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Power Factions: The Order of the Vine.

Posted by The One True KeeperFor group 0
The One True Keeper
GM, 16 posts
Tue 22 Oct 2019
at 23:36
  • msg #1

Power Factions: The Order of the Vine

THE ORDER of the VINE

The Order of the Vine is a loosely related grouping of nature-worshiping Pagans. The Pagans represent the forces of nature and retrogression in the City and the wilds beyond. As nature worshipers, Pagans generally live in the deep forests away from the City since they shun any form of technology or structured society. They live in harmony with the wild, though some say they even cavort with the supernatural creatures spawned by their Trickster god. Their god is known by many names, even among Pagans and strives to seize man’s control of the land and return all manner of life to its pre-civilized beginnings. The Trickster is a deity of chaos, nature, elements, dreams and fear.

Pagans despise the ordinary people of the City, though none more so than the Hammerites. The diametric tenets of these Orders are obvious and their animosity for each other is legendary. Pagans are bestial warriors, sublime spellcasters and experts at stealth and subterfuge in their ongoing campaign to undermine and subvert the City. At any moment there are a number of small pockets of Pagans within the City, sabotaging everything from the sewer systems to the construction of new buildings to the line of wash you just hung to dry. Though these groups are generally small and disorganized, on rare occasions larger forces of Pagans enter the City unseen and enact a rampage of destructive vandalism. While their actions are deliberately disruptive and their methods are seldom subtle, the Pagans do not generally focus on life threatening activities where common folk are concerned. However, as they view occupants of the City and its civilized surroundings as trespassers in their natural world, they care little if someone does suffer by their doing.

Pagans have no hierarchy or established line of command, nor do they believe in the importance of social status.  Most often Pagans will refer to individuals simply by their Pagan name, though occasionally a priest or priestess will become notable enough within the religion to be identified by a past action or characteristic.  These titles are not representative of any ranking or order among the religion, but simply personal monikers.  While they are considered by many to be completely insane, Pagans are in fact simply following what they believe is the chaotic nature of their god.  This makes their activities exceedingly difficult to predict, much to the chagrin of the Hammerite Church.

Though fully aware of all the modern advancements which provide the comforts and security those in the City enjoy, Pagans instead make a conscious choice to shun them and instead live in virtual Stone Age conditions.  In the wild, Pagans are masters of camouflage.  Using bits of grass, leaves, moss and sticks they blend into the woodlands they favor almost perfectly.  Tattoos are very common, as is body painting and body modification.  Their decorative designs are often readily visible as the Pagans care little for clothing beyond that necessary for survival.  Some travel stark naked, while others may don a minimum of garments for protection from the elements or in an attempt to infiltrate the City.  What they do wear is either taken directly from the land as animal skins and furs or is stolen as they produce virtually nothing themselves.  Items such as clothing that is stolen by the Pagans most often ends up partially destroyed and then pieced back together to form something different.  Pagans are almost entirely uneducated and speak in a halting, Pidgin English though a handful can read and write.

Despite their refusal to make use of modern armor or weapons, nature has honed and hardened these people just as it does wild animals. They are savage, brutal and unrelenting in their desire to return the world to its dark past. Some Pagans have physical abnormalities such as a wrong number of fingers on one hand, odd looking teeth, differently colored eyes or even deformities that appear similar to primal features like horns or tails. These are just as likely to have been misinterpreted pieces of their disguises. Whether their Trickster god bestows such features or not is debatable and the Pagans will gladly mislead or confuse any who ask.

Folk of the City know little about the Pagans due to the Order’s subversive agendas and animistic lifestyle.  Considered by most to be only a step above the animals with which they associate, much of the City underestimates their cunning intelligence and vicious tenacity. This lack of direct knowledge is also used by the Pagans to spread fear and misinformation. Common perceptions of Pagans by City dwellers include the ability to speak with animals and the practice of human sacrifice.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:22, Wed 23 Oct 2019.
The One True Keeper
GM, 17 posts
Wed 23 Oct 2019
at 00:04
  • msg #2

Power Factions: The Order of the Vine

PERSONALITIES WITHIN THE FACTION

Unlike the Hammers, Pagans have no care for accolades or titles and any personal notoriety is no more than a byproduct of serving their Trickster god, never a goal. As such, very little is known about individual Pagans beyond a handful of names and a couple stories.

