47 VILLAINOUS

CULTS, ORDERS AND

GUILDS
To thwart your heroes

JANUARY 12, 2015

BLACKSTONE ENTERTAINMENT, INC
 47 VILLAINOUS PLOTS

47 Villainous Cults, Orders, and Guilds to

Thwart Your Heroes

Weary from their long journey back home, our heroes stopped at the
threshold of Old Hogge’s Tavern at the edge of town. Climbing the rickety
old porch, they spotted the now-too familiar sigil of the Cult of the Eternal
Flame carved deeply upon the tavern’s door. Though it was not the first time
they had seen the red sigil, it was its presence here on the door of their
familiar old stomping ground – the very tavern that brought them together
those many years ago – that gave them pause.

The Cult had only grown in number since the end of the war, and now
it seemed to be everywhere. Its temples were growing in number, and
everywhere the great, ever-burning fires could be seen towering above the
city walls.

Morinn, the party’s ranger, reached towards the door, only to find it
pulled opened from the inside by a strange robed man. Pausing to inspect the
group of weary travelers with discerning eyes, he shook his head, making a
gesture with his tattooed hand. With a dismissive tone, he warned them off.

“Be gone, outsiders. Only those who bear the mark may come within
these walls. Seek out your own kind in lands where the Warmth of Holy Fire
is unknown…”

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I. Cults

1. The Fangs of Talithan:

Overview: This cult is made up of devotees and followers of a moon
goddess, whose worship has been outlawed for centuries, though few people
seem to be able to remember why. They meet in secret in moonlit glades, and give
blood sacrifices in dark rituals. Their leader, a priestess calling herself Raenwyn,
now seeks to increase the cult’s membership any way possible.
Aims: The moon goddess’ cult was banished centuries ago by a group of
heroes who learned their terrible secret: the leaders of the cult were actually
werewolves, and their aim was to quietly infect enough victims with lycanthropy
to rise to power. Unfortunately, one of the heroes, Talithan, was infected during
the final battle, and his lover Raenwyn hid this fact from the others out of fear
that they would turn on him as well. She kept him hidden for years, even tricking
Talithan into infecting her with his curse so that she could better keep him
hidden and protected. When he found out what she had done, he revealed
himself to his former allies out of grief; they slew him, and chased after Raenwyn
for many years, never able to track her down. After many centuries, the crusade
against werewolves died down, and Raenwyn has since decided that she no
longer wishes to live in fear. She began infecting more and more victims, slowly
building up a veritable army of werewolves.
Strength: The Fangs of Talithan number about a dozen currently, though
each new initiate they infect increases that number. Eventually, they will be
numerous enough to begin forcing others to bear their curse through attacks on
whole villages, rather than secretly and slowly recruiting individuals to their
cause.

2. The Grey Brothers:

Overview: This is a powerful secret cult primarily made up of soldiers

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guarding a castle on the border regions of your realm. They are fiercely and
zealously loyal to their master Zeon, a fallen priest who believes that the end of
the world is approaching, and wants the men to ready themselves by secretly
building an army to help guard them and their families.
Aims: Zeon uses his position and influence to get the soldiers in this castle
to direct any unwary travelers or PCs to their doom towards the nearby caves,
enticing them with tales of treasure or ancient magic. The unwary victims make
their way into the caves, where wave upon wave of undead and traps await them.
They fight their way as far as they are able, finding whatever treasures or items
they were told would be there. Once they make their way back towards the castle,
Zeon springs his own trap – an ambush by skilled Grey Brothers who slay the
unsuspecting victims, turning their fresh corpses over to Zeon for reanimation.
Their weapons, armor, and whatever magical items they brought with them then
become part of the Grey Brothers’ hoard.
Strength: The Grey Brothers number about 30 of the castle’s garrison of
100, though they are among the highest-ranking and most skilled soldiers in the
keep. Their influence is such that a word from any of them would see nosy or
troublesome PCs clamped in irons by the others, accused of banditry or theft. The
captain of the castle’s forces is unaware of their presence, and will be
assassinated if he ever suspects anything of them, to be replaced by Zeon himself.

