The Watchers of Night (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thewatchers) wrote2018-10-10 09:07 pm
thewatchers) wrote2018-10-10 09:07 pm
Entry tags:
CLANS, FAMILIES & ORGANIZATIONS
CLANS, FAMILIES & ORGANIZATIONS
Log Comm | Network Comm | OOC Comm | Navigation
While Secret Societies might be defined by certain commonalities, in truth just about all of them are heavily fragmented. From the various guilds and companies of the Rune Guard to the Vampire clans, each Secret Society hosts within it a number of disparate groups. This page tracks all player-created and game-revealed divisions within the various Secret Societies, and the PC members within them.
CANDLE SCHOOLS
Candles typically congregate in schools around a singular master who imparts their knowledge onto their students. Candle Schools often manifest their powers in similar ways.
Murakumo Organisation
Members: Emille
CONTRACTED COVEN
Those Contracted under the same Daemon often form covens which offer safe haven against Hunters and ways for them to hone their Daemon-granted powers together.
HUNTER CLANS
Some Hunters form larger clans, working together to achieve their goals. These hunters typically focus on dealing with specific types of supernatural threats such as Vampire Hunters or Mage Hunters.
The Belmont Clan
Members: Kokoro Belmont
Diogenes Club
Members: "Arthur Bell"/Sherlock Holmes
The Silver Chain
LYCANTHROPE CLANS
Lycanthropes typically develop their own clans based on the kind of affliction, werewolves congregating in one clan and werebears in another. Lycanthropic afflictions that manifest similarly often can be treated and controlled in similar fashions, and these clans allow Lycanthropes to master their curse.
Galra
Gongenzaka Steadfast Dojo
Members: Noboru Gongenzaka
MAGE FAMILIES
With Magic often passed through bloodline, Mages are typically devoted to their family lineage, with the family art being passed down from generation to generation and zealously guarded from outsiders.
Aegle Family
'Members': Adriel
Farkas Szívű Társadalom
Members: Rex Arany
House Cromwell
Members: Urtz Cromwell
House Gehring
Members: Ekkehardt Gehring
Rising Sun Coalition
Members: Goro Akechi
Shikyoin Family
Members: Hibiki Shikyoin
RUNE GUARD COMPANIES
Rune Guard companies might be groups of fighters or more mercantile ventures, but either way Rune Guard tend to group together into larger organized forces with their own specialties and place within the Secret Societies.
Autobots
Quill
Members: Gustav
TAMER COVENS
Tamers are among the least discriminating of Secret Society members, and usually group together with like-minded Tamers and focus on mastering their art together.
VAMPIRE CLANS
Vampires are extremely clan and status focused, with the bloodlines and generational status tracked with exquisite detail. Sub-castes within each particular clan are quite common.
To submit a group, fill out the form below and include the Secret Society in the subject line:
Rune Guard Companies
Group Description: A small, relatively new rune guild founded by Asimov with the intent to fight the incoming Nightfall. QUILL has a few operatives working in several different countries doing work, scouting out potential new Rune Inscriptionists, Mages, and especially Candles, looking to point them in the right direction so that their abilities can be seen through to their full potential. Additionally, they sometimes dispatch to areas where Outland forces may prove to be a threat to the world, with agents trained to fight back against it. Founded by a man named Asimov less than ten years ago, QUILL is a small outfit, but is one that is beginning to rise and pick up steam.
One of its core tenets is that magic and rune inscription should not remain secret from all of humanity for much longer; with the Nightfall coming, every available person should be ready to stand against the coming apocalypse. Runeguards especially have the power to equip and arm humans to stand a chance, and Asimov, the founder, intensely lobbies for the expansion of this equipment to more forces over time. Though QUILL has not acted on this belief, as it gets closer to Nightfall, they may be more likely to try. In this sense, they're somewhat militaristic, but have not yet caused any trouble or broken any special unspoken laws.
Members: Gustav (Gunvolt)
Mage Family
Group Description: A family of mages from Germany who became disgusted and disillusioned by the vicious power politics of wider mage society after surviving a bloody civil war. They abandoned their social standing and their former holdings, choosing instead to move into the uncharted wilds of the Outlands in order to use their powers for something more productive. They dedicated themselves to studying the Outlands, preparing for the coming Nightfall, and eliminating threats to innocent life wherever they could.
