SOCIETY The Society of the dead can, then, be broken down rather succinctly and easily into a few general factions. Understand that these factions are themselves quite diverse, and no general stereotype does any one faction justice. Nevertheless, the following is written to give the reader a brief overview and look at the major factions that can be found within the Underworld. More on these factions may be found in later sections of this class. The Hierarchy The heir of Charon's vision, and legacy of his craft, the Hierarchy (also called the Empire of Stygia or the Dark Kingdom of Iron) embodies all order and organization that all empires have sought to achieve. It has lasted in its present form for over fifteen hundred years, and before that as a republic. While it is true that the recent events of the Sixth Great Maelstrom has disrupted the Hierarchy to a grave extent, it would be misleading to say that the Hierarchy has fallen utterly. Better to say that the Hierarchy has fallen on hard times. It is the Hierarchy that controls, at least in name, most of the Necropoli throughout the shadowlands. Most of the Necropoli still pay lip service to the Hierarchy, despite the recent upheaval. The Hierarchy, for its part, directs most of its efforts towards the rebuilding of the Isle of Sorrows, although the Necropoli of London and New York City have also received much attention. The Hierarchy is composed of eight legions, each embodying one of the eight causes of death. Each legion is further split into two branches: civilian and military. Within each legion are various orders and subgroups as well. The Hierarchy, befits its name, is quite ordered, and there is always a very definite chain of command that may be followed to the top. The top, in this case, consists of the eight deathlords. The eight legions are as follows: The Silent Legion - Those who died of suicide and sorrow The Iron Legion - Those who died of old age or natural causes The Legion of Paupers - Those who do not know the events that led to their demise The Gaunt (or Skeletal) Legion - Those who died of sickness, starvation, plague, or poison The Emerald Legion - Those whose death was by accident, happenstance, or unintentional The Penitent Legion - Those who died as a result of madness, either their own or someone else’s' The Grim Legion - Those who died violently or were murdered The Legion of Fate - Those whom Fate decreed should die The Renegades Although at first there would not seem to be much these days for the various renegade factions to fight about, the truth is that they see that their job has only just begun. The renegades see the Hierarchy slowly rising from its ashes, and they do not share the optimism that their fellow wraiths feel about Stavaston's regime. They see that they have a chance that must be taken to ensure that the mistakes of Charon are not repeated, and they will stop at nothing to see that this happens. Renegades are as fractious and as diversified as they can be. There are literally hundreds of renegade circles, and next to no organization of the renegades, although occasionally mysterious rumors of a Renegade Lord and a Council of Renegades surfaces. The four major kinds of renegades are the Protesters, who despise the system because it is the system, the Idealists, who feel that there must be a better alternative, the Outlaws, who intend to do their own thing no matter what the law is, and the Drop-Outs, who simply got tired of the Hierarchy and decided to go their own way. Obviously, these are broad groups, and an individual may find that he sympathizes with more than one of the factions of renegades. Lately, a number of renegades have found themselves in the midst of the Iron Jade Conflict, and have found themselves forced into deciding which is the lesser of the two evils. Some ally against he Hierarchy as before, but some see in the Jade Empire a nation worse than the Hierarchy. Some sit back to watch the two empires kill each other, while others ally themselves with the Occupied Territories, the Jade Kingdom version of renegades. Heretics The Heretics have lost much over the years, but stand posed to gain much. The rumors of Charon's Transcendence, the upheaval in the Hierarchy, and the return of the Ferrymen all have served to bring the subject of Eternity back in the hearts of wraiths everywhere. The recent quest for spirituality in the Skinlands has further fueled the ideals of the dead. Transcendence awaits, and only the strictures of this reality stand in the way. Like the renegades, there are endless variety of heretics. Some are good, some are selfish, and some are downright evil. Some want little more than a far shore to call their own, and others want nothing less than to sit at the right hand of God himself. Of the various heretical factions, the following stereotypes can be made. The Travelers believe that Heaven (or Valhalla, or paradise, or even Hell) is a place, and this place can be reached by traveling across the sunless sea. Obviously these heretics seldom stick around too terribly long in