Jürgen Hubert
First Post
Powerful organizations in a campaign are always fun, whether they act as allies or adversaries. If they are allies, the PCs can strive to join them and increase their reputation and status within them, and get involved in internal politics. If they are adversaries, they can make for more interesting foes than lone NPCs - for their varied membership allows for many different kinds of foes and different adventures, and even if you take out one member, others will take their place. After all, nothing can be more frustrating than your PCs taking out the main villain of your campaign with only a few lucky dice rolls, while organizations can last for an entire campaign with an ever-changing roster of foes...
With that in mind, I thought I'd throw out some of the organizations I have developed for Urbis in the hopes that you might find them inspiring for your own campaigns. Tell me what you think.
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Noteworthy Groups and Societies
The Architects
Not to be confused with the profession of architects (though there tends to be significant overlap), the Architects originated from the guilds of masons, stone cutters, and other professions who were involved in constructing large buildings during feudal times (though their "secret doctrines" often claim a much older orgin, dating back for millenia all the way to the builders of the First City. They are a semi-secret society; that is to say, their exitence is widely known (as often are their members and the location of their chapter houses), but their actual activities and rites are not. This has led to all sorts of unkind speculation among their detractors, ranging from demon worships to cults of Shaprat, the Last City among their highest members, but nothing has ever been conclusively proven.
While a significant portion of their members are still architects and others involved in construction work, their membership these days is open to all what they consider "respectable citizens" - especially those of high social status or those aspiring to such. Would-be members must be sponsored by two existing members in good standing and then affirmed by a majority vote by their local chapter house (which can be found in most cities in the north and west). It is further known that members are divided into "degrees" (the total number of degrees is unknown, even to lower-ranking members), with those of lower degrees having to obey those of higher ones. Attaining each new degree means going through a different set of initiation rites which are supposed to reinforce the loyality of the member to the Architects. Rites for attaining the highest degrees are supposed to be quite frightening indeed.
While the fundamentals of contstruction work are no longer a trade secret as in feudal times - in fact, they are a popular field of study at major universities - it is quite possible that the Architects have assembled a significant body of secret lore not commonly known to outsiders, especially knowledge related to nexus towers. That they have come into possession of unique spells and strange artifacts is not inconceivable either. But the main use of the Architects, as far as most members are concerned, is that of a social network - Architects are everywhere and are only too glad to put their fellow members into positions of authority and power.
The symbol of the Architects - an eye floating above a tower - is a common feature on large buildings designed by members. Members also wear it on rings to display their allegiance, and they further recognize each other by a "secret handshake" and a number of password phrases.
The Athanatos Club
Immortality has been a dream as old as humanity. Many people have tried to cheat death, but few have succeeded.. But the members of the Athanatos Club are determined to reach this goal, no matter what.
Mostly based in the Flannish Cities, the Parginian Rim, and the Lands of the Dead, consists of some of the wealthiest members of their respective societies. Wizards, sorcerers, and experts dominate, but everyone who believes in their common goal and has something to contribute - even if it is only money - is welcome. Their activities include spell research, alchemy, medical sciences, and chasing down any rumors about alleged immortals. Many of the researchers have little scruples when it comes to their experiments, and the test subjects - some voluntary, some not - often end up in a state worse than death.
Many members try to turn themselves into free willed undead once they feel old age approaching, but this is seen as ultimately unsatisfying - they want the experience life, not undeath, and their undead members, while powerful, are usually pitied rather than respected.
Their headquarters are in the Flannish city of Praxus, and it is rumored that they have powerful patrons among the city's rulers, as well as access to one of the Nexus Towers in the city. But most cities in these regions have a chapter house - operating in the open where they can, in the shadows where they can't.
The Astromantic Society
It is well known that some mighty spells can peer into the future, though the accuracy of these visions is always in doubt - they only show possible futures, not certain ones, and if the diviner is willing and able to act on them, they tend to become very unreliable indeed. Only very experienced and wise diviners can thus predict the future with anything resembling accuracy. One of these diviners - possibly the best seer ever to appear among the humans - was Durgoth of Byblos.
Durgoth lived in the 13th century NA and often peered centuries into the future. Accurate copies of the transcripts of his visions are still highly sought after (though these are increasingly hard to find amidst the many forgeries in circulation), and his prophecies almost invariable turn out to be true, though maybe not in precisely the way the reader expects.
