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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tolen Mar" data-source="post: 1598663" data-attributes="member: 1295">Ok, I promised info on the Aruspex Guild, and here it is.  In addition, I went ahead and typed up my notes for several other organizations in Argosy City.  Enjoy.The Aruspex GuildThe Aruspex Guild was formed during the reign of the Pure-Techs before the wisdom of Marinek.  In its earliest days, membership in the Guild could only come by being excommunicated from the church.  Guilders were damned souls, with no proper place within the gates of heaven.  Anyone who became a Guilder did so at the cost of his own afterlife.  When the Guild was first founded, it was a haven for anyone who wanted a legal way to avoid persecution by the Pure-Techs.  If you had mental powers, or knew magic that duplicated those powers, you could seek membership in the guild.  However, only those pursued by the church of Pure Technology would gain admittance.The Guild was used by the Pure-Techs as a means to ferret out anyone who used arcane technology, magic, or psionic powers.  Using their ability to sense magic and other forms of ‘demonic influence,’ Guilders could invade your home, confiscate anything they wished, and bring charges of witchcraft against anyone they pleased.  The Guilders quickly became more despised than the Pure-Techs, who sanctioned their activities.  Aruspex operations were almost always covert, and it was hard to tell when you were being watched.Today, the Guild is dramatically different.  It is still a place where those of the mystic arts can meet and share resources, but membership does not require, nor does it bring, excommunication.  No one single power group sponsors the Guild, though they often receive contributions and ‘reliable information’ that leads them to their next target.  The Guild is more of an investigative service now, solving crimes, finding stolen goods, and protecting the people.  However, the Guild still suffers from a bad reputation stemming from their darker roots.Recently, the Theocracy passed a series of ordnances limiting the Aruspex Guild’s power even further.  Under the new regulations, Aruspex operations cannot be covert without Theocratic approval.  In addition, unless on an undercover operation, all Guilders must wear a uniform of black with gold trim that makes it easy for anyone to recognize who they are.  Even off-duty Guilders are required to wear a badge at all times.  Finally, once a covert operation turns up evidence, a special Theocratic committee must review the evidence before any arrests can be made.  The Guilders are of course unhappy over this turn of events, and many say that the new rules came about because Elder Barrin has finally achieved a majority of the vote.  Elder Barrin is known for opposing the arcane arts; his goals include the eventual outlawing of all magical powers and technology.The Church of Pure-TechnologyThe Pure-Techs, as they are known, are perhaps the second most powerful group in Argosy City.  Its leader, Elder Barrin, continually strives to coerce the other members of the Theocracy into voting his way on policy.  This makes Elder Barrin one of the most hated men among the public.The Pure-Techs belief is that God made mankind capable of building tools.  Those tools are part of humanity, and in fact are necessary.  However, when mankind joined science with mysticism, they broke one of the fundamental laws of the universe.  Arcane power is only gained from one source: demonic influence.  By opening themselves up to the power of magic, mankind turned his back on God.  God, therefore, destroyed earth and banished the survivors to this planet.  Few Pure-Techs are under the belief that Argosy City could survive without technology, however, every last one of them believes that only by letting go of arcane energy can mankind ever redeem himself in the eyes of God.The Pure-Techs are also among the most vocal and militant of the various groups.  They have led raids against manufacturing facilities, and don’t hesitate to bring charges of witchcraft against anyone they see using arcane tech or magic.  However, since the courts are all overseen by the Theocracy, and the Wardens of the Wall generally dislike the Pure-Techs, little come of the charges.Ironically, they do try to hire the Aruspex Guild for various tasks on a regular basis.  The Pure-Techs are among the wealthiest of Argosy’s citizens, and can afford the bribes necessary to buy a Guilders silence.  In fact, many of the Pure-Techs oppose Elder Barrin’s maneuvers because they would lose access to one of their most valuable tools if he were to get his way.Pure-Techs revel in showing off their status, and so wear expensive clothing.  They can always be found in close proximity to non-arcane technology.  Members of the church wear business suits.  Aside from a special collar they wear, it is difficult to tell a Pure-Tech from a businessman.The Priory of the FallenThis minor group has supporters in many places, but little power.  Anytime you enter an area owned by the Priory, the change from the rest of the city is dramatic.  Priory members believe that God punished mankind for reaching too far.  Arcane power is a devil’s deal, and man needs no tools they cannot make by hand.  The Priory has turned its back on technology and magic.  