The following at organization
that you may love or hate be be indifferent toward (or completely
ignorant of, for that matter). Some are secret, some are public as
hell. If you would like to be
a member of any of these groups let me know. Also note that most of
these groups require active membership and you may be required, for the
purposes of the game, to leave active membership in many of them to
really participate in the plot.
Each group can be purchased as a skill once you have membership.
These skills do 2 things. The first is that they
provide you with a skill to roll that covers the general concepts of
the group and some of hte more common tasks. The second is
that certain levels provide you with abilities that you did not have
before. Click on any group to be taken to a page where teh
skill and abilities are outlines.
Knights of the Crown: These are the landed
Knights of Samia. They were eighty strong before the war and now their
numbers have fallen to around forty five. The order is like a
brotherhood (though some would say fraternity). The knights have a
gathering in Samia every year and any knight who can make it is
expected to make it (though they understand how difficult travel is for
some). Knights are granted land, title, and a squire to keep up their
weapons, armor, horses, and other personal effects.
The Keepers of the Tradition: The city of
Banion Brock had held a strong law against magic since it's founding.
No magic may occur within the walls and some say that magic of most
sorts is not possible within the walls. The Keepers exist to ensure
that this law is enforced. An elite guard, they are taught to wield as
many weapons as they can hold as quickly as possible. The more often
you hit a mage the less likely he is to speak the words of a deadly
spell. Since Banion Brock was given a mandate preventing them from
amassing arms or a guard after the War of Flames the Keepers have
been the only group that keeps Banion Brock safe, and despite their
small numbers (13 or so) this has proved less of a problem than anyone
ever thought.
Incarnates: The Druid's Druid, these beings
are a breed apart, literally. One does not become an Incarnate (though
they probably think they do) one is either born an incarnate or not.
They are tied more closely than any other creatures to the cycle of
life, death, and rebirth (in fact some are found in service to meiros),
but an incarnate is truly expressed by the path of the druid or a
similar nature based path. Eventually incarnates learn to channel the
druidic path of shapechanging into the ability to revisit the forms of
their past lives. Each Incarnate eventually gains the ability to become
a Tectan and discovers their true connection to time before time. The
Incarnates are the self appointed keepers of truth and historical fast,
something they record mystically for all time.
Brotherhood of the Whip: When Eric Bayle
founded this group he probably never thought it would become what it
was. And what it was was something like a cross between a thieves guild
and the musketeers for the nation of Pedrinni. Officially the
brotherhood are outlaws who are wanted by the law. Unofficially, they
are the protectors of the crown and the people and the sworn enemies of
the Children of Kel. Five years ago the brotherhood was all but whipped
out at the hands of the Children, but Bayle lived and eventually
avenged the act and rebuilt the brotherhood. These expert lashers fight
with whips and live the swashbuckler lifestyle with relish.
Blade Priests: The Emperess of the Vaasa has
no time for those
who are inefficient. Her personal guards are known as blade
priests. they dedicate their lives to becoming one with their
sword and are am ong the deadliest swordsmen alive. They
spend a
lot of time in meditation and training - even learning to become a
blade priest is deadly and those who survive the training are the ones
who go on to priesthood. The most common way to leave the
training program is due to death in a duel.
Order of the Frozen Light: This order of monks
originated, it is said, in the vast Jungles across the Kinnua Ocean,
but now it sits just outside Red Fern, on top of what it considers to
be holy ground. The monks teach combat and meditation as well as the
art of lightness: that is they teach that the limitations of the body
are mental in nature and that with proper meditation and understanding
one can learn to be lighter than air. This sort of
Kung Fu action may not be right for all games, but it can certainly be
made to work.
The Family: Most families are not
powerful psychics, but
this one is. Nobody is sure why, but this family (and that
term
is used loosely, because they have interpred with almost every race
they've come across so far) is just that.
The Blood: The blood are very powerful and
while I don't think they are normally viable as PC's in a mixed game I
might consider it. The Blood are an innately magical group of elite
nobles from Vatica. they rule the nation and are each treated like mini
gods by their citizens. They are favored by the Empress and the ruling
ministers. Each member of the blood has the ability to use their magic
to augment themselves and to lash out at enemies with mystic fire. They
are highly respected and they expect it from others everywhere they go.