the shadowlands, but notable exceptions, such as the Fishers, have existed. The Mediators believe that by altering one's perceptions and state of mind, a sense of peace may be achieved that is itself Transcendence. These wraiths point to the Ferrymen as example, claiming that they are Transcended wraiths. The Workers believe that they face a test, a challenge placed upon them by their deity, and that they must work diligently in the lands of the dead before they will be released to the next life. Finally the Cultists feel that this existence, the Underworld, is all that exists, and that their only chance for heaven is what they make of it. Often there is little difference between these heretics and the renegades, save in outlook, for these heretics are fueled by religious zeal and fervor. The Guilds Formed sometime in the distant past, banished centuries ago, and only recently restored, if at all, to the public eye, the Guilds represent both power and impotence at the same moment. Power, for they control ancient and long lost arts that many would pay dearly for. Impotent, for in their drive to jealously guard their secrets and their Byzantine internal politics that rivals the Hierarchy, they stand poised forever in near-immobility. The Guilds are varied and different, ranging from near heretical groups such as the Oracles and Artificers, to renegade groups such as the Spooks and Puppeteers, to Hierarchical Monitors and Solicitors. In truth, each guild is as unique as their arts, each with a different agenda. It is not the purpose of this brief description to describe the individual guilds. But the future of the Guilds, now that is a thought. With their recent involvment in Charon's return, the Guilds face unprecedented opportunity. For the first time in over four hundred years the guilds face a resurgence of trust and interest. They have gone public again, and stand to gain much, especially in the light of the weakness that grips the legions. But can they put aside their differences to seize the moment? The Sixteen Guilds are: Alchemists - One of the Forbidden three, the scientists practice Flux and work incessantly on their experiments. Artificers - The First of the Guilds, the craftsmen know the secrets of soulforging, and can Inhabit various objects. Chanteurs - Distrusted because of their recent betrayal, the musicians craft the arts of Keening into beauty or terror. Harbingers - The travelers ply the tempest via the arts of Argos, ferrying wraiths throughout the Underworld. Haunters - The wyrdlings practice the oft dangerous arts of Pandemonium that subject the wielder to the powers of the Wyld. Masquers - The soulshapers are unparalleled assassins and artists in the Underworld due to their ability to Moliate. Mnemoi - One of the Forbidden Three, the memory crafters were banished for alleged misuse of Mnemosynis, their trade-art. Monitors - Ever vigilant, the watchers carefully use their Lifeweb to strengthen their power while undermining their foes. Oracles - With the ability to foresee the future and the weave of fate, the prophets often find themselves in much demand. Pardoners - The counselors use their arts to Castigate the shadows of other wraiths, helping to tame the darker half. Proctors - The long illegal remnants use their arts of Embody to return to the lands of the living. Puppeteers - The equally illegal marionettes long ago learned the ability to posess the bodies of the living via Puppetry. Sandmen - The dream crafters can manipulate the very fabric of dreams with Phantasm, travelling through dreams and crafting them. Solicitors - One of the Forbidden Three, the greatly reviled lawyers manipulate the desires of others via Intimation. Spooks - The organization of thugs practice Outrage, a subtle power that gives telekenetic control over objects and places. Userers - The merchants know well the nature of energy and the Underworld, and can use their Usury to manipulate most energies. Other Dark Kingdoms Various other dark kingdoms exist, and any wraith who does much travelling will surely encounter such sights and events that he cannot explain. Each Dark Kingdom follows its own rules and laws, and the information on playing a member of the other Dark Kingdoms can be found in later in this book. The following serves as a very brief overview of some of the other Dark Kingdoms. This includes all the other major powers, but storytellers may flesh out details on missing dark kingdoms. An example of this is the Dark Kingdom of Ice, which was created for the purpose of this book. The Dark Kingdom of Jade is also called the Yellow Springs, and is ruled by the magnificent and terrible Yu Huang. The Yellow Springs correspond to the Shadowlands of China. Much emphasis is placed on filial devotion in this kingdom. Aggressively expansionistic, Yu Huang has conquered the nearby territories around the Yellow Springs, which are collectively called the Occupied Territories. The Dark Kingdom of Ivory occupies the African Shadowlands, and is sometimes referred to as the Bush of Ghosts. Ruled by the Ivory