Eventually, Durgoth encountered a phenomena during his divinations that has come to be called Durgoth's Wall: Even his mightiest spells failed to peer further into the future than the year 1627 NA. This deeply troubled him, and he withdrew from society to study this problem. Some claim that he meditated on the top of the Tower of Horag for five years, but the truth of this matter is unknown.
What is known is that he reappeared in 1237 and proclaimed his conclusions to society at large: The world of Rothea was doomed to destruction in the year of 1627 NA through some unknown means, and there was nothing that could be done to prevent this. Humanity's only hope of survival was moving to other worlds and planets.
After this announcement, many people ridiculed him openly, and others refused to think about events that might or might not happen nearly four hundred years in the future. But others took him seriously, and in 1245, a group of notable scholars, wizards, and wealthy merchants came together in Bodenwald to found the Astromantic Society. The declared purpose of this society was the exploration and eventual colonization of other planets.
Today, the Society has become large and influential. Bodenwald still serves as their headquarters, but they have chapters in many cities and several thriving and rapidly expanding colonies on other planets. While it will probably be impossible to save every human in 1627, the leaders of the Astromantic Society remain confident that a large number of humans (and other civilized races) will escape the coming catastrophe. Society members frequently clash with the natives of other planets, who resent being colonized, or who have dark designs for Rothea on their own...
The Children of Mercy Orphanages
Too often, children wind up as orphans. Perhaps the father is unknown or dead, and the mother dies during childbirth (still fairly common among the lower classes), or the parents simply cannot afford to raise it and abandon it. Or perhaps the child is born with obvious deformities and the parents cast it out rather than having to live with the shame.
Many orphanages exist in the Known Langs that take these children in. The oldest are usually run by organized religions (most notably the Church of Thenos), but in recent decades many have been founded by private charities. These can be anthing from fairly enlightened places where these children learn an useful trade that might make them somewhat respected members of society some day, to dirty hellholes where the children are abused in the worst ways and often forced into a life of crime by those who are supposed to shelter them.
The most well known orphanages founded by private charities are the Children of Mercy Orphanages, most of which can be found in the Flannish Cities, the Parginian Rim, and the League of Armach. These are almost universally lauded for taking in any children and making them valuable members of society. Every time they are visited, they are seen as clean and orderly, and the children seem happy and well-fed. A surprising number of city councillors and other influental people have been raised in these institutions, and these and their friends and allies often help with new funds and the creation of new orphanages.
But behind this friendly facade hides a terrible secret, for these orphanages have been founded and are run by surathi thin-blooded. Their taking in outcast children is motivated by their desire to find as many of the scattered surathi that can be found across the Known Lands and who are usually unaware of their dark heritage. And indeed, a surprising number of children born with deformities turn out to be surathi lesser brethen. These are soon secretly sent to the Snake Kingdoms where they can live and be educated in the way of their kin. Thin-blooded children, on the other hand, are given all the education and support to make it in civilized society, and as a result these children are often adopted by rich and unsuspecting parents or else become successful on their own later in life - thus increasing the frequency of surathi blood in the upper levels of society. Merely human children, on the other hand, suffer abuse from their thin-blooded betters and are frequently mentally dominated by the psychic surathi. When they reach adulthood and leave the orphanages, they will usually have lost all free will and become fanatical followers and agents of a surat.
The Cryptozoological Society
The world is home to an astoundingly large number of bizarre creatures, and more varieties are discovered every year. The Cryptozoological Society is dedicated to finding and catalogueing all of them, and its members are frequently away from its Rondhaven headquarters to explore strange and distant lands for their even stranger inhabitants.
The Society is infamous in scientific circles for frequently letting enthusiasm get in the way of careful research - or even common sense. They have been the victims of elaborate hoaxes more than once, and many of their field researchers are too quick to label rumors as "facts". Still, they had a few noteworthy successes over the years, and that, as well as its popular "Cryptozoological Annual" puplication, keep it in business and at least semi-respectability.
Anyone who can bring them new and unusual animal or plant species - dead or alive - will be well rewarded, and even rumors and tales of encounters with such creatures might be compensated if the narrator strikes a member as trustworthy.
The Circle of the Crumbling Tower
The druidic faith as a whole is under retreat. The rulers and merchants of the city-states do their best to divide the receding wilderness among themselves, and any druids who dare to stand in their way are killed as often as not. As a result, most druids feel nothing but hatred for the rich and powerful of modern urban society.