Shel Rishad: Shel Rishad is a treant phrase.
it means "Don't Hide in the Woods". The Shel Rishad are the true
masters of the Creeping Wood. While the Druids live with and in the
woods the Shel Rishad are clearly it's masters. they are rangers,
trackers, archers, and vigilant guards of the woods. Most of their
territory lies on the east side of the Creeping Woods due to their
strong ties to the city of D'Mirin. Each member of the Shel Rishad is
given a special item upon joining that another member can use to
identify them, such as a grey cloak that resembles a specific kind of
moss found in the east of the Creeping Woods or boots decorated with a
type on vine that grows near satyr glades in thew woods. The Shel
Rishad is broken into three branches: trackers, archers, and woodland
warriors. They are always recruiting and while the rites of initiation
are difficult they are not impossible if you are clever enough.
Peacemakers: The Church of Jebedah is peaceful
at it's core, but they understand that sometimes violence happens and
they seek to stop it. Peacemakers are a branch of the Jebedan church
dedicated to disabling people who are needlessly violent and pacifying
crowds. They pacify and disperse, according to them. They
have gifts
and training that allows them to deal enormous amounts of nonlethal
damage and to control the emotions of large numbers of people to ensure
that they remain calm in the face of danger.
The Immortals: This is a very uncomplicated
group. To gain access you must be immortal in some way. Very few people
are, but if you would like to join we can talk about it. The benefits
are few as are the responsibilities. They only ask that occasionally
you consider the long term plans and fortunes of other members before
acting on a large scale. They offer the same courtesy. It is
largely a
social network of people who may or may not like one another.
Sniffers: The Sniffers work for the Minister
of Information of Vatica. they "sniff out" magic using elves,
worshipers of banned religions, rebels, and other enemies of the state.
Most of these are never seen or heard from again. Almost nobody has
ever seen the Minister of Information (historically traditional) and
few hope to. Sniffers can be seen m ore readily, but they are rarely
understood to be what they are until they descend upon you. they are
assassins, infiltrators, and detectives and they are very good at what
they do. This is not really appropriate for a PC, but a former-sniffer
could be a fun concept. A deep cover agent or a sleeper agent could
also be possible.
The Guild: Known only as the Guild and based
out of the Great Desert (but with access to almost anywhere) this group
of Assassins are clearly among the most dangerous men and women on the
planet. They are clever, cunning, patient, and well funded and
informed. If one is willing to spend the money, the Guild guarantees
that your subject will die or they will offer you the heads of the
failed assassins. The Guild reserves the right to turn down and bounty
and they cannot be threatened or intimidated. Membership is hard to
acquire, but once won it is permanent (that is, nobody ever leaves the
guild alive for long). this might be tricky to play as a PC, but not
impossible, hence the inclusion.
The Royal Guard of Samia: Samia is ruled by the
Whitefire line. The King is the
hereditary ruler and the guard, therefore, are his. The guard are
dangerous and protective and they have one job: to live and die for the
royal line. They protect, serve, and do whatever else the Queen asks of
them. Appointment to this exclusive group is for life and there are
only ever seven of them at a time. Candidates for the guard are usually
taken from orphanages and trained for years until they can replace
someone in the guard. There are three such replacements ready at any
given moment. The Guard are specially trained to repel assassins and
other would be attackers of the royal family.
Children of Kel: The Children of Kel are
sorcerers from the Skull Swamp of Pedrinni. These worshippers of the
swamp god, Kel are universally hunted and outlawed due to their
religiously inspired practices of defiling andabusing the bodied of the
living, which they feel are a distraction from the divine.
They
perform these same acts on their own bodied, so the Children of Kel are
easy to spot.
Whitefires: these powerful sorcerers are the
leaders of Samia. The level of their power is immense and this, as well
as the boundless resources at their disposal, make them largely
unplayable, but they are fascinating and interesting.