3. The Sect of Holy Aenris:

Overview: This is an order of zealous holy knights who have become the
sworn foes of a race, ethnicity, religious affiliation or culture within your
campaign world. The monetary gains of their bloody crusade fill the pockets of
someone of great power, and because of this, they are given the tacit support of
one of the major churches, kingdoms, or religions in your realm. The Teutonic
Order in our own history would serve as a decent basis for how you portray this
Sect.

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Aims: The aim of the Sect of Aenris is the utter genocide of an entire people
by any means possible. Their religious zeal has turned them against these people
for any number of reasons, but regardless of specifics their hatred burns brightly,
and they will stop at nothing to see their aims fulfilled – no matter how many
innocents have to suffer along the way. They are just as happy slaying people by
the hundreds as they are at any real attempt at conversion.
Strength: The Sect of Holy Aenris consists of several hundred (though in
larger campaign settings, this could well be thousands) knights and priests bent
on slaughtering their foes and taking their lands. They are served by a great
number of less zealous but easily motivated soldiers and lay-followers who see
the profit in the Sect’s crusade.

4. The Hand of Ishan:

Overview: A lesser-known but growing cult whose popularity among the
masses grows every day. This cult would best be used in a land where there is
some sort of great plague, famine, drought, or war – something to cause the
common people to flock to its promises of safety or salvation.
Aims: The Hand of Ishan portrays itself as one of many beneficial ‘savior’
cults that sprang up during the plague/famine/war. They make good on their
promises of healing or protection through the magical spells of the cult leaders, a
cabal of powerful priests and sorcerers. They happily take the belongings of their
followers, though their true desire is to locate children and young or relatively
weak magic users who possess latent magical talents for them to drain and or
sacrifice for their own benefit.
Strength: The Hand of Ishan’s membership is small but growing, adding
new members every time the cult’s leadership produces another ‘miracle’. The
zealous nature of some of its devotees makes it very dangerous for any who
would question the leadership, and people are beginning to fear The Hand across
an increasingly wide swath of the realm.

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5. The Cult of The Wyrm:

Overview: This is a secret cult devoted to the idea of empowering and
eventually awakening a dragon who has been put into a magical slumber for
more than a thousand years.
Aims: The cult has been secretly kidnapping people, sacrificing them in the
sleeping dragon’s lair for many years now. Their blood is poured over the
dragon’s fangs, an act that their leaders believe will nourish and eventually
awaken the beast.
Strength: The cult numbers several dozen members, and drug unwary
travelers and individuals at a number of brothels and inns along a lonely stretch
of road. Their leader is a wizard of some power, and he has a number of
henchmen to provide the muscle he needs to keep his operation running
smoothly.

6. The Font of Eternal Life:

Overview: This cult will work best in a world without readily-available
healing or resurrection magic. The Font is a cult of growing popularity among the
common and noble peoples of the realm alike for its ability to miraculously cure
people of various deadly conditions and illnesses – even going so far as to bring
life back to the dead!
Aims: The secret source of The Font’s power is a demonic pact its leaders
have made in return for their power – for every wound healed by the cult, a
dozen victims must die. For every dead person brought back to life, a hundred
souls must be sacrificed. They have managed to keep this little part of the bargain
a secret, but believe that eventually people will come around to understand what
the cult leaders know about human nature – that the rich and powerful will
begin bringing their own sacrifices with them, and that kings and emperors will

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gladly sacrifice whole cities for eternal life and youth.

Strength: The cult is small now, but will grow by leaps and bounds every
time they perform one of their miracles. Their true strength lies both in the
demon that the cult leaders have summoned as part of their bargain – and in the
appearance of one or more ultra-powerful clients (kings, emperors, powerful
sorcerers, etc.) who will want the gift of life and health for themselves or their
loved ones.