Still, there is something that druids have that is of interest to many of these same rich people: The ability to cast the reincarnate spell. While magic that is capable of bringing back the dead is fairly easily available to anyone who can afford it, these spells are incapable of bringing someone back who died of old age. While the reincarnate spell has to abide by this limit as well, it is capable of reincarnating anyone else into the body of a young adult. Thus it is possible to prolong one's life span almost indefinietly with repeated application of this spell. The fact that one is usually reincarnated as a member of a different species is a small price to pay for those who are desperate to stave off old age.
Unfortunately for such would-be immortals, druids regard such use of this spell as a perversion of nature, and they cannot simply be bribed into casting it, unlike many clerics. It doesn't help that many of the people who ask them for help are the same people who despoil nature as a part of their normal businesses. And most people would rather die than give in to threats that would make them help the enemies of their faith.
But in 1387 NA, a young druid named Garin had an idea. Instead of allowing themselves to be bribed for this spell, he argued, the druids should demand favors for this service. After all, many of these who approached them were some of the most influential people of the region, and their power could easily be used to further the druids' agenda. And if they didn't keep their word, they wouldn't be able to get reincarnated in the future!
Many druids considered his ideas to be blasphemous, but others saw their merit. And so, the Circle of the Crumbling Tower was founded. Its approximately 20 druidic members meet periodically near the Fields of Harrow, but are often abroad to check their city-based "charges" - the merchants, nobles, and other rich and influential people who sold out their freedom in exchange for a stab at immortality. None of the druids really trust these people, but the hold over their lives is powerful - it has become standard practice that anyone who betrays the circle is not only killed, but his body is hidden and his finances ruined so that he is certain to stay dead.
The people who have sold out to the druids are in a precarious situation. They need to remain in the favor of the druids, and that usually means sabotaging the orderly functioning of a city-state in some way - destroying crops, changing building plans to reduce the efficiency of nexus towers, sending bandits to waylay trains, and many other dirty deeds. But often this not only costs them a lot in money and resources, but even hinders their own business efforts. Most druidic handlers are willing to cancel an operation if the risks of discovery seem too great, and they usually will listen to the advice of their charges (after all, they know little of the working of a city), but anyone who constantly makes excuses for not doing anything to further the druidic cause will earn their displeasure. As a result, most charges come up with ideas on their own, and are desperate to please their handlers with reports of progress.
Sometimes, several charges conspire to keep their common druidic handlers ignorant, but these conspiracies are often betrayed from within, as one of their members blows the whistle on them to curry favor with the druids. Thus, most dependants of the circle are extremely paranoid about whom they trust. Those who have already been reincarnated face an additional problem: They have to explain their now different appearance somehow. Most invest in illusion or polymorph magic, and mostly retire from public view so that their true form doesn't become public knowledge. There are now several merchant houses which are now lead by someone reincarnated into the body of a young orc or kobold!
The circle has now about a hundred charges, and new ones are being recruited on a regular basis. The aged Garin, who still leads the circle, worries about the risk of discovery, but for now remains committed to the current path.
Dragon Cults
A large number of extemely diverse groups, dragon cults have in common that they center around the worship of dragons as divine or semi-divine beings. Usually they are founded by a charismatic sorcerer or half-dragon and break apart after the leader's death. The reaction of actual dragons towards these cults ranges from amusement to contempt, although while many dragons simply ignore them, others are all too willing to use them as a source of minions and spies.
These cults are especially common in the regions around the Desert of Thunder. While the dragons prefer simple obedienve over worship in their own domain, many of their half-dragon descendants see these cults as an easy way to gain influence over others - especially if they have fallen in disfavor (and thus have to flee to another region), or if their draconic ancestor has died and they are left without a patron.
The Gemeinschaftsbank
Run by the gnomish Guldenberg family, the Gemeinschaftsbank is the largest financial institution in the Known Lands. It is famous for its neutrality and its refusal to talk about its customers. It will do business with anyone who has wealth to store, and is willing to do everything it takes to keep the wealth safe and secure. It will also loan money to governments and rich merchants alike, and if one of these proves unable to pay the interest, they usually aquire shares of businesses or otherwise increase their influence in various organizations or governments. Some wits have claimed that the Gemeinschaftsbank will do with money what all past empires have been unable to do with their armies - conquer the world. But most people would be shocked to learn how wealthy this family of gnomes really is, and how far their influence reaches.