House Gehring's mages are most often known for their skill in healing and cursebreaking. They lend their support to hunter groups and runeguard companies they deem suitable for alliance, but they have no qualms with allying with - or offering protection to - the Outlands' less favoured inhabitants if they believe an injustice is being done.
When not fighting to make the Outlands safer at every turn, they're rumored to use their knowledge of mage families and other Outlands societies to monitor and ruthlessly dispatch key members who they deem as too corrupt or too cruel to let live. But it's just a rumor, probably.
Members: Ekkehardt Gehring
Lycanthrope Clan
Group Description: Officially considered a Lycanthrope clan, the Steadfast Dojo refers to itself as a Training Facility and Care Center located to the north in Honshu (the main island of Japan). They're equipped with fenced grounds and rooms not only for affected lycans to take refuge in, but for the recently bit- those who, with quick treatment using runic techniques, can potentially escape the curse entirely.
The dojo was founded two generations prior, after the 'clan head' was bitten by a werebear; though his wife and son were spared the curse, he became determined to keep them safe- and indeed, anyone around them- by any means. These teachings are what defines the Steadfast Dojo. Using the simple art of meditation and control focused training regimens, lycans who attend and work with the dojo may not necessarily be safe during the full moon- but they are certainly more capable of controlling themselves before it draws too near. Born weres with the dojo have an even greater success rate; the claim goes that part of this is due to not forcing a transformation to never happen, but instead focusing on mental strength during. The trade off seems to be that their forms are typically more 'normal', or 'animal-like'. While above-human strength is certainly witnessed, and most weres exhibit bestial senses during the day, their forms are typically closer to their true size- if not even exact.
At the moment, the Clan and Dojo head is a role split between Gongenzaka Senior (Noboru's father), and his wife, a bitten werebear; the latter has more sway over other lycans during the evenings, due to instinct. Gongenzaka Senior is the one who manages runic techniques, and makes a great effort to teach those attending the dojo from a very young age. It might not be something that can be employed on the spot, but the knowledge can make a difference.
Members of the Steadfast Dojo can be identified by a set of solid steel geta- which are said to represent the dedication to remain grounded- and a symbolic coloured sash (red for young ones within the clan, yellow for new initiates or those given recent warnings, white for standard members above the age of 11, and lastly black for a 'master', or 'teacher' within the clan)- which represents restraint. They are, officially, a somewhat small clan; primarily a handful of werebears, with a small few weres of other sorts among 2 to 3 runic trainees and assistants to Gongenzaka Sr.
Members: Noboru Gongenzaka
Mage Clan
Group Description:
An organisation of Mages based in Hungary but known throughout the world, the Farkas family controls the Farkas Szívű Társadalom but consists of several other families that serve them, occasionally seeking out new potential recruits. Within the society, the Farkas operate like royalty with the head being considered a King or Queen and the rest receiving appropriate titles. Slavish devotion to the Farkas is expected of both the society in general and the family itself, with the quality of being willing to sacrifice anything for the group being considered the height of nobility. Thus the fact that the greatest Mage the Farkas ever produced, Princess Nora Farkas, was entirely self-centred and ran off to have adventures for the sake of adventure, is something of a shame to the family.
The society is extremely dedicated to their vision of protecting themselves and the world, with a fearsome but noble reputation as befits their name. It has been historically common for them to attack and absorb other magical societies in duels and displays of power, often because they feel those societies have crossed a line... or using that as an excuse to steal secrets. They have few allies in the magical community due to this historic aggression and are often considered arrogant, but with a well earned a reputation for being formidable in battle.
Members:
Rex is a prince of the society, but neither he or the society knows it.
no subject
Group Description: A group of primarily mages a with significant amount of sociopolitical influence. Originally based in Japan, they've gained international connections as the looming threat of Nightfall has become more immediate. Though technically an alliance, each member is primarily hoping to use the others' resources to benefit themselves, and sees sharing of their own as the price to pay. They are entirely willing to resort to illegal and amoral methods, up to and including murder, to achieve their goals.
Currently, their leader seeks to undermine Daybreak Academy so that he can step in and be the one to lead the world through Nightfall and out the other side.
Members: Goro Akechi
Quasi-Government Agency / Hunter Society?