7. The Black Hand of Purity:

Overview: This is a death-cult, who believes that life itself is an imperfect
creation – that only in a state between life and death can a being truly become
perfect. The answer, as far as the members of the Black Hand of Purity are
concerned – is to become undead. By doing this, and giving up on any thought of
individuality, ambition, greed, hunger, or emotion, they believe they will become
perfect beings.
Aims: The Black Hand of Purity believes that all life is merely parasitical –
that living beings consume too much food, use too many resources, and are little
better than parasites and leeches to the world. They want to ‘cleanse’ the world of
parasites, and create a world order where all living beings become undead. They
plan to raise as many undead as possible, and create a plague that will cause
everyone who comes in contact with it to reanimate soon after death.
Strength: The Black Hand has at its core several dozen members, as well as
the ability to raise scores – even hundreds – of undead wherever they go. They
also either have possession of or seek possession of a powerful artifact that will
animate the corpses of every dead human within a 1-mile radius; an artifact that
requires the sacrifice of many innocent lives to function.

8. The Carrion-Eaters:
Overview: This is a grim cult devoted to the macabre idea that eating the

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flesh of one’s enemies grants you their powers. To this end, the cult embraces the
idea of cannibalism not merely as a preferred option but as a religious necessity.
Aims: Their beliefs stem from a powerful and rare magical spell that grants
a person who consumes the flesh of another human/elf/dwarf/etc. some of that
person’s Experience/Level/Spell/Combat abilities. The leader of the cult found this
Chthonic spell in an ancient ruin, and now leads his followers on a quest to
become all-powerful through the consumption of great heroes and sorcerers
throughout the realms.
Strength: Their numbers are small for now, but each member of the cult
has consumed enough people to grant themselves a good deal of additional
strength and abilities – the specifics are left to the GM/DM’s imagination.

9. The Cult of the Stag:

Overview: This is a cult whose home lies in the barbaric fringes of your
campaign setting among uncivilized or shamanistic people. They worship a great
giant of a demi-god with hooves and a stag’s head, who requires living victims
for his various rituals.
Aims: The Cult of the Stag raid civilized villages, slaughtering and pillaging
as they go. They also capture certain numbers of their victims, bringing them
before their stag-headed god for sacrifice. They believe that each victim they
sacrifice grants their warriors greater skill and prowess in battle, and will
eventually make them invincible conquerors.
Strength: The Cult’s numbers consist of the entire warband of one or more
barbaric tribes in your campaign world. They are fiercely zealous, and protect the
shamans/priests to perform the sacrifices to their god with their lives.

10. The Daughters of Purity:

Overview: This is a sub-order of one of the larger organized faith/churches
in your campaign world. The Daughters of Purity are made up of female orphans

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of various wars or tragedies. They were originally taken in by the church as an

act of charity or compassion, to be trained as priestesses who would travel the
lands healing the sick or the wounded. The leader of the religious order, Matron
Alizeia, has turned their purpose from one of mere charity and service to her own
personal cult of personality.
Aims: Alizeia believes herself to be a living embodiment of one of the
goddesses in your campaign world, and feels that she has a destiny to rule over
the lands. She is extremely charismatic, and the Daughters of Purity follow her
with zealous loyalty and unquestioning faith. Each of the Daughters who join the
order are judged by Alizeia for their poise, beauty, and charm, and when they
come of age they are ordered to seduce various political, military, and religious
figures in the kingdom. Through these methods, she amasses a wealth of
influence over these figures, not to mention a huge arsenal of secrets to help her
blackmail her way into power. She does not hesitate to lie, steal, or kill on her
quest to rule the lands.
Strength: The Daughters of Purity is an extremely wealthy order within the
church, and Alizeia herself has amassed a huge fortune from blackmail and favor.
At any time, there are a number of powerful nobles who fear Alizeia enough to
lend their aid to her in any endeavor she wishes – including dealing with a group
of pesky adventurers who learn a little too much…

11. The Order of the White Rose:

Overview: The Order of the White Rose is a secret order of priests and
paladins in service to a powerful church, who have as their aim the eradication of
demonic influence throughout the kingdoms.
Aims: Secretly, the Order doesn’t just want to eradicate demonic influence,
but all forms of heresy, blasphemy, and even indirect forms of evil as well. They
have become true zealots, believing their demonic foe of inhabiting even the most
pious of souls – only the fire of inquisition is strong enough to tell! Their leaders

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may well be mad – or simply power-hungry, using the zealous faith of their
underlings to wage a bloody inquisition against the people – both common, and if
necessary – noble born.
Strength: The Order consists of several hundred priests, inquisitors, and
paladins, as well as an equal number of zealous soldiers attached to the order
who serve as its military arm.