Recently, they have started to issue bank notes, certificates made out of paper and made proof from forgery through nexus tower-powered variants of arcane marks. These can be redeemed at any Gemeinschaftsbank office for a certain amount of coins in the local currency. These have already proven to be quite popular with merchants and other people who handle large amounts of money on a regular basis.
The Gurions
Named after Gurion, a famed mystic who preached the group's basic tenets in the Gawaris Desert more than a millennium ago, this society believes that the whole world is nothing more than a gigantic illusion created by a powerful entity (usually called "Ixios the Chainer" in the texts of the society) to keep the souls of living beings imprisoned. Members of this society thus try to break out of this "prison" at all costs so that the souls of humanity can be free to fulfill their "true destinies", whatever they might be.
There are quite a few philosophical differences within the group that are constantly argued by its members. One is which living beings actually house "real" souls, and which are illusory and thus ultimately minions of the Chainer. Some insist that only humans have true souls, despite a few nonhuman members of the society. Others extend this to all sapient beings, while others still claim that all living beings are chained souls.
Another question is what should be done to break out of this prison. Some concentrate on studying mystic texts and improving their arcane knowledge, in the hope of finding a way of freeing themselves, if not the rest of humanity. Others develop destructive spells or more technical methods of causing large-scale damage, hoping to create a "hole" in the illusion that they might slip through (this kind of activity often causes the society to be persecuted by the authorities). And some try to convince as many people as possible of their beliefs, as they think that the illusion of the prison will be dispelled once enough people stop in believing in it.
The Gurions are noted for their disdain for clerics and priests of all sorts, as they tend to believe that these are ultimately servants of the Chainer, if unwitting ones - for if people believe that there are higher powers out there that help them, they are less likely to see the truth as the Gurions see it. Also common is a disregard for human lives among even many of the more benevolent members of the group, as most believe that human souls are simply reincarnated into new bodies.
The Perfect World Sect
The ultimate cause of suffering is random chance. Every time a person is subject to Chance there are a large number of possible outcomes - but there is only one "best case outcome". During a lifespan, a person is subject to Chance numerous times, and the mind subconsciously recognizes that life could have turned out much, much better if the odds hadn't been against it. This yearning for the unfulfilled possibilities is the cause of all suffering. Free Will doesn't come into the equation whether a being is happy or not - in fact, Free Will is just a subconscious justification of the mind, since all choices a person makes are ultimately just random Chance.
At least, that's what the Perfect World Sect teaches. And their solution is simple: To remove all suffering from the world, Chance must be eliminated. Once no more Chance exists and everything is predetermined, no one will suffer any more - a Perfect World.
In the Hamajan Mountains, where the Sect originates, the monks of the Sect attempt to achieve that goal by turning prayer wheels while chanting mantras over them. Each time a prayer wheel is turned, they say, one source of Chance is removed from the world. They realize that it will take a long time to remove all sources of Chance from the world, but that doesn't seem to deter them.
Other members, especially those who have spread to other lands, take a more militant approach and attack especially prominent sources of Chance - including any chaotic forces. Some might attack casinos and gambling houses, while others try to prop up faltering govermnents (whether good or evil) against rabble-rousers who would tear them down. Others act in fairly mysterious ways - killing lone individuals who seemingly haven't done anything yet to warrant such attention while donating money to others who later on become strong stabilizing forces for Order.
It is rumored that these Sect members are directed by strange, crystalline entities they can summon, which claim that they come from the Perfect World of the future to ensure that this future actually comes as predicted.
Secondaries
When the Flannish Liberation War ended, the new city councils proclaimed their citizens liberated from oppression. But while the days of enslavement to the whims of nobles were indeed gone, new forms of economic oppression soon became common. The new rulers, who came from the merchant class and other wealthy families, soon aped the life styles of the nobles who came before them and exploited the poor as much as they could.
Many veterans and workers were disappointed with this turn of events, and some began calling for a second Liberation War that would sweep away the new oppressors and bring true change. Thus, numerous groups came into existence to fight the new oppressors of the people, and while each group has its own names, they are collectively called the Secondaries because of this desire.
Out of necessity, these groups must operate in small cells and use lots of code names and pass words to avoid detection by the authorities. They often differ in their methods - while some prefer to organize peaceful protests and strikes, others try to sabotage the local infrastructure or assassinate authority figures. Because of their vast differences in their way of operating, and because of philosophical differences what kind of form the new, enlightened government should take, such groups can in some circumstances spend more time and effort on fighting each other than their "oppressors". Still, Secondary cells are presecuted harshly whenever the local authorities can find them, and that usually keeps them united against their common foe.