All technological items, arcane or not, must be left behind.  Further, anyone showing any sign of arcane power (spells, psionics, etc.) is asked to leave kindly but firmly.The Priory has made a deal with the Theocracy: In return for full ownership of their land without taxes, the Priory farms those lands to feed the city.  Priory members are hard workers, and are not prone to violence.  They respect everyone’s decisions and expect everyone to respect theirs.  They do not actively try to recruit new members, but if you ask a Priory member about his faith, he will be happy to tell you.  Priory members are rarely found outside their land, but they never have any signs of high technology about them.  Their clothes are simple, and even their transportation seems archaic by most people.The Wardens of the WallThe Wardens of the Wall are the closest Argosy has to an order of Knights.  Wardens are allowed any religion, though few are Pure-Techs.  Their job is simple, but far-reaching.  Wardens patrol the walls of Argosy city, keeping the primitives out.  They are defenders of the city, and the first to join a battle in its defense.  Also, the Wardens act as a police force.  They patrol the city and its outlying areas to control crime.The Wardens were formed by Marinek the Elder as an independent force specifically for the defense of the City.  They have a long and honorable tradition.  Wardens are revered by most of the population, for their job is difficult and often deadly.  Few Wardens live long enough to reach retirement, and of those that do, many take their weapons out into the wilderness to tame the wild and make things safe for all those within.Wardens are easy to spot in a crowd.  Their uniforms are deep blue, with various colored berets that show one’s rank within the organization.  The Wardens are also the only group with Theocratic authorization to carry their weaponry through the streets.  Anyone else must register with the Theocracy and pay a yearly fee.The ExpositorsExpositors claim no religious loyalties.  Their beliefs are almost as simple as those of the Priory of the Fallen.  They believe that no matter what happened before, the only way to prevent another disaster is to remember the past.  They spend their time either telling anyone who’ll listen stories of the past, and beseech anyone to pass on their knowledge.  They employ technology, but do not trust it to the ages.  Everything they learn they record in books.Expositors can be found anywhere.  There are no real uniforms or common forms of dress.  An expositor is usually the fellow who is telling tales to a throng of children, and their tales always carry a warning.  Expositors have heard of the Akashic memory, and many have traveled into the wilderness to seek a willing teacher.  So far, none have returned.God’s ChosenGod’s Chosen were people who lived in Argosy City years ago.  The Chosen were the ones who caused the schism that split many groups from Argosy.  The Chosen believe that God himself sent visions to several people, telling them that they would rule this new world once they had proven themselves to Him.  Those people were to eventually become the Council of the Chosen.Their claim that they were God’s chosen rulers put them at odds with Marinek’s Theocratic Council.  Before it was over, open rebellion ruled the streets and thousands died.  The Theocracy banished all who claimed to be one of God’s Chosen.  They left and founded Eden in the West.Unfortunately, their final choice of homes was near a volcano.  It is semi-dormant, and has not erupted since mankind arrived here.  However, it is a fount of chaotic energy.  It twists and corrupts bodies and minds.  The chosen believe that the mutations caused by this energy are proof of God’s favor.  After all, only God’s Chosen are given new abilities useful in ruling this world.  In the centuries since they left, they have become a twisted people.  There is one, though who calls himself the Archangel.  He has risen to power among his people, disbanding the original council and taking up a throne.  He claims that God speaks directly to him and tells him what to do and when.  He is using the chaotic energy of the fount to create his own version of arcane tech that he one day plans to use to conquer Argosy City.  Once there, he plans to use it as his palace, and strike out against the rest of the world.  He has enslaved many of the primitive cultures near Eden, and as a result could bring a very powerful army to bear.--------------------------------------------------------------------------On another note, I am finally getting to upgrade my system.  I'm going from a 333mhz machine to a 2Ghz Athlon.  However, I'm still having to recycle a few parts.  My machine will be down while I do the changeover.  I'm borrowing some RAM to do basic testing with, but It'll have to go back.  My system will be down until my own RAM shows up (about this time next week they say).  So if I don't get anything posted here before the changeover, don't give up. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  I'll keep tabs on this thread at the library.  I promise, I'll have written up more material in the meantime.  (Now having it typed up is a different matter altogether...<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />)</blockquote>

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