12. The Whispering Sisters:

Overview: This is a group of priestesses who worship an ancient demonic
power hidden for centuries beneath the labyrinthine catacombs of a city’s
necropolis. Their followers know nothing of this demonic presence, and instead
believe that the Whispering Sisters are the compassionate caretakers and
guardians of the city’s dead.
Aims: The Whispering Sisters have been worshipping this demonic
presence since the catacombs were first built – the necropolis itself was built
upon the foundations of the demon’s temple. Their true aims are the delivery of
the souls of the freshly dead to this demon, feeding his essence in return for
magical power. The leaders of the Sisters believe that one day, the demon will
return to the world, ushering in a Second Darkness that they, as its devoted
followers, would rule over for a thousand years.
Strength: Their strength, as with many cults, is their following. As the
inhabitants of such a large city often fall victim to crime, plagues, fires, and
famine, many of those who trust the Whispering Sisters to see to their loved ones
will happily speak on their behalf, and oppose those who would slight them or
make false accusations against the Cult.

13. The Keepers of the Onyx Stone:

Overview: This is a popular cult whose origins and purpose are obscured
by their constantly-changing faces and names – the Keepers of the Onyx Stone

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only being the latest of more than a dozen names they have gone by over the
centuries. The cult itself is led by a pair of immortal liches who are bent on
animating a dead dragon into a draco-lich. Every generation or so, when their
true identities are discovered, and the leaders of the Cult go into hiding –
allowing all of their followers to be massacred or driven off. After waiting a few
years, they form a new cult under a new name, and start all over again. In this
way, they keep their true aims and methods secret from those that know their real
purpose.
Aims: As their true aims are kept a secret from all but the two immortal
liches who lead the cult, few of the members have any idea what is really going
on. The gathering of components for the spell to animate the dead dragon is done
in a very secretive and compartmentalized fashion. The cult today passes itself off
as a harmless group of religious fanatics worshipping a black stone on an altar –
sacrificing livestock in return for magical blessings. Slowly, and by use of the
foolish zealots that make up the cult, the two liches draw ever closer to their goal.
Strength: The Keepers number about 30 or so, and have very little in the
way of wealth or power. All of the power lies with its two leaders – powerful
liches who possess the vast magical abilities and wealth necessary to complete
their centuries-long quest.

14. The Guardians of the Eternal Flame.

Overview: This is a fire cult whose wealth and influence has steadily been
building over about twenty years or so on the edges of a powerful kingdom in
your campaign world. Their ziggurats are springing up all over the place, topped
by giant bronze braziers where eternal flames are tended by the faithful. All
wealth and possession is scorned by members of the cult, who, upon joining, cast
their belongings into the fire as a way of casting off the chains of the decadent
mortal world. Many formerly wealthy individuals have joined this cult,
convinced that the various woes in their lives are caused by decadence and

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material possession.
Aims: The possessions of the devotees are not destroyed by the fire – rather,
they fall through a secret hole in the brazier to a chamber below, where they are
sorted by the high priests. This wealth is used to build even more temples, as well
as to strike out at other religions and cults that compete for the same pool of
wealthy and gullible followers. Recently, the wealth of new initiates and faithful
has proven to not be enough, and the cult now encourages its more zealous
followers to steal the wealth of the rich and greedy, to be brought to the temples
and ‘burned’ amid great spectacle and ritual.
Strength: The Guardians of the Eternal Flame now number in the hundreds,
and every temple has priests, fanatic temple guards, and zealous devotees. Whole
manors and palaces have been stripped and even burned to the ground by the
zealous, and the priests are able to hire skilled assassins and send them after any
who get in their way.

15. The Spider Cult of Azhrazs:

Overview: This growing cult believes that the world is slowly being
devoured by a great spider, and that the end is coming. Its devotees worship
snakes of all sizes and varieties, and drink diluted venom in ritual ceremonies and
orgies that go on for days.
Aims: The leader of the Spider Cult, Azhrazs, is a powerful sorcerer who
has the ability to charm nearly all who meet his gaze. He seeks only power, but
has convinced his many followers that he is a demi-god trying to save the
‘purified’ of the world before the world-devouring spider arrives. His goal is the
overthrow of the largest kingdom in your campaign world, and his spies, zealous
fanatics, and sympathizers are hard at work trying to make that happen.
Strength: The Snake Cult has a number of assassins who use the deadly
venom of various spiders in their murders, either weaponizing the venom or
using the spiders themselves to bite their victims in their sleep.