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Your thoughts? Any ways of making them more interesting/gameable?
With that in mind, I thought I'd throw out some of the organizations I have developed for Urbis in the hopes that you might find them inspiring for your own campaigns. Tell me what you think.
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Noteworthy Groups and Societies
The Architects
Not to be confused with the profession of architects (though there tends to be significant overlap), the Architects originated from the guilds of masons, stone cutters, and other professions who were involved in constructing large buildings during feudal times (though their "secret doctrines" often claim a much older orgin, dating back for millenia all the way to the builders of the First City. They are a semi-secret society; that is to say, their exitence is widely known (as often are their members and the location of their chapter houses), but their actual activities and rites are not. This has led to all sorts of unkind speculation among their detractors, ranging from demon worships to cults of Shaprat, the Last City among their highest members, but nothing has ever been conclusively proven.
While a significant portion of their members are still architects and others involved in construction work, their membership these days is open to all what they consider "respectable citizens" - especially those of high social status or those aspiring to such. Would-be members must be sponsored by two existing members in good standing and then affirmed by a majority vote by their local chapter house (which can be found in most cities in the north and west). It is further known that members are divided into "degrees" (the total number of degrees is unknown, even to lower-ranking members), with those of lower degrees having to obey those of higher ones. Attaining each new degree means going through a different set of initiation rites which are supposed to reinforce the loyality of the member to the Architects. Rites for attaining the highest degrees are supposed to be quite frightening indeed.
While the fundamentals of contstruction work are no longer a trade secret as in feudal times - in fact, they are a popular field of study at major universities - it is quite possible that the Architects have assembled a significant body of secret lore not commonly known to outsiders, especially knowledge related to nexus towers. That they have come into possession of unique spells and strange artifacts is not inconceivable either. But the main use of the Architects, as far as most members are concerned, is that of a social network - Architects are everywhere and are only too glad to put their fellow members into positions of authority and power.
The symbol of the Architects - an eye floating above a tower - is a common feature on large buildings designed by members. Members also wear it on rings to display their allegiance, and they further recognize each other by a "secret handshake" and a number of password phrases.
The Athanatos Club
Immortality has been a dream as old as humanity. Many people have tried to cheat death, but few have succeeded.. But the members of the Athanatos Club are determined to reach this goal, no matter what.
Mostly based in the Flannish Cities, the Parginian Rim, and the Lands of the Dead, consists of some of the wealthiest members of their respective societies. Wizards, sorcerers, and experts dominate, but everyone who believes in their common goal and has something to contribute - even if it is only money - is welcome. Their activities include spell research, alchemy, medical sciences, and chasing down any rumors about alleged immortals. Many of the researchers have little scruples when it comes to their experiments, and the test subjects - some voluntary, some not - often end up in a state worse than death.
Many members try to turn themselves into free willed undead once they feel old age approaching, but this is seen as ultimately unsatisfying - they want the experience life, not undeath, and their undead members, while powerful, are usually pitied rather than respected.
Their headquarters are in the Flannish city of Praxus, and it is rumored that they have powerful patrons among the city's rulers, as well as access to one of the Nexus Towers in the city. But most cities in these regions have a chapter house - operating in the open where they can, in the shadows where they can't.
The Astromantic Society
It is well known that some mighty spells can peer into the future, though the accuracy of these visions is always in doubt - they only show possible futures, not certain ones, and if the diviner is willing and able to act on them, they tend to become very unreliable indeed. Only very experienced and wise diviners can thus predict the future with anything resembling accuracy. One of these diviners - possibly the best seer ever to appear among the humans - was Durgoth of Byblos.
Durgoth lived in the 13th century NA and often peered centuries into the future. Accurate copies of the transcripts of his visions are still highly sought after (though these are increasingly hard to find amidst the many forgeries in circulation), and his prophecies almost invariable turn out to be true, though maybe not in precisely the way the reader expects.
Eventually, Durgoth encountered a phenomena during his divinations that has come to be called Durgoth's Wall: Even his mightiest spells failed to peer further into the future than the year 1627 NA. This deeply troubled him, and he withdrew from society to study this problem. Some claim that he meditated on the top of the Tower of Horag for five years, but the truth of this matter is unknown.
