Amel had tormented Khayman's household and Enkil and Akasha had decided to confront him and question him. They locked themselves in Khayman's house for two days and nights surrounded by the poltergeist activity Amel was causing. Conspirators, (the old families, the flesh-eaters, who Akasha disapproved of) had broken into the house and stabbed Akasha and Enkil to the point of death. At this point, Amel, who hungered for blood, entered Akasha through her bloody wounds and his spirit consumed her body, allowing her to live. But she was tranformed into a creature who required blood to survive and who could not exist in daylight (I'm not sure what the reason for that is - anyone?). She immediately gave Enkil her new supernatural blood and he was transformed too. They had became the first ever vampires.
The twins were brought to the bedchamber of the royal couple at night and were shocked with their captors' new monstrous appearance. Akasha demanded to know what the spirit had done to them - why did they feed on three to four men at night yet they were still tortured by thirst? When it was explained that for the spirit to die then they would die too, as a "New Thing" was formed, Akasha and Enkil asked the witches if they were now devine beings, blessed with gifts that only gods share. When Mekare remarked that this new condition would very likely pass to anyone, the phenomena would be duplicated, Akasha was furious. It was at this point where she decided her destiny was now to "learn to cope with the designs of Heaven" and that there was no no need to listen to "those mere mortals who have not such powers as we have".
So the twins were to be punished. Maharet had her eyes taken from her, and Mekare's tongue was torn out. She managed to shout out this final curse to Akasha:
"Let the spirits witness; for theirs is the knowledge of the future - both what it would be, and what I will! You are the Queen of the Damned, that's what you are! But I shall stop you, if I must come back from the dead to do it. At the hour of your greatest menace it is I who will defeat you! It is I who will bring you down. Look well upon my face, for you will see me again!"
At night, before they were to be burned, they were visited by a transformed Khayman, distraught because he was also made into a vampire, unwillingly. He offered the new Dark Gift to them both, for their survival and so they could get their revenge on Akasha and Enkil. Mekare took his blood first and then she gave hers to her sister. That night Khayman hekped them escape. During this time, Maharet learned that she could steal the eyes from her victims to see. Khayman was so angry that he gave his power to anyone who wanted it. He was trying to build an army of worthy enemies against the King and Queen.
They were gone for only two weeks when they were recaptured. Khayman escaped, but as the King and Queen feared that by destroying the twins' bodies, they would feel the same pain, they ordered that they be separated. Maharet's new eyes were again ripped from her sockets and she and her sister were sealed in separate stone coffins which were placed on rafts; one set adrift Eastward and the other Westward. Maharet eventually escaped her stone prison when she came ashore on the Eastern coast of Lower Africa. From there on she began her endless search for her mute vampire twin, Mekare.
For six millennia, Maharet endured her vampire existence without the need to go into the ground or go mad. She instead kept a watchful eye on her descendants from her daughter Miriam till Jesse. Maharet's long-time companion was Mael, and some time - it is not clear when - she made Eric a vampire.
She concealed her vampire identity from Jesse but continued to support her financially and guide her through school. Jesse, through her studies of Lestat's past, soon realised that her Aunt Maharet and Mael were vampires too.
After The Vampire Lestat concert, when Jesse was mortally wounded, Maharet made her into a vampire.
When Marius sent out warnings that Akasha was loose, in 1985, a lot of vampires were destroyed. The surviving ones gathered at Maharet's house. She explained the story of the twins and her prediction was that the dream was coming from her sister Mekare and it was a warning to Akasha: she was coming to fulfill her curse.
Akasha later appeared with Lestat, telling the vampires in Maharet's house of her plan to rule the world with Lestat as her prince, to have them as her angels and to create world peace by slaughtering 95% of earth's male population. Of course, everyone found this idea ludicrous and pleaded with her to reconsider or wait. The argument continued throughout the night, and Akasha was becoming very angry.
Soon, the vampires from The First Brood heard distinct footfalls coming nearer, glass was being smashed and someone was ascending the stairs. Akasha stood up, frightened - her confidence was gone due to the lack off support from the vampires. Khayman and Maharet knew who is was. Suddenly, at the door, appeared a filthy creature - a woman, modestly dressed in sack material, caked in mud, green wild eyes glaring at Akasha.
Maharet shouted her name: "Mekare!"
Mekare, crazed by her thousands of years of searching endlessly and digging herself from the ground had found the woman she had cursed all those years ago. She didn't even see Maharet and merely pushed her aside when her sister tried to grab her. She was entirely focused on acting out her revenge on Akasha.
She was a vampire with equal strength to Akasha. Her filthy hands pushed Akasha through a pane of glass causing the falling shards to decapitate her. Almost as soon as this happened, the younger vampires felt life ebbing away from them - Akasha was their lifeforce after all.
Mekare and Maharet knew what to do. They removed Akasha's heart and brain and Mekare ate both, consuming the spirit of Amel.
Mekare was the new 'Queen of the Damned' and she had saved the remaining vampires from death. And she had fulfilled her curse.
They were forcefully taken to Akasha and Enkil's court, where Akasha questioned them about their powers and beliefs. Akasha ordered her court steward, Khayman, to rape them to see how the spirits would react - which infuriated them. Then they were freed. As a result of her sexual attack, Maharet became pregnant and give birth to a daughter, Miriam.
