Landsoftheblacksea:Main page/organizations

From RPGnet
Revision as of 10:45, 10 July 2021 by BlackSeaDM (talk | contribs) (Fenwalkers)
Jump to: navigation, search

<< Back to Main Page

Magical Schools, Colleges, & Orders

Order of the White Staff

An organization of mages that operate on the Athernian peninsula and the Northern countries. Led by by Archmage of B'Narj, of late they primarily seem to act to oppose the actions of the Cabal of the Seven Rings, but their overarching purpose and objectives are mysterious.

Cabal of the Seven Rings

An association of mages that purportedly are sworn to uphold and defend the Amir-al-Emir of the Jhonian Empire, but rumors are that the Cabal is older than the Empire is. What its aims and objectives are are unknown. What is known is that the Cabal is opposed by the Order of the White Staff, and that the two organizations work at cross purposes to each other.

Guilds & Associations

Fenwalkers

Fenwalkers Symbol

The Fenwalkers are a group of Rangers sworn to patrolling the Dire Fens, keeping track of the various fell creatures that dwell within, ensuring that the neighboring lands are informed of any potential raids or excursions by these monsters, etc. etc. The Fenwalkers also form search and rescue parties for anyone lost within the Fens, although they do tend to charge expenses for such activities. The Fenwalkers are highly respected by the citizenry of Athervon, and particularly within the City of Avis Armois – even the criminal elements – as their information and bravery have saved the surrounding lands many a time from surprise attacks, and the city at least once from an all-out assault.

Criminal Organizations

The Five Points Brotherhood

Five Points Brotherhood

A huge criminal that has bases over nearly the entire Kingdom of Athervon (supposedly). Based out of Avis Inia, The Brotherhood has significant control over illegal traffic flowing on the land route between Avis Inia and Tras Veniri, as well as a heavy hand in distribution to points beyond inside of Athervon. While primarily interested in graft, theft, fencing, and other crimes to commerce, The Brotherhood has enough enforcers and hired muscle to deal violently with any problems that present themselves.

The Mark of the Wolf

A regional syndicate run out of Avis Armois.

The Black Hand

Tras Veniri is also the home of one of the most powerful and notorious Thieves Guild in the Lands, Il Salcci Fano (Ven., “The Black Hand”). Operatives and guildhouses of Il Salcci Fano can be found from The Wild Coast to Athervon, in Oisland and as far away as Iruzhin. While rival guilds do exist (there is usually one strong contender in each country), the Black Hand is always a force to contend with where it operates. The Black Hand has a longstanding love-hate relationship with the Council of the Great Houses; for while the members would, in principal, like nothing more than to banish thieves from Veniri altogether, there is not one member of the Council that did not have need of the services of a member of Il Salcci Fano prior to their election to the Council. Thus, the Black Hand endures, keeping their activities out of the limelight, playing one council member off of the others, and offering up the occasional guild member when circumstances force them to do so (usually, they are offered up dead, to avoid any messy trial testimonies).

Holy Orders

Order of the White Rose

Annau du Rose Blanc

Paladins (LG) All-Male Order, Holy Weapon is Longsword & Shield; white surcoats with insignia of sword as flowering cross.

Order of Saint Allyson

Annau du Haix Allyson

Paladins (LG) All-Female Order, Holy Weapon is Spear & Shield; white surcoats with insignia of crossed spears behind flowering cross.

Order of the Heart of God

Annau du Cur de Il’Matio

Paladins (LG) both sexes, mounted knights, wear full-plate ornamented armor, holy weapon is lance, horseman’s mace & shield; blue surcoats, emblem is flowering cross within a heart.

Order of Saint Bernard

Annau du Haix Bernard

Monastic Order. Keep monasteries throughout the Lands, where they preserve all forms of written knowledge and lore.