What is known is that he reappeared in 1237 and proclaimed his conclusions to society at large: The world of Rothea was doomed to destruction in the year of 1627 NA through some unknown means, and there was nothing that could be done to prevent this. Humanity's only hope of survival was moving to other worlds and planets.
After this announcement, many people ridiculed him openly, and others refused to think about events that might or might not happen nearly four hundred years in the future. But others took him seriously, and in 1245, a group of notable scholars, wizards, and wealthy merchants came together in Bodenwald to found the Astromantic Society. The declared purpose of this society was the exploration and eventual colonization of other planets.
Today, the Society has become large and influential. Bodenwald still serves as their headquarters, but they have chapters in many cities and several thriving and rapidly expanding colonies on other planets. While it will probably be impossible to save every human in 1627, the leaders of the Astromantic Society remain confident that a large number of humans (and other civilized races) will escape the coming catastrophe. Society members frequently clash with the natives of other planets, who resent being colonized, or who have dark designs for Rothea on their own...
The Children of Mercy Orphanages
Too often, children wind up as orphans. Perhaps the father is unknown or dead, and the mother dies during childbirth (still fairly common among the lower classes), or the parents simply cannot afford to raise it and abandon it. Or perhaps the child is born with obvious deformities and the parents cast it out rather than having to live with the shame.
Many orphanages exist in the Known Langs that take these children in. The oldest are usually run by organized religions (most notably the Church of Thenos), but in recent decades many have been founded by private charities. These can be anthing from fairly enlightened places where these children learn an useful trade that might make them somewhat respected members of society some day, to dirty hellholes where the children are abused in the worst ways and often forced into a life of crime by those who are supposed to shelter them.
The most well known orphanages founded by private charities are the Children of Mercy Orphanages, most of which can be found in the Flannish Cities, the Parginian Rim, and the League of Armach. These are almost universally lauded for taking in any children and making them valuable members of society. Every time they are visited, they are seen as clean and orderly, and the children seem happy and well-fed. A surprising number of city councillors and other influental people have been raised in these institutions, and these and their friends and allies often help with new funds and the creation of new orphanages.
But behind this friendly facade hides a terrible secret, for these orphanages have been founded and are run by surathi thin-blooded. Their taking in outcast children is motivated by their desire to find as many of the scattered surathi that can be found across the Known Lands and who are usually unaware of their dark heritage. And indeed, a surprising number of children born with deformities turn out to be surathi lesser brethen. These are soon secretly sent to the Snake Kingdoms where they can live and be educated in the way of their kin. Thin-blooded children, on the other hand, are given all the education and support to make it in civilized society, and as a result these children are often adopted by rich and unsuspecting parents or else become successful on their own later in life - thus increasing the frequency of surathi blood in the upper levels of society. Merely human children, on the other hand, suffer abuse from their thin-blooded betters and are frequently mentally dominated by the psychic surathi. When they reach adulthood and leave the orphanages, they will usually have lost all free will and become fanatical followers and agents of a surat.
The Cryptozoological Society
The world is home to an astoundingly large number of bizarre creatures, and more varieties are discovered every year. The Cryptozoological Society is dedicated to finding and catalogueing all of them, and its members are frequently away from its Rondhaven headquarters to explore strange and distant lands for their even stranger inhabitants.
The Society is infamous in scientific circles for frequently letting enthusiasm get in the way of careful research - or even common sense. They have been the victims of elaborate hoaxes more than once, and many of their field researchers are too quick to label rumors as "facts". Still, they had a few noteworthy successes over the years, and that, as well as its popular "Cryptozoological Annual" puplication, keep it in business and at least semi-respectability.
Anyone who can bring them new and unusual animal or plant species - dead or alive - will be well rewarded, and even rumors and tales of encounters with such creatures might be compensated if the narrator strikes a member as trustworthy.
The Circle of the Crumbling Tower
The druidic faith as a whole is under retreat. The rulers and merchants of the city-states do their best to divide the receding wilderness among themselves, and any druids who dare to stand in their way are killed as often as not. As a result, most druids feel nothing but hatred for the rich and powerful of modern urban society.
Still, there is something that druids have that is of interest to many of these same rich people: The ability to cast the reincarnate spell. While magic that is capable of bringing back the dead is fairly easily available to anyone who can afford it, these spells are incapable of bringing someone back who died of old age. While the reincarnate spell has to abide by this limit as well, it is capable of reincarnating anyone else into the body of a young adult. Thus it is possible to prolong one's life span almost indefinietly with repeated application of this spell. The fact that one is usually reincarnated as a member of a different species is a small price to pay for those who are desperate to stave off old age.