Group Description: Once a social club for anti-social gentlemen during the Victorian era and outwardly a society for the betterment of libraries, in reality it's a secret organization set up by high ranking members of the British Government to track, document, and identify Supernatural threats to England, and are especially concern with Nightfall.
They pass along intelligence about possible threats to more capable, more secretive branches of the government and potential allies including Daybreak - and thus the majority of their members are supernaturally-aware but ordinary humans, though a few candles, mages, and one singular vampire have membership in this "Club".
Members: "Arthur Bell" (Sherlock Holmes, perpetual member)
Mage Family
Group Description: The Aegle Family was once a well-respected Mage family tasked with the goal of keeping a particularly nasty and powerful Daemon sealed so he could no longer devour the souls of the living. They eventually found a way to seal said Daemon but the seal required the sacrifice of a life every twenty years to keep it going and, frankly, all of them were cowards. So the Aegle Family found a ritual that allowed them to create life that they dubbed "angels", which they sacrificed to the Daemon as needed. Sadly the "power" over life started to swell the Family's egos far too much and eventually the Daemon was able to twist their minds by offering great power in exchange for creating more angels for him to use as playthings. The Aegle Family soon abandoned their duty and moved to the Outlands, worshiping the Daemon as their God.
Members: No current player characters. Nekane was created by the Aegle Family but fiercely rejects having anything to do with them (aside from tracking the Family's movements.)
Hunter Clan
Group Description: The Belmont clan has been established for centuries, largely hunting any Vampires or Daemons who cause trouble for humanity. The current heir went missing a number of years ago, but there are members and branches spread all around. They keep good relationships with a number of Rune Guard guilds.
Members: Kokoro Belmont
Hunter Clan
Group Description: Located...somewhere in the eastern US, the Silver Chain is a clan that, instead of focusing directly on supernatural threats, focuses its attention on dealing with other organizations that have been found to be a threat to their fellow humans (such as by supporting Nightfall, actively working with Daemons, etc). This has unsurprisingly earned them a number of enemies, and the clan's members are aware of this, frequently relocating as to avoid putting any individual place at risk for collateral damage for too long.
Unlike some other clans, the Chain isn't comprised of individuals all from the same family, but instead it's a small number of individual families, friends or allies that have united with a common goal. As such, its members and their individual skillsets are all quite varied.
Members: Rebecca Fulton is indirectly associated with the Chain; she is not a member at this point in time, but her parents are.
Mage Family
Group Description: An affluent Mage family based in Japan but with international influence, especially in Europe. Rather than focusing on one individual branch of Magecraft, each member pursues their own ideal of magical Perfection. The head of the family also takes an interest in education, including that of the mundane classes, and has founded and funded schools across the globe. (It's rumored he does this primarily because he enjoys coming up with elaborate rulebooks for others to follow.)
The Shikyoins at large are known for being cliquish, even by Mage standards, but also for throwing really fab parties for those fortunate or high-class enough to receive an invitation. Indeed, the Shikyoins actively seek to cultivate a rarified sphere where there's no chance any of them might run into anything lacking in elegance or quality. If the pursuit of magic is the pursuit of perfection, why risk exposure to anything less?
For all the airs the family puts on, they're a little awed by their heir, who has seen fit to not only excel at her magical studies but also to become a movie star on the side. (They're possibly a little confused, too, but nobody's going to say that. Particularly not since Hibiki's star power gains them additional sway.) Their desire to hobnob with only the Best People also means it's likely that members of other rich and hoity-toity families may either be related to the Shikyoins or, at the very least, invited to their grand soirees.
Members: Hibiki Shikyoin
Mage Family
Group Description: A once small but nevertheless influential mage family. Closely allied with House Gehring, House Cromwell valued working towards a brighter future. They disagreed with the notion that magic should be kept a secret from the general public. Though they were never the largest family in Britain, they gained a name for themselves due to their uncanny luck and wealth, surviving many incidents that might have taken out other families and funding many magical institutions such as Daybreak Academy. However, eventually their assets and notoriety proved to be their undoing. Many mage families joined forces and worked together take the family down.
As of the last few years, however, House Cromwell has recently made a return. The house was rebuilt and the family as a whole was reinstated and stronger than ever. Also several noteworthy mage families were absorbed into the new House Cromwell upon its return, with others having been dismantled during the years prior.
How strange. Probably unrelated, though.
Members: Urtz Cromwell
Government Organization & Candle School?