Order of St. Yvonne the Silent

Annau du Haix Yvvone de Mumere

Monastic Order (LG)

Wayward Daughters

Champions (CG) All-Female order, Holy Weapon is Spear & Shield; no uniform or insignia.

“Dogma and religious laws have no divinity, they are earthly tools to maintain power over others. Listen to them not. Let your conscience be your only guide.” – Mother Clarissa Ward

The order was founded several decades ago by Clarissa Ward, a Senior Sister within the divine Order of St. Allyson. During her time in the Order, she was a radical reformer. She protested against displays of wealth and power by the Church, arguing that the Church should be humble. Instead of building cathedrals, the wealth of the Church should be used to help those in need. She also protested against dogma and religious law, stating that every person had a personal relationship to the divine, and that the Church was in no position to dictate or monopolize that relationship, and conscience should never be replaced by dogma. In particular, she felt the prohibition against women entering the priesthood was a grave offense to the written word of Il Matio.

Her opinions were not well received by the Church hierarchy, who gave her several warnings. Nevertheless, she persisted; finally, after an incident where she flattened a member of the priesthood after learning of what he had asked a young girl to do in order to receive absolution, she was expelled from the Order.

If the Church thought that expelling Ward would silence her, they were wrong. A soldier as opposed to a preacher, she continued her mission in the streets, especially in the poorer districts. Her message of freedom and responsibility soon gathered a following – an exclusively female following, for she had some things to say about the rule of men that alienated most menfolk. Some of the followers took her message to heart, and soon Senior Sister Ward found herself Mother Ward, with a number of would-be disciples asking for instruction. Ward and her followers became famous (or infamous, depending on the story-teller) in the North of Athervon. None other than Archbishop Médard Massé of Aven Ilepeu -- the fanatical priest that had made Northwestern Athervon a land of fear and repression -- gave a fiery sermon denouncing “Mother Ward and her Wayward Daughters.” Mother Ward thought the name had a ring to it and fit the group and its mission; and thus The Wayward Daughters were born.

Although Mother Ward has passed on, her Daughters are still around. They are few in number, and all female, for as Mother Ward taught: “Men will always seek to dominate every group they become a part of.” The Daughters themselves have no official hierarchy, just a sort of pecking order based on fame and wisdom. More accomplished and experienced daughters are shown respect by the younger ones. They have no keeps, churches or other buildings. On the rare occasion a number of them gather, they gather in a tavern or the house of some member or supporter. Generally, they act alone, bringing the message of Mother Ward to those who would hear it, especially in places the Church does not visit. And the Waywards do not evangelize or give sermons. They bring their message by deed and example. As Mother Ward taught, those in need should be helped, and Waywards live by that teaching.

The Church has occasionally attempted to crack down on Waywards as heretics and blasphemers, but this has tended to end up in embarrassment. The Waywards are dispersed, have no bases of operation, and carry no symbols of their membership – they have proved exceedingly difficult to find when forces are dispatched to do so. On the few occasions that those dispatched did find them, the fact that they are very much a martial order was quickly made clear. They are few, and their mission often brings them to dangerous areas or situations, so the Waywards would never recruit a person who could not take care of herself. Every new recruit is apprenticed to an older Daughter, a relationship that the Waywards refer to as Aunt and Niece. The Aunt teaches her Niece the necessary skills, including fighting skills, and when she is deemed ready to become a full member of the order, the Waywards pool their resources to arm and equip her. Wayward Daughters will not shy from violence. They will defend themselves and others – though violence against other of good alignment is only a last resort, and only in direct defense of themselves or others of good alignment.

Although the relationship between the Church and Waywards is frosty, the Waywards do not seek to bring down the Church. That would be against Mother Ward’s teachings. Just as the Waywards are free to reject the dogma of the Church, others are free to accept it. And unofficially, some people within the Church hierarchy do maintain a relationship with some Waywards. When there is a problem within the congregation that the Church hierarchy can’t or won’t help with, they know that the Wayward Daughters are the ones to turn to.