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16. The Sons of Thanus Khol:

Overview: Long ago, there was a great hero who went by the name of
Thanus Khol. Thanus was said to be one of the greatest warriors of his time, and
during his life he slew many monsters, villains, and even a dragon. A Hero Cult
grew up shortly after his death about a century ago, and stayed relatively quiet
and unknown but for Thanus’ most loyal followers. Today, the cult finances
small-scale expeditions into monster territory, keeping a cut of the treasures
found, and as such are well known to various adventuring parties.
Aims: Long ago the cult rid itself of its true followers, and the aim of the
Sons of Thanus Khol is actually the worship of the demonic entity that Thanus
Khol banished late in his career. The demon finds the irony suits him, and his
desire for vengeance against the mortal who banished him is well served by the
current members of the cult. Their true aims are to find a number of the demon’s
artifacts that Thanus himself spread across the world before his death, and
reassemble them, enabling the demon to come back into the world. As a parting
insult, the demon also wants the cult to find Thanus Khol’s body as well, as he
intends to inhabit his old rival’s form when he returns to the world.
Strength: The Sons of Thanus Khol are a small cult, but due to their
financing of adventuring parties over the last century they have grown quite
wealthy. They can also call upon a myriad number of adventurers to do their
bidding – any PCs who learn the true secret of the Cult may find themselves the
sudden targets of a great many unwitting adventurers dispatched by the Cult to
slay them!

17. The Black Fang:

Overview: This is a human cult who follow a minor non-human deity in
your campaign world (any orc/goblin/gnoll-like race would suffice) who have
come to believe that the deity’s chosen race will rule the world soon. They have

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all suffered attacks by the race, and in their despair and grief have come to
believe that the non-human race is somehow divine or ordained.
Aims: The Black Fang wants to set off a great war between the free races
and their chosen deity’s people, and in order to do this must find a powerful
symbol that the race lost long ago. With this symbol (a horn, banner, artifact,
etc.), they believe that they can unite the non-human race and watch as they slay
all of the free races (the cultists included) and burn the entire world in their
righteous fury. Their leaders believe that this is how the world will be reborn, and
that if they fulfil the deity’s wishes, they will be reborn into it, along with their
fallen loved ones.
Strength: The Black Fang is not a particularly numerous cult, but their
knowledge of how to unite the non-human race against humanity is, apparently,
quite accurate.

18. The Scarlet Brotherhood… aka The Cult of the Great and Mystical Hat.
Overview: The Cult of the Great and Mystical Hat is a strange, befuddled
little group of religious fanatics who spend their days worshipping a plain, plaid
hat of unimpressive quality. These are people who in their former lives were
scholars, skilled tradesmen and even philosophers who have apparently fallen
under the sway of the Great and Mystical Hat. They believe the Hat speaks to
them, and tells them to do various seemingly mundane tasks and chores that
don’t really seem to harm anyone. Their devotion is rather shocking to those who
are not members of the cult, and most people dismiss them as nothing more than
mad or deranged.
Aims: The Hat itself is nothing more than a perfectly mundane hat; and the
cult was created as a clever ruse meant to help to cover the Scarlet Brotherhood’s
true activities. The Brotherhood drains the thoughts and memories of their
victims, leaving them addled and eventually quite insane. These thoughts and
memories fuel the Scarlet Brotherhood’s master, a wizard who has learned to