Unfortunately for such would-be immortals, druids regard such use of this spell as a perversion of nature, and they cannot simply be bribed into casting it, unlike many clerics. It doesn't help that many of the people who ask them for help are the same people who despoil nature as a part of their normal businesses. And most people would rather die than give in to threats that would make them help the enemies of their faith.
But in 1387 NA, a young druid named Garin had an idea. Instead of allowing themselves to be bribed for this spell, he argued, the druids should demand favors for this service. After all, many of these who approached them were some of the most influential people of the region, and their power could easily be used to further the druids' agenda. And if they didn't keep their word, they wouldn't be able to get reincarnated in the future!
Many druids considered his ideas to be blasphemous, but others saw their merit. And so, the Circle of the Crumbling Tower was founded. Its approximately 20 druidic members meet periodically near the Fields of Harrow, but are often abroad to check their city-based "charges" - the merchants, nobles, and other rich and influential people who sold out their freedom in exchange for a stab at immortality. None of the druids really trust these people, but the hold over their lives is powerful - it has become standard practice that anyone who betrays the circle is not only killed, but his body is hidden and his finances ruined so that he is certain to stay dead.
The people who have sold out to the druids are in a precarious situation. They need to remain in the favor of the druids, and that usually means sabotaging the orderly functioning of a city-state in some way - destroying crops, changing building plans to reduce the efficiency of nexus towers, sending bandits to waylay trains, and many other dirty deeds. But often this not only costs them a lot in money and resources, but even hinders their own business efforts. Most druidic handlers are willing to cancel an operation if the risks of discovery seem too great, and they usually will listen to the advice of their charges (after all, they know little of the working of a city), but anyone who constantly makes excuses for not doing anything to further the druidic cause will earn their displeasure. As a result, most charges come up with ideas on their own, and are desperate to please their handlers with reports of progress.
Sometimes, several charges conspire to keep their common druidic handlers ignorant, but these conspiracies are often betrayed from within, as one of their members blows the whistle on them to curry favor with the druids. Thus, most dependants of the circle are extremely paranoid about whom they trust. Those who have already been reincarnated face an additional problem: They have to explain their now different appearance somehow. Most invest in illusion or polymorph magic, and mostly retire from public view so that their true form doesn't become public knowledge. There are now several merchant houses which are now lead by someone reincarnated into the body of a young orc or kobold!
The circle has now about a hundred charges, and new ones are being recruited on a regular basis. The aged Garin, who still leads the circle, worries about the risk of discovery, but for now remains committed to the current path.
Dragon Cults
A large number of extemely diverse groups, dragon cults have in common that they center around the worship of dragons as divine or semi-divine beings. Usually they are founded by a charismatic sorcerer or half-dragon and break apart after the leader's death. The reaction of actual dragons towards these cults ranges from amusement to contempt, although while many dragons simply ignore them, others are all too willing to use them as a source of minions and spies.
These cults are especially common in the regions around the Desert of Thunder. While the dragons prefer simple obedienve over worship in their own domain, many of their half-dragon descendants see these cults as an easy way to gain influence over others - especially if they have fallen in disfavor (and thus have to flee to another region), or if their draconic ancestor has died and they are left without a patron.
The Gemeinschaftsbank
Run by the gnomish Guldenberg family, the Gemeinschaftsbank is the largest financial institution in the Known Lands. It is famous for its neutrality and its refusal to talk about its customers. It will do business with anyone who has wealth to store, and is willing to do everything it takes to keep the wealth safe and secure. It will also loan money to governments and rich merchants alike, and if one of these proves unable to pay the interest, they usually aquire shares of businesses or otherwise increase their influence in various organizations or governments. Some wits have claimed that the Gemeinschaftsbank will do with money what all past empires have been unable to do with their armies - conquer the world. But most people would be shocked to learn how wealthy this family of gnomes really is, and how far their influence reaches.
Recently, they have started to issue bank notes, certificates made out of paper and made proof from forgery through nexus tower-powered variants of arcane marks. These can be redeemed at any Gemeinschaftsbank office for a certain amount of coins in the local currency. These have already proven to be quite popular with merchants and other people who handle large amounts of money on a regular basis.
