[center][hr][center][i][h2]Factions of Interest[/h2][/i][/center] [hr] [hider=The Vanguard] [color=lightgreen][b]Name[/b][/color] The Vanguard [b][color=lightgreen]Race/Faction[/color][/b] Soldiers tasked with protecting the throne [color=lightgreen][b]Age[/b][/color] Founded 356 years ago [color=lightgreen][b]Motivation[/b][/color] To protect the royal throne and the country as a whole. [color=lightgreen][b]History[/b][/color] The Vanguard has been around for several hundred years, and to do their history justice would take more time than available to describe. Some of the most important events however are these: In the beginning, the Vanguard was a small guild devoted to being highly skilled mercenaries who worked out of Tricaelia, however in their 15th year of founding the then King, King Byron Reise Tricaelian, hired them to act as bodyguards to his daughter Princess Ameliadae, who was considered the most beautiful woman in her time, from being kidnapped by a group of renegades during a rebellion. After protecting her for 16 years faithfully, King Byron rehired them as the personal bodyguards for the entire royal family. 20 years later, and the group had grown into the military during the war with Druitar. Their abilities on the battlefield had thrown everyone into madness. After destroying the front lines they began to give Tricaelia the upper hand leading to the first signing of the peace with Druitar and Tricaelia, Queen Ameliadae being extremely proud of her warriors and bestowing on them lands and influence above most of the present forces and guilds. After being elevated in such a way they began recruiting people directly from the military and the provost's (to clarify, the police.) and rotating them between whatever war front (if applicable) and patrolling the streets. Unlike most elite groups they did not prevent commoners from entering their group, however the prejudice did exist and the majority of individuals remained nobles' second sons or the lower houses. For the next 200 years the Vanguard held up as the strongest force on Vraca (the continent this takes place in) and have only increased the rigor of training and expectation. At this time, there is no [i]known[/i] force that is more powerful. [hr] [color=lightgreen][b]Strengths[/b][/color] The Vanguard are an elite force of swordsmen and shield-bearers, experienced fighters who know both the front lines of war, and patrol in the mean streets of the poorest neighborhoods. On top of that, they are trained in disaster relief and first aid, they are the first teams sent out in reaction to national emergencies. A select few are trained in counter measures of magic work and know most of the common ways of preventing or subverting magic. [color=lightgreen][b]Weaknesses[/b][/color] The Vanguard tends to follow the King blindly. Some are steadfastly loyal and unquestioning towards the king, some are more aware of the consequences of that mindset. They are also the most prejudiced against magic users on a more general level, which pits them against most magical groups and guilds. [hr] [color=lightgreen][b]What is your Faction's greatest flaw?[/b][/color] They follow the King without hesitation or question. While the people who are a part of the Vanguard are not evil, they commit acts that would be recognized as such if not for their protection from moral questioning by those who are dead. [hr] [/hider] [hider=The Veiled Ones/Shrikanti] [color=yellow][b]Name[/b][/color] The Veiled Ones [b][color=yellow]Race/Faction[/color][/b] Shrikanti/Mistos [color=yellow][b]Age[/b][/color] Unknown, but it has lasted much longer than Tricaelia. [color=yellow][b]Motivation[/b][/color] To remove Tricaelia's control from the deserts of their homeland and more specifically out of Laralel the Pearl by the Ocean. That is all they care about. They could care less about what happens in Tricaelia. [color=yellow][b]Description[/b][/color] A race of people currently living in the Desert to the West of the Kingdom, with the majority of their people living in Laralel, The Pearl by the Ocean. They're a mostly nomadic tribe, however, they have 3 major cities. They are traders with an unknown amount of wealth. Sometimes an over-abundance. Sometimes they cannot feed their children. They travel throughout the Lands and trade with different peoples. Their weaving is considered extremely valuable and the Court Ladies in Tricaelia compete to have the cloth. However, they have their own fighting and magic systems. They use a curved sword and a form of martial arts that is based on dance movements to strike the enemy down. They are fast and graceful. Men become warriors. Their women become witches. their magic is curses, minor healings, and drawing water up from the ground or out of the air. They work in groups, no single Witch will attempt to take a group of enemies down, however, they could. (If you want to play a male who uses magic or female who uses a sword that is not forbidden but they'd be kind of an outcast to society at large). They worship Sol, the Life Giver and Death Bringer. Shrikant, Desert wind. Macea, the lady of the Oasis. Basic religious ideology is that Sol is neither male nor female, but the creator of Shrikant and Macea who came together and gave birth to the world at large. There is some sexism within their culture however, they have female tribal leaders and the Witch covens have power throughout their people. [color=yellow][b]History[/b][/color] Unknown, as they have little to no