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draw magical energies from such things. The only problem is that he needs
specific victims for his spells to work – intelligent, productive, and active people
who are involved in various academic trades and skills. Criminals, simple-
minded folk, and street urchins are simply not possessed of the correct
combination of mental energies.
Fearful that their victims’ families will come looking for answers, they
created the Cult of the Great and Mystical Hat as a way of drawing attention
towards – rather than away from – the victims themselves. In doing so, they place
the apparent blame of the victims’ madness on a perfectly normal (and very non-
magical to all forms of spell detection) hat.
Merciful GM/DMs may rule that once the master of the order himself is
defeated, the victims will slowly regain most if not all of their memories and
sanity; merciless ones are advised to do as they wish…
Strength: The Cult of the Hat itself is made up of some very unfortunate and
very addle-brained individuals, and they possess little to no power, wealth, or
influence – spending their days wandering the city talking to themselves or
bowing to the Hat. The Scarlet Brotherhood on the other hand consists of 3
wizards who serve the Order’s Master, whose jobs are to convince the newly-
drained victims of the divinity of the Hat, sending them out into the city to begin
their sad existence.

II. Secret Orders

19. The Brandished Blades:

Overview: This villainous group would best work in a campaign setting
with two great kingdoms who have recently signed an armistice or peace treaty
after a long and bloody war.
Formed in secret at the end of the last great war, these men were knights

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and nobles who vowed to never again sheath their blades until their enemies
were enslaved or eradicated - permanently. They are unhappy with the terms of
the peace (perhaps tribute is paid, or not enough concessions were granted – the
specifics of their grievances are left to the GM/DM) and would like nothing better
than to see the war rekindled by any means necessary.
Aims: They seek to once more drive the two lands to open warfare; this time
they intend to finish the job. Using whatever political or military resources are
available to them, they will continually throw fuel on the fires of war for both
sides of the conflict, though due to the terms of the treaty they must do so in
secret and with great caution. Wary of being branded traitors, their hatred of the
old enemy is so strong that they would gladly see innocents suffer in order to
advance their cause. Night raids into enemy territory to stir up trouble, and black
flag operations in their own lands to rally the people to demand vengeance and
retribution are the sort of tactics they intend to use. In the halls of the royal court,
they will plot and scheme against any who stand in the way of renewed warfare –
including the King or Queen, if necessary – after all, these men see their own
rulers as traitors for ending the war the way they did.
Strength: The Brandished Blades hide themselves well, but consist of 50 to
100 knights and nobles and their households. They will have a number of
retainers (spies, saboteurs, etc.) to aid them in their task as well, and will likely
serve a single ambitious noble who promises them that if he were to one day be
crowned king, he would never submit to such a shameful peace…

20. The Sons of Iul:

Overview: This is a secret group of militia commanders who give aid and
information to bandits and brigands preying upon the kingdom’s merchants. The
Sons of Iul take their name from their leader, a brave and beloved local hero who
died because the king refused to send his forces to aid him in defending the
borderlands from an attack by an orcish/goblin/nonhuman horde years ago.

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Aims: Realizing their own king cared little for his people, the militia leaders
banded together and decided they would hit the king where it hurt the most – his
pockets. The contacted the various bands of outlaws and brigands in the area and
made them a deal – stop terrorizing the common folk and the militia leaders
would help the brigands to target the larger and better-protected merchant
caravans passing through the roads. They would give them specific information
on numbers, cargo, schedule and roads taken, and in return they would receive a
small portion of the loot to help the towns protect themselves from the
orcish/goblin/nonhumans. Though this began merely as a way to help pay for
militia forces, it has since become a lucrative source of wealth for the militia
leaders as well, and some of them now participate directly in the often deadly
assaults on merchant caravans. They also help to lead astray any royal constables
or sheriffs who come to investigate the robberies however they can – killing them
or sending them into ambushes if necessary.
Strength: The Sons of Iul are twelve in number, but each can call upon not
only his local militia forces, but those of the various allied bandits and brigands of
the area as well.

21. The Second Sons:

Overview: This is a fraternal group primarily made up of the ambitious
second and third sons of the realm’s greatest noble families. As their birth rank
makes these men unlikely to inherit anything of worth, they hire themselves off
as mercenaries to various outfits for the time being, keeping open an informal
line of communication between one another for any opportunities that might
present themselves.
These are nobles only in the strictest definition of the word, and as such
these men have no compunctions about murder, rape, pillage, or wanton
destruction. They sign on with whichever companies give the most opportunities
for loot and plunder, and care little for law or justice. These men will happily