Queen, the Bush of Ghosts contains strange wonders, and it is said that even the spirits of animals who die here are reborn as wraiths. The Bush of Ghosts is surrounded by mists and a forest of thons that are near impossible to penetrate, and thus seldom visited by outsiders. The Flayed Lands is the term used to decribe the various territories of the Americas. The various tribes of North America collictively made up the primitive Dark Kingdom of Flint, which continues to exist in remote outposts. The Aztec and Mayan empire originated the lost Dark Kingdom of Obsidian. Now lost to Oblivion, only a few remnants of the once proud houses remain, and these few are themselves quite bitter. Finally the Incan and South American tribes formed the Dark Kingdom of Gold. In truth, nothing remains of this once proud empire, and few even new it ever existed. The City of Eternal Delights is Swar, the shadowlands of the nation of India. Truly the largest and oldest necropolis (predating London by thousands of years), Swar is a city of delights built upon terrible secrets and dark arts. Few question the status quo in Swar; those that do are not heard from ever after. The Smoky Mirror is the term used by Les Invisibles to describe their own domain, the Caribbean shadowlands. These enterprising ghosts maintain a healthy traffic with their living relatives and their world, and have made ancient pacts with powers called the Mysterre deep beneath the tempest. What these Mysterre are, or what they want, is itself a mystery. Within the heart of Europe, the Dark Kingdom of Barbwire is the Shoah, the wraiths of the Holocaust. Recently formed, they have refused to join the Hierarchy, and have likewise refused to abandon their deathsites. These grim and dark wraiths are still victims of specters, living as it is on the edge of some of the greatest nihils in the shadowlands. Moreover, the dybbuks of the Shoah are themselves so consumed by angst that it is not a far trip to specterhood. The Dark KIngdom of Clay is Karta, the aboriginal lands of Australia. Much has been lost in the lands of Australia, and few wraiths truly know what once existed there. Although the Hierarchy has a presence in Australia, they would be the first to admit that they do not control the country, and that they are unable to explain the strange occurances that occur their. The lost citizens of Karta might be able to explain, could they be found. The Sea Which Knows No Sun is what the denizens of the Pacific Islands refer to their lands. These islands stretch throughout the shadowlands and into the tempest. Their number is unknown, and no accurate map exists. Indeed, they are not fully explored. The citizens are insular and isolated, and have good reason to be wary of outsiders. Once there was a Dark Kingdom of Sand, called Amenti. At some point, Amenti disappeared. In truth, the entire kingdom sank into the tempest, and now exits as a remote and unassailable far shore, guarderd by mysterious immortal beings with ties to ancient Egypt. Finally, the Dark Kingdom of Ice is Niflheim, from whence the Queen of the Dead rules from her seat in her capitol city of Hel. The city of Hel lies amidst an icy mountain chain, and overlooks a deep abyss that supposedly drops straight into the Abyss. Within the naturally occurring ice it is said that many wonders may be found, but also many terrors. So, too, do they claim that a bridge exists in the mountains that leads to the land of the fey. The Risen A word should be said in brief on the creatures known as the Risen, or sometimes the walking dead. These wraiths, all skilled in Puppetry, have mastered the ability to return to their natural bodies. They have possessed and reknit their mortal flesh, and possess it, in order that they may complete their unfinished business. Possessed of an undying hatred and having made a pact with their shadows, the Risen are unstable and dangerous. Most have some connection with the Puppeteer's guild, and by their nature are considered renegades by the hierarchy. More on the Risen can be found later in this reading. The Ferrymen The most mysterious of the denizens of the shadowlands must indeed be the ferrymen. Founded by Charon, and endowed by ancient Egyptian magics, the Ferrymen represent everything supernatural and mysterious about the underworld. What little is known about them is that they are immeasurably ancient, immune to most arcanoi, and supoosedly they have no shadows. There are those who believe them to have some connections to the spectral Pasiphae; so, too, the fearsome Mourners and the mysterious mummies of Egypt. The Ferrymen seem to have a vested interest in protecting the lost, in helping others towards transcendence, and towards various other arcane goals known only to them. Their ability to navigate the tempest is unparalleled, but they move at their own speed, choosing to assist wraiths as they see fit. Their assistance is unpredictable and unforeseen, their advice infuriatingly vague and often unsought. Only the ferrymen themselves know truly what motivates their actions. |