The soldiers came again, led by Khayman, telling them of a terrible curse which had befallen the Egyptian King and Queen.
The angry spirit of Amel had tormented Khayman's household and Enkil and Akasha had decided to confront him and question him. They locked themselves in Khayman's house for two days and nights surrounded by the poltergeist activity Amel was causing. Conspirators, (the old families, the flesh-eaters, who Akasha disapproved of) had broken into the house and stabbed Akasha and Enkil to the point of death. At this point, Amel, who hungered for blood, entered Akasha through her bloody wounds and his spirit consumed her body, allowing her to live. But she was tranformed into a creature who required blood to survive and who could not exist in daylight (I'm not sure what the reason for that is - anyone?). She immediately gave Enkil her new supernatural blood and he was transformed too. They had became the first ever vampires.
The twins were brought to the bedchamber of the royal couple at night and were shocked with their captors' new monstrous appearance. Akasha demanded to know what the spirit had done to them - why did they feed on three to four men at night yet they were still tortured by thirst? When it was explained that for the spirit to die then they would die too, as a "New Thing" was formed, Akasha and Enkil asked the witches if they were now devine beings, blessed with gifts that only gods share. When Mekare remarked that this new condition would very likely pass to anyone, the phenomena would be duplicated, Akasha was furious. It was at this point where she decided her destiny was now to "learn to cope with the designs of Heaven" and that there was no no need to listen to "those mere mortals who have not such powers as we have".
So the twins were to be punished. Maharet had her eyes taken from her, and Mekare's tongue was torn out. She managed to shout out this final curse to Akasha:
"Let the spirits witness; for theirs is the knowledge of the future - both what it would be, and what I will! You are the Queen of the Damned, that's what you are! But I shall stop you, if I must come back from the dead to do it. At the hour of your greatest menace it is I who will defeat you! It is I who will bring you down. Look well upon my face, for you will see me again!"
At night, before they were to be burned, they were visited by a transformed Khayman, distraught because he was also made into a vampire, unwillingly. He offered the new Dark Gift to them both, for their survival and so they could get their revenge on Akasha and Enkil. Mekare took his blood first and then she gave hers to her sister. That night Khayman hekped them escape. During this time, Maharet learned that she could steal the eyes from her victims to see. Khayman was so angry that he gave his power to anyone who wanted it. He was trying to build an army of worthy enemies against the King and Queen.
They were gone for only two weeks when they were recaptured. Khayman escaped, but as the King and Queen feared that by destroying the twins' bodies, they would feel the same pain, they ordered that they be separated. Maharet's new eyes were again ripped from her sockets and she and her sister were sealed in separate stone coffins which were placed on rafts; one set adrift Eastward and the other Westward. Maharet eventually escaped her stone prison when she came ashore on the Eastern coast of Lower Africa. From there on she began her endless search for her mute vampire twin, Mekare.
For six millennia, Maharet endured her vampire existence without the need to go into the ground or go mad. She instead kept a watchful eye on her descendants from her daughter Miriam till Jesse. Maharet's long-time companion was Mael, and some time - it is not clear when - she made Eric a vampire.
She concealed her vampire identity from Jesse but continued to support her financially and guide her through school. Jesse, through her studies of Lestat's past, soon realised that her Aunt Maharet and Mael were vampires too.
After The Vampire Lestat concert, when Jesse was mortally wounded, Maharet made her into a vampire.
When Marius sent out warnings that Akasha was loose, in 1985, a lot of vampires were destroyed. The surviving ones gathered at Maharet's house. She explained the story of the twins and her prediction was that the dream was coming from her sister Mekare and it was a warning to Akasha: she was coming to fulfill her curse.
Akasha later appeared with Lestat, telling the vampires in Maharet's house of her plan to rule the world with Lestat as her prince, to have them as her angels and to create world peace by slaughtering 95% of earth's male population. Of course, everyone found this idea ludicrous and pleaded with her to reconsider or wait. The argument continued throughout the night, and Akasha was becoming very angry.
Soon, the vampires from The First Brood heard distinct footfalls coming nearer, glass was being smashed and someone was ascending the stairs. Akasha stood up, frightened - her confidence was gone due to the lack off support from the vampires. Khayman and Maharet knew who is was. Suddenly, at the door, appeared a filthy creature - a woman, modestly dressed in sack material, caked in mud, green wild eyes glaring at Akasha.
Maharet shouted her name: "Mekare!"
Mekare, crazed by her thousands of years of searching endlessly and digging herself from the ground had found the woman she had cursed all those years ago. She didn't even see Maharet and merely pushed her aside when her sister tried to grab her. She was entirely focused on acting out her revenge on Akasha.
She was a vampire with equal strength to Akasha. Her filthy hands pushed Akasha through a pane of glass causing the falling shards to decapitate her. Almost as soon as this happened, the younger vampires felt life ebbing away from them - Akasha was their lifeforce after all.
Mekare and Maharet knew what to do. They removed Akasha's heart and brain and Mekare ate both, consuming the spirit of Amel.
Mekare was the new 'Queen of the Damned' and she had saved the remaining vampires from death. And she had fulfilled her curse.
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