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enter the service of whatever villains currently hold power in your campaign
world in order to advance their own aims.
Aims: The Second Sons are extremely ambitious, and would like nothing
better than to plot the eventual overthrow/murders of their elder siblings so that
their fathers’ lands and titles can one day be theirs. Having known one another as
young children growing up in the cut-throat world of the royal court, the Second
Sons parted ways upon adulthood, and most of them have gone off to try and win
some fame, wealth, or glory for themselves as hired swords in the dangerous
border regions of the kingdom. The three most influential nobles among them are
currently trying to hatch a plot to quietly take over the various mercenary outfits
and companies in the realm, and unite them in an effort to carve out their own
lands and titles, leaving however bloody a trail they need in order to accomplish
this.
Strength: 30-40 skilled warriors, armed and armored as per the knights or
lesser nobles of your campaign setting, spread across about a half dozen smaller
mercenary or privateer outfits. Some of them currently wield a minor level of
influence within their respective mercenary units, and each can likely call upon
at least a half dozen sell-swords if the need arises.

22. The Order of the Argent Blossom:

Overview: This is a secret organization of spies and saboteurs who quietly
but diligently work everyday jobs throughout the lands, from carpenters to
scribes to harbor masters, night watchmen, and even priests.
Aims: Their true master is the ruler of a neighboring kingdom who seeks to
undermine – even control – his rival’s lands through subterfuge, information,
and sabotage. The Argent Blossom is very well trained in secrecy, and is extremely
adept at creating rumor, strife, and suspicion in the realms with the eventual aim
of spreading enough discord – even civil war – to allow their true master to
invade or simply step in to rule.

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Strength: Their numbers are relatively small, but they are well-enough
placed and funded to achieve many of their aims through assassinations, lies,
forged documents, and bribes to the right people.

23. The Brotherhood of the Sacred Grove:

Overview: This group of druids is bent on the protection of an ancient and
sacred grove of trees located somewhere in your campaign world. This grove is
threatened by a number of things, from nonhuman enemies to fire, to
development, to destruction by other religious orders. The Brotherhood was
formed to protect the grove at all costs.
Such protection does not come without a cost, as the number of threats to
the sacred grove have only grown over the years. Additionally, the unwillingness
of the rulers to help them defend the grove – even the desire of those same rulers
to see the grove destroyed – has caused the Brotherhood to change from an order
of wardens and peaceful druids to one with a distinctly adversarial outlook.
Aims: The Brotherhood, faced with so many threats, has now decided to be
more active in the defense of the grove. This includes their willingness to go on
the offensive against threats – real and perceived. Their targets range from
settlers trying to make their homes too near the groves to rival priesthoods trying
to portray the grove and those who worship there as backwards or heathen. They
are not above using violence in the defense of their lands, and will not hesitate to
use their vast knowledge and elemental power to make their intentions known.
Strength: The Brotherhood consists of several dozen druids and rangers
who zealously guard the sacred grove. They also have the support of a number of
adherents to the old faith, who still worship at the grove as their ancestors did
long ago.

24. The Golden Quill:

Overview: The Golden Quill is a secret order of scribes and sages whose

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order works towards the eventual recovery of a powerful magical artifact which
has been lost for many ages.
Aims: The members of the Quill have long taken a ‘generational’ outlook on
their task, as they’ve been around for centuries. Slowly piecing together bits of
information over a hundred or more years of study and research, they draw ever
closer to their goal. Now that the artifact seems within their grasp, they will stop
at nothing to retrieve it – including killing anyone who gets in their way or tries
to take it for themselves.
Strength: The Golden Quill counts among its numbers perhaps a hundred
scribes, researchers, wizards and scholars, though now that the artifact they have
so long sought is within their grasp, cracks are beginning to appear in the
group’s solidarity. Some of the members want it not only for the order, but for
themselves, while others have perhaps begun to question whether the artifact is
too dangerous for anyone to find at all. As the GM/DM, you should exploit these
different opinions and motivations, showing your players more than one facet of
the Golden Quill as the adventure unfolds.

