Editing WS:Orders (section)

==The Hand of Loki==

'''Also known as''': The Hand, Loki's Servants, Loki's Priests, The Demon's Jokers, Order's Enemies

'''Symbol''': A hand with a spiral

Created by Loki partly as a response to Odin's creation of the Inquisition, the Hand are both feared and hated by the Inquisition, and often by the general populace-though some do respect the Hand and understand the role they play in the wider scheme of things.

Members of the Hand are actually Priests of Loki. They talk to the god himself and administer his ceremonies, though often surreptitiously, given the eagerness of Odin's Hand to wipe out those they consider 'demons on earth'. While the names of the more famous members are often known among the populace, many members keep their identities well hidden, sometimes even from other members of the Hand. Safety is, after all, in anonymity. However, this does not mean members of the Hand do not trust each other. When required to work together for the sake of Loki, they do as willingly and as fervently as any Priest of Odin would for his god. Moreover, the Hand are a family unto themselves, always prepared to help out a member in trouble.

The Priests of the Hand walk as part of the general population. Their power lies in the fact that no-one really knows who they are. They are the famous, the nobodies, the rich, the poor, the masters, the servants. Anyone could be a member-and they often are. Famously, Count Otho of Irolo, a rich, respected man and personal friend of the great, was, after his death some 100 years ago, discovered to be a member. No-one had suspected. This of course led to a number of intense trials by the Inquisition, leading to much angst and confusion among the mighty-which was exactly why the Hand had leaked the information about their famous member in the first place.

The Priests of Loki have many missions and aims, from counteracting the spread of order, to promoting anarchy to simply getting people to take life a little less seriously. Their acts range from light-hearted, harmless jokes to vicious assaults on order and law-often by the same member. Their moods are as changeable as those of their god, but their purpose is always clear-at least to themselves.

No-one is entirely certain how one becomes a member of the Hand. What is known for certain is that the Hand do not have open training schools or monasteries, as many religious orders do. It is thought that members join by invitation. A member of the Hand sees a potential recruit and recruits them. It is as simple as that. There are rumours that a member who recruits another takes on the role of mentor and master, teaching them of the ways of Loki and the Hand for as long as they need such training and until have proven themselves to be trustworthy. Though these are mere rumours, as every member is effectively a Priest of Loki, they could well be true.

Though the Hand are generally considered 'evil', a more enlightened view recognises them as a vital segment of universal strength. The philosophy of the Hand is as follows: chaos is as important as order; harmony between them ensures the universe keeps moving. Too much of one gums up the works, and everything stops. While chaos can bring destruction, it also supplies the chance for growth and rebirth; while order brings safety and calm, permanent order brings only stultification. So the Hand consider their more noble purpose as trying to keep balance in the universe. Thus, in many respects, they could be considered 'good'-or, at the very least, neutral. Indeed, it is known that, should order fail and the world turn to total chaos, many of the Hand would immediately set out to bring order to the world. After all, in a world of pure chaos, the only way to truly rebel is to champion law.

A few current famous members of the Hand abroad in the world include:

* '''Ethelred the Anarchic''', a vicious warrior extraordinaire, responsible for turning the tide against numerous 'certain outcome' battles.
* '''Yvonne the Prankster''', a woman known for her odd sense of humour and willingness to inflict it on others-the Priests of Bornhold now know better than to go to the lavatory at night without a light source.
* '''Elgan, Master of the Gloom''', the most daring thief in the world; said to have stolen the Eyepatch of Odin from his greatest temple-something denied hotly by the Inquisition.
* '''Varin, the Serpent of Loki''', an honourable though ruthless spy, thief and assassin; known for his ability to get into seemingly inaccessible places-much to the regret of many.
* '''Ceolwulf the Manic''', an assassin, joker and foolhard, known for his love of wine, women and song; the Harem of Rufus the Mighty still sigh over him.
* '''Herogar, Loki's Eye''', a man who people believe can be everywhere and anywhere, often at the same time; possibly the leader of the Hand, if there is such a man.

Whilst the famous members of the Hand are anonymous in identity outside their activities, they are known to leave calling cards, or symbols scratched/drawn or arranged at the scenes of their "crimes" as a form of identification. Possibly as a way of keeping score between each other. Ethelred always leaves a gutted corpse, whose intestines are arranged to form his name. Yvonne leaves sprigs of parsely in the ears of someone sleeping nearby. Elgan replaces stolen items with glue covered fakes, sometimes filled with itching powder. Varin leaves cards depicting a serpent entwined about a hand. Ceolwulf, a particularly fine wine of an unusual colour and a blue rose. Herogar, a lapse in memory - "witnesses" to an act of Herogar, if there are any, if he has actually done any, all seem to be missing memories of the same period of time.