written history. [hr] [color=yellow][b]Strengths[/b][/color] A hardy people who know suffering, but have not fallen to it. They are warriors who know how to go days in the worst of conditions, without food or water, and still fight at the end of it. Mothers who can feed their children with nothing but sand to see for miles. But they are also merchants and traders, knowing the value of things in an almost intrinsic way. They also have a rich oral tradition, though they do have writing even if not everyone knows how to write. [color=yellow][b]Weaknesses[/b][/color] They are extremely insular, and have an us versus them mentality. Anyone who does not fit the mold is considered an enemy and will be held at arms length. They are poor more often than rich, so their city is literally built from canvas and twine, their people hunger and knowledge is scarce and is considered a valuable commodity to the point that individuals do horde it at the cost of others' loss. [hr] [color=yellow][b]What is your Faction's greatest flaw? [/b][/color] Their insular nature makes trade, their livelihood, much more difficult than it needs to be. Unlike most groups that deal with barter and goods they can't open their arms to new peoples and short themselves in the long run. To survive this mentality must change. [hr] [/hider] [hider=The Ouroboros] [color=DarkRed][b]Name[/b][/color] The Ouroboros [b][color=DarkRed]Race/Faction[/color][/b] Mystic cannibalistic wizards [color=DarkRed][b]Age[/b][/color] Founded 290 years ago. [color=DarkRed][b]Description[/b][/color] An organization that is held to be myth by most, few believe in their existence, and of those who do believe they exist even fewer believe the stories about cannibalism and leader who has lived for the entirety of it's existence. Even fewer believe that they are capable of instigating a war between Tricaelia and them thinking they are to weak to do such a thing. They are shrouded in mystery and speculation, but what is known about them rivals expectations. The Ouroboros have a hierarchical order. Scales = Outer defense/first layer of security. Generally weak or non magic users who aren't aware they are part of Ouroboros. Bandits, thieves, and small gangs that act as the footsoldiers and scouts. Bones = the support. Healers, or merchants who support the organization through various actions. Liver = The individuals tasked with the dirty work. THey clean up the messes and deal with internal conflicts. The cleaners and internal affairs for the operation Heart = The instinct and emotional driven members. Some of the most powerful are located here. However, they are young or inexperienced. Some have been driven insane by the abilities of the Ouroboros. Throat = The orators, and "voices" of the group. They strike the deals, they instigate war, they know what to say when to say it, and who to say it to. The Teeth = 32 members of offensive powerhouses who's positions can only be lost through death. Even if they betray the organization (which wouldn't happen.) They would remain as a Tooth of the Ouroboros, however....the liver might just have a nice little meal later that evening. The Eyes and The Ears = A four-member team acting as the knowledge gatherers. They are the greatest diviners and spies. Each takes the right or left position one eye and one ear. One skilled in the physical, one in the magical. However, do not underestimate any of them. They're all powerful by themselves. The Brain = The defacto leader of the organization. She holds all knowledge and controls all actions. She is immortal in thought and deed. Infallible and perfect. However, she is endlessly hungry and incapable of self-control. She is held in check by the Head (The combined power of The Teeth and The Eyes and Ears.) and tempered by the Heart. The Tail is a core knowledge in the Ouroboros in the ranks from Liver up through Brain. We consume ourselves until the end of time, to be reborn anew in shapes we never knew. All can rise, and All can fall. Not one member can remain where they are indefinitely, and more importantly...The Head's duty is to watch over the rest of the Ouroboros util the end of time. Not one member is without value, all will take their turn in the Stomach. The Stomach = A group removed from the hierarchy of the organization. They prepare the individuals so that specific skills, knowledge, or mental states can be drawn out of the flesh and be imbued into the bodies of those to take their place. A member of the Ouroboros will eventually become the meal of Ouroboros, and the Brain is one who has devoured each and every position and has grown to know all of the Ouroboros and lived the lives of a Thousand Men. But even she will fall to the blades of the Stomach. [color=DarkRed][b]Motivation[/b][/color] To bring Tricaelia into a state of chaos, and further their own magic [color=DarkRed][b]History[/b][/color] The Ouroboros are a very mysterious and isolated people. More will be revealed as IC develops. [hr] [color=DarkRed][b]Strengths[/b][/color] As powerful magic users they have collected, through various means, one of the most vast collections of magical and historical knowledge. On top of that, while specific individuals within the order are not immortal their knowledge and skills are not lost, just passed on to the next to take their place. With some of the best information gathering techniques currently available to them, they are more aware of movements by their enemies than those enemies could