Aderyn
Ashling
Boyd the Bloody: an infamously savage warrior, bare-handedly fought of four Hammer priests
Brenna
Cailan
Cairine: a suspected go between that frequents the City to steal food
Caley Many Berries
Catriona
Danan
Doran the Singer: a known mimic, able to imitate animal calls as well as human voices
Dyan
Dymphna
Edan
Eithne
Eryn: believed to be the daughter of a City Lord, stolen at birth
Black Farriss: actively hunted by the Hammers, tattooed or painted black from head to foot
Glenna
Gwyn
Hagen
Iestin
Iolyn: deceased, mate to Black Farriss, killed by Hammers during a raid in the sewers
Jaryn
Long-legged Lachlan
Mabon
Malvina of the Red Trail
Morwenna
Neala
Senach: said to have talons like an eagle’s, able to climb anything
Torin the Wanderer
Una
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:04, Wed 23 Oct 2019.
The One True Keeper
GM, 18 posts
Wed 23 Oct 2019
at 00:16
  • msg #3

Power Factions: The Order of the Vine

TRAITS of the PAGANS

- Pagans employ all manner of camouflage, which in the wild is quite effective, but is not always removed in the City. This is not because they are stupid and don’t realize that it won’t work, it’s because they consider it part of their clothing, and feel almost naked without the feel of leaves and grass on their skin. Care is taken to conceal themselves from the Hammers and the City Watch, but somewhere on their person will often be bits of nature.
- Pagans spend little time on grooming and will often have wild, unruly hair, scraggly beards and be layered in weeks of sweat and dirt. Their odor is not particularly foul however and may even be tinged with the scent of pine or a hint of damp vegetation.
- Some Pagans have physical deformities or abnormalities which generally impede them greatly but are quite unnatural, such as a wrong number of fingers on one hand, teeth similar to an animal’s, differently colored eyes, etc.
- One pagan was seen with a hive of wasps that had been constructed directly onto his body, covering half of one arm and part of his torso. Amazingly it did not hamper his movements and the swarm seemed content with their travelling home.
- They often cover their bodies with tattoos, both permanent and temporary, wear animal pelts or sometimes nothing at all, clothing is usually stolen and ripped up to be reformed into something entirely different.
- They make great use of traps and snares, though most effectively in the wild.
- Pagans have no metalworking skills and use almost no metal. Weapons are commonly constructed of bone or stone and they will use bark, rough vines and wood to construct armor and shields
- The rituals conducted by Pagans are dark, secretive and said to be especially brutal; including the sacrifice of food, any valuable items or materials stolen from Hammers or the City and possibly even humans.
The One True Keeper
GM, 19 posts
Wed 23 Oct 2019
at 00:20
  • msg #4

Power Factions: The Order of the Vine

QUOTES from PAGAN BELIEFS

While Pagans produce little in the way of written works, bits and pieces of their erratic tenets have been scribbled down by the handful of their folk with the ability to do so.

"Blind is the manfools, they gathers up treasures and greeders themselves on gold rocks and fetters, The Woodsie One wreaks thems with lilacs and nettles and gathers theys bones for His porridge and feathers." - Text Unattributed, Sumac on Parchment

"Danced we in joys and triumphs. With us the Woodsie Lord danced the stringsie foolsie man, Rose the storms in shouty glee, the darkness in feary glooms, the fires in happy greed.  Danced we away, and fed the sad stringsie manfool to their devourings for our thanks." - Final fragment of Pagan manuscript

“I am The Woodsie Lord, The Trickster of legend! If you be thirsty, fleshthing, drink of me. If you be hungry, then feed for I am the honeymaker and the jacksberry!” - etched on a piece of birch bark

"Bricky roads they trappers grass, stony walls they trappers wind, iron stove they trappers fire.  Trappers is we by the works of hands, And forget us we were ever free..." - Inked grass scroll

"To us him bes the Trickster, sometimes the gillsweet, sometimes the bear, but to thems that carry the Hammer, him bes them worming death." – anonymous, painted on Hammer Cathedral wall

"Drinks them meads and be merried, before them Harvester comers for you" - Pagan song, author unknown
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