Editing LeviathanTempest:ChapterFive (section)

==== Status ====

The Marduk Society has two separate status tracks depending on whether a hunter is an idealist or a conspirator. One cannot have status in both. 

=====Idealist=====

Marduk Idealists gain status by showing they are worthy of it. They must show competence at their current position, potential for future roles higher up the ladder. In addition Idealists are expected to conduct themselves with honour, dignity and virtue. These are of course somewhat open to interpretation, some members value big picture thinking and taking the necessary steps. Others believe you should rescue the children, even if it means letting the Leviathan escape. Generally members who find positions where their values are respected rise faster than those who try and win respect by changing their values.

Status O: You’ve gone through the training course and are ready to serve humanity. You may purchase Super Science Endowments, as an additional benefit Leviathan's find it harder to turn you into a Beloved: Deduct your Status in Marduk from the Leviathan's Successes.<br>
Status OOO: The way you carry yourself speaks of your heroic deeds, so long as your Morality is greater than 5 you get +1 to all social roles to encourage or inspire and people trying to blacken your name get a -1. This rises to +2/-2 at Morality 7.<br>
Status OOOOO: You’re an old hand; you’ve faced things blasphemous to reality itself and have the scars to prove it. What hasn’t killed you makes you stronger, refined you to a paragon of humanity. You gain a second Virtue and may regain Willpower from your Virtues twice per chapter.

=====Conspirator=====

Conspirators rise in status in one way: They must deliver the flesh of Leviathans to the Conspiracy. It dosn't matter if you get your entire team killed, if you took the time avoid collateral damage, if you're embezzling from the conspiracy. If you're making a regular tithe of flesh then providing you don't do anything that threatens the conspiracy as a whole, either from forces within or outside the Society, you're going to get promotions. This does mean that vital work unrelated to hunting Leviathans frequently gets overlooked when the time for promotions come, many members rise early in their career then get remain stagnant after getting desk jobs. Many consider this an internal retirement and aim to be promoted into obscurity and a big pay check. 

Status O: You’ve been inducted to the secrets of the Marduk Society and are on the path to true power. You may purchase Super Science Endowments, as an additional benefit Leviathan's find it harder to turn you into a Beloved: Deduct your Status in Marduk from the Leviathan's Successes.<br>
Status OOO: You’ve been entrusted with the hidden coffers and spy networks of Marduk. You gain three dots to be placed into Allies or Resources as you please.<br>
Status OOOOO: One of the disciples has taken you on as a protégée, a rare honour. You gain a five dot Mentor.

===== Sidebar: The Sky Gods =====
How to use the Old Men themselves in your stories? It's probably not a good idea to use the Old Men as the villain of the week. Killing even one would represent a major moment in a war that according to the Tribe's admittedly shoddy records has been ongoing since before recorded history. Even if the Marduk Society isn't actually connected to the man (who might not actually exist) that killed Timat (who might not actually exist) we are still talking about the leaders, perhaps founders or perhaps usurpers, of the Tribe's most constant enemy. They're far bigger than just antagonists for a Cohort of Leviathans.

The first question to answer is why are they getting involved personally? They haven’t done so for the last thousand years. Is there a world shaking event at foot? Have the players joined or even started an all out war between the Tribe and mankind? You can't go far wrong with having the Old Men personally show up to challenge the Sheol 10 Leviathans leading the charge. After all if the very long and very profitable war is going to end they could do a lot worse than visibly picking a side. To try another angle perhaps the Marduk Idealists discovered the Conspirators forcing the Old Men to jump ship. Now have to hunt their own Leviathans. Maybe the players have dedicated themselves to hunting down the Old Men and it's time for the climax. The important thing is to make this feel historic. 

If you decide that the Old Men are Marduk's literal disciples with thousands of years of magical experience then you can do a lot worse than biblically themed magic. Not only does portraying the Old Men with the powers and trappings of a deity provide a nice foil to the Tribe's tendency to set themselves up as gods but also taps into a rich mythological vein: The ancient sky gods fought their monster: Zeus fought Typhon, Jahova defeated Leviathan and yes, Marduk slew Tiamat. Time for a rematch. 

For one final twist you could make them Atolls.