The Gurions
Named after Gurion, a famed mystic who preached the group's basic tenets in the Gawaris Desert more than a millennium ago, this society believes that the whole world is nothing more than a gigantic illusion created by a powerful entity (usually called "Ixios the Chainer" in the texts of the society) to keep the souls of living beings imprisoned. Members of this society thus try to break out of this "prison" at all costs so that the souls of humanity can be free to fulfill their "true destinies", whatever they might be.
There are quite a few philosophical differences within the group that are constantly argued by its members. One is which living beings actually house "real" souls, and which are illusory and thus ultimately minions of the Chainer. Some insist that only humans have true souls, despite a few nonhuman members of the society. Others extend this to all sapient beings, while others still claim that all living beings are chained souls.
Another question is what should be done to break out of this prison. Some concentrate on studying mystic texts and improving their arcane knowledge, in the hope of finding a way of freeing themselves, if not the rest of humanity. Others develop destructive spells or more technical methods of causing large-scale damage, hoping to create a "hole" in the illusion that they might slip through (this kind of activity often causes the society to be persecuted by the authorities). And some try to convince as many people as possible of their beliefs, as they think that the illusion of the prison will be dispelled once enough people stop in believing in it.
The Gurions are noted for their disdain for clerics and priests of all sorts, as they tend to believe that these are ultimately servants of the Chainer, if unwitting ones - for if people believe that there are higher powers out there that help them, they are less likely to see the truth as the Gurions see it. Also common is a disregard for human lives among even many of the more benevolent members of the group, as most believe that human souls are simply reincarnated into new bodies.
The Perfect World Sect
The ultimate cause of suffering is random chance. Every time a person is subject to Chance there are a large number of possible outcomes - but there is only one "best case outcome". During a lifespan, a person is subject to Chance numerous times, and the mind subconsciously recognizes that life could have turned out much, much better if the odds hadn't been against it. This yearning for the unfulfilled possibilities is the cause of all suffering. Free Will doesn't come into the equation whether a being is happy or not - in fact, Free Will is just a subconscious justification of the mind, since all choices a person makes are ultimately just random Chance.
At least, that's what the Perfect World Sect teaches. And their solution is simple: To remove all suffering from the world, Chance must be eliminated. Once no more Chance exists and everything is predetermined, no one will suffer any more - a Perfect World.
In the Hamajan Mountains, where the Sect originates, the monks of the Sect attempt to achieve that goal by turning prayer wheels while chanting mantras over them. Each time a prayer wheel is turned, they say, one source of Chance is removed from the world. They realize that it will take a long time to remove all sources of Chance from the world, but that doesn't seem to deter them.
Other members, especially those who have spread to other lands, take a more militant approach and attack especially prominent sources of Chance - including any chaotic forces. Some might attack casinos and gambling houses, while others try to prop up faltering govermnents (whether good or evil) against rabble-rousers who would tear them down. Others act in fairly mysterious ways - killing lone individuals who seemingly haven't done anything yet to warrant such attention while donating money to others who later on become strong stabilizing forces for Order.
It is rumored that these Sect members are directed by strange, crystalline entities they can summon, which claim that they come from the Perfect World of the future to ensure that this future actually comes as predicted.
Secondaries
When the Flannish Liberation War ended, the new city councils proclaimed their citizens liberated from oppression. But while the days of enslavement to the whims of nobles were indeed gone, new forms of economic oppression soon became common. The new rulers, who came from the merchant class and other wealthy families, soon aped the life styles of the nobles who came before them and exploited the poor as much as they could.
Many veterans and workers were disappointed with this turn of events, and some began calling for a second Liberation War that would sweep away the new oppressors and bring true change. Thus, numerous groups came into existence to fight the new oppressors of the people, and while each group has its own names, they are collectively called the Secondaries because of this desire.
Out of necessity, these groups must operate in small cells and use lots of code names and pass words to avoid detection by the authorities. They often differ in their methods - while some prefer to organize peaceful protests and strikes, others try to sabotage the local infrastructure or assassinate authority figures. Because of their vast differences in their way of operating, and because of philosophical differences what kind of form the new, enlightened government should take, such groups can in some circumstances spend more time and effort on fighting each other than their "oppressors". Still, Secondary cells are presecuted harshly whenever the local authorities can find them, and that usually keeps them united against their common foe.
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Your thoughts? Any ways of making them more interesting/gameable?