expect. [color=darkred][b]Weaknesses[/b][/color] On the downside, as powerful magic users, they are weak when it comes to physical actions. While they can use their magic to sort most of these types of problems, magic does have its limits and they can't reach beyond those limits. ON top of that they've learned to value the life of humans lowly, including their own, believing that their "reincarnation" is a path to eternal life, which leads to them taking risky steps they otherwise shouldn't. Most importantly, they can not find common ground with the people and without that, they'll only ever be half successful in their endeavors. [hr] [color=darkred][b]What is your faction's greatest flaw? [/b][/color] They are monsters in thought and deed however they do believe that they need to fix" everything that was done wrong by the Tricaelian kings. [hr] [/hider] [hider=The Woodsmen] [color=007236]Name: [/color]The Woodsmen [color=007236]Race/Faction:[/color] The Kingdom of Tricaelia [color=007236]Age:[/color] 300 years [color=007236]Description:[/color] The Woodsmen is a guild essentially of scouts/spies, and keeping the peace. Despite its long lasting presence, it has remained relatively small because of how they operate. However the size of the guild is unknown to anyone. Even the king. It’s also rumored other branches of the guild have gone out, and they operate worldwide. [color=007236]Motivation:[/color] They look to the future of the kingdom, all they do is in service to that goal. [color=007236]History:[/color] The Woodsmen’s history is covered with mystery, no one really remembers how they came to be, But the only thing known for fact is they started in Tricealia. They keep meticulous records of everything that happens in the kingdom. This vault, which holds all this knowlege is unknown to anyone but a handful of higher ranked Woodsmen. They trade knowledge often with other branches around the world. They have a headquarters somewhere outside of the capital. [color=007236]Strengths:[/color] With three hundred years of making connections and keeping meticulous records, they almost always have leverage over some Lord or another. Their abilities to keep secrets on their numbers and whereabouts and operations makes them a dangerous group because of the unknown factor. They are legendary archers, and masters of stealth. [color=007236]Weakness:[/color] Because their secrecy, they've gotten a dark reputation as black magic Sorcerers. Most of the commoners and lords fear them because of that. While it can be considered a strength, it does make it hard to gain trust at times. [color=007236]What is your guild's greatest flaw?[/color] Their secrecy hinders their growth, and building trust. [/hider] [hider=Good Magic guild] [h1]*COMING SOON*[/h1] Any questions come to us![/hider] [hider=The Royal Inquisition] [center] [color=ed1c24][b]Name:[/b][/color] The Royal Inquisition [color=ed1c24][b]Race/Faction:[/b][/color] The Kingdom of Tricaelia [b][color=ed1c24]Age: [/color][/b] As old as the kingdom itself [b][color=ed1c24]Description:[/color][/b] The Royal Inquisition is (along with the soldiers and town militias) the king’s tool to maintain the law. The inquisitors function as both crime investigators and judges, allowed to use any methods necessary to reach their goals. Those methods usually include kidnappings, threats to friends or family or inventive ways of torturing people. The inquisition mainly targets those who pose a threat to the king or the kingdom – rebels, agitators or just the people who would badmouth the king or sing a banned song on their way home from the inn. [b][color=ed1c24]Motivation:[/color][/b] To protect the king and the stability of the kingdom from any inside threats [b][color=ed1c24]History:[/color][/b] The inquisition’s history is tightly bound to the history of Tricaelia – the organization was founded shortly after the kingdom has been established, originally as a neutral force to investigate common crimes like theft and murder, while the judicial power was still within the hands of the local nobility. Throughout the time, the situation has changed several times, depending on the current king’s view. At some points in history, the inquisition was almost all-powerful with the authority to arrest, interrogate and sentence people, another time it was merely a small group of people scattered around the kingdom who helped the barons determine the truth in some criminal cases. Right now, during the reign of king Willum, the inquisition is going through its golden ages. Powered by ruler’s ambitions and paranoia, the funds and authorities granted to the organization are nearly endless. No one is safe from its reach. [b][color=ed1c24]Strengths: [/color][/b] Support from the king, which means a lot of funding and authorities. The inquisitors are held with respect everywhere and have power over most people. A lot of manpower. Aside from a number of newly accepted apprentices, the inquisition has several skilled, experienced and, above all, trustworthy members. [b][color=ed1c24]Weakness: [/color][/b] Feared and hated by the common folk. While this works as a strength sometimes, mostly it just means people are less likely to cooperate with them willingly. [b][color=ed1c24]What is your guild's greatest flaw? [/color][/b] Black-and-white view of the world. King’s word is the law, regardless of whether it makes sense or is it unnecessary cruel, the inquisition will always follow and punishes anyone who doesn’t. [/center] [/hider] [/center]