Group Description: The Murakumo Organization is a secret branch of the Japanese government headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For the past several centuries, Murakumo has specialized in training humans with S-rank physical and magical skills in order to protect Japan from any type of supernatural threat. Each year, an entrance examination is held for any aspiring members. This exam varies each year, depending on what needs Murakumo has at that time. Potential exams include exterminating daemons or magic duels. Those who may not want to be on the front lines but are gifted with useful S-rank abilities are also considered, but usually only if there is an opening in an internal area such as research, Unit navigation, or weapon/armorsmithing.
Anyone who is accepted into Murakumo with the intent to fight is allowed to choose a Class to specialize in, or a path of study for learning skills. Physically attuned Murakumo may choose to become sword-wielding Samurai, Destroyers who specialize in martial arts, or speedy assassin Tricksters. Magically gifted Murakumo tend to become Psychics, masters of elemental and healing powers. Hackers are techno whizzes, and even S-rank singers can be given a microphone and a stage costume to become an Idol, who sings and shouts encouragement to their teammates. Each Class is taught by Murakumo leaders to learn the same set of skills, but each person is allowed to pick and choose which skills they wish to master and make their own.
Every fighter is placed into a group of three people called a Unit. Units are required to go on missions together with the aid of a Navigator located back at Murakumo HQ, who will use advanced computer software to scan the area and guide the Unit to their destination safely. The members of the Unit are expected to compliment each others' Classes and eventually grow into an unstoppable force forged by experience and camaraderie.
In the past few decades, Murakumo has seen less pure S-rank candidates show up at their recruitment exams, instead noticing that these hopefuls have more varied powers than they had ever seen before. These Candles tend to have abilities that are close enough to S-rank powers that Murakumo is able to loosely grant them Classes and form Units with them, but they also encourage the Candles to experiment with their Flame powers outside the confines of their given Class.
The Murakumo Organization, as a governmental body specializing in managing the supernatural, has had a supportive partnership with Daybreak Academy for many years. Murakumo has and still would not hesitate to send warriors to learn at Daybreak, or to assist the school in any way. There has consistently been a Murakumo representative present on the faculty roster at Daybreak to help solidify their relationship and keep watch over any enrolled students with Murakumo ties.
Members: Emille (Murakumo faculty representative; scientist)
no subject
Group Description: A family headed by Turlough Domhan, an influential and powerful magus family. In recent years, they've struck it very, very rich- Through the creation and sales of powerful magic items, and more mundane industrialism, mostly. However, suspiciously, their rivals fell ill, or were bought out, or had a series of accidents, as though fortune was siding with them.
In truth, they have made deals with the Fair Folk for prosperity, but in the past few years, it seems their relations have soured.
Members: Ruadh Speir (disowned)
Contracted Coven
Group Description: Far into the distant past, the Arcarum was once known as a powerful and wise coven of Seers. Wielding both acute foresight and a powerful contract with the otherworld, legend says that they could weave fate itself into whatever form they desired. They lived in secrecy on the secluded Sephira Isle, a treacherous island off the coast of France that would later gain a reputation for missing persons. Little is known of the Arcarum's history or origins beyond these tales, however, and scholars question whether they even truly existed or if they were simply a legend spun around the mystery of the island. Whatever the case may be, it's general agreed that the Seers themselves, if they did exist, must be long dead by now, and whatever secrets they left behind must still be buried somewhere on Sephira.
Within the past few decades new tales have begun to emerge about the Arcarum: rumours of the ancient coven's return, and a new prophecy claiming that the coming of Night will bring about a new world through the destruction of the old. Likeminded cults have latched onto these claims as evidence, and some even say that they've assisted the Arcarum directly in their efforts to prepare for the coming battle. Though they've managed to keep their movements and plans a secret up until now, what's certain is that this new Arcarum is an enemy of Daybreak and, if the legends are to be believed, poses a significant threat to humanity's survival.
Members: Caim
Mage Family
Group Description: An old family of necromancers focused on the art of skeleton raising and bone manipulation. They are a small family nowadays, less distinguished than their peers in the other numbered Houses.
The Ninth House was long ago assigned the duty of guarding a cavern called the Locked Tomb. It is said to contain within it something dark that can bring about Nightfall. Over the years, the Tomb has become something of a sacred place among the Ninth, who regard it with religious respect.
Members: Harrowhark