25. The Wolves of Gordanne:

Overview: This is a semi-secret group of retired adventurers who took part
in a great war a generation ago. They held the ramparts of the Tower of
Gordanne at the end of that war, and their feats and bravery from that day made
them legends. The Wolves were honored by the king, and were granted lands,
titles, and great wealth for their deeds. When the old king died about a year ago,
the old heroes came together to be present at the funeral, carrying his body upon
their shoulders during a procession filled with pomp and ceremony. The king’s
son all but ignored the old veterans during the funeral, and soon granted many of
the borderlands that had been promised to the veterans in his Last Will to his own
supporters instead – a measure meant to stave off a civil war amongst his father’s
greatest nobles.

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Aims: The Wolves feel slighted by the new king, and their anger and sense
of betrayal over his refusal to honor the old king’s Last Will adds fuel to the fire.
The Wolves – once good men – are now led by a sense of betrayal, and are
stirring up a great deal of strife among the borderlands where their fame is
greatest. Their actions are leading the kingdom down the path of civil war, and
they will happily light the fires that start one, if necessary.
Strength: They number only about 30 or so, but as aged adventurers are
possessed of great skill and many allies from their old adventuring days.

26. The Royal Inquisition:

Overview: This group was started in secret by the king of the lands as a
way of rooting out treachery and spies in his war-torn country. Hounded by
enemies on every border, the king needed a group of people loyal only to him to
keep tabs on all of those who would seek to betray him. For years, the Inquisition
did just that – and very well. Plots and schemes were foiled at every turn, and the
king was able to replace the traitors the Inquisition uncovered with loyal and
capable supporters.
Aims: Unfortunately, as with all things born of suspicion, the Royal
Inquisition has exceeded their mandate. Fearful that their very success might
ironically make the king do away with them, they now ‘invent’ plots and schemes
everywhere they go, condemning leading figures and popular nobles and
merchants with lies and false ‘proof’ of their treachery – the more sensational and
shocking their ‘discoveries’ prove, the better. Not content with accusing just
anyone of treachery or treason, they seek out all of those wealthy or influential
enough to keep them funded, as the king allows them to claim the estates of such
traitors to help defray their expenses.
Strength: The Royal Inquisition is very powerful, and numbers in the
hundreds, though only a few true Inquisitors exist at any time. They have a vast
network of informers and spies working in secret in nearly every large town or

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city – most of whom believe they are actually doing a service for their kingdom.

27. The Brothers of the Sacred Stone:

Overview: This is a secret brotherhood of assassins descended from a small
band of knights who once protected a holy relic long ago. Over the centuries, the
Brothers have turned from their original aim of merely keeping the relic hidden,
and now actively seek to use it to further their own aims.
Aims: Those aims fall nothing short of a sudden rise to power; they plan to
unleash the powers of the holy relic upon the world, slaying all of those who try
to thwart their plans. A part of the relic is missing (the GM/DM can decide
whether it has always been missing, or if this was a recent theft), and they are
actively searching for it.
Strength: The Brothers are accomplished assassins, using poisons and
deadly attacks in the night to advance their aims. They number several dozen,
though the more experienced members among them are each able to call upon a
number of henchman to accomplish their tasks.

28. The Forlorn:

Overview: This is a group of men who were condemned as murderers,
rapists, and traitors. Shortly before their execution, these men were offered one
way out: serve as the vanguard of a suicidal mission or assault on an enemy force.
Those who agreed were called The Forlorn, as their chances of survival were
considered slim to none. Surprising everyone, these condemned criminals and
outlaws succeeded at their mission, and many survived. The king, unable to go
back on his word once the attack was a success, granted them the pardon he had
promised them.
Aims: The Forlorn soon wore out their welcome in civilized lands, having
returned to their murderous ways. Now granted weapons and armor, as well as a
degree of familiarity and trust for one another, they have turned to organized

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banditry. Using their great skill for murder and violence, the Forlorn have
become one of the most dangerous groups of outlaws in the kingdom, forcefully
freeing other men condemned to the gallows with offers to join their band.
Strength: The survivors of the original mission numbered about 30, but this
number has swollen with new ‘recruits’ freed from hangman’s nooses or
headsman’s axes. Roving the badlands and up country of the kingdom, they are
growing into a small army (+/-200) of vicious, condemned criminals and violent
madmen.

29. The Infidels:

Overview: A mercenary band once famed for their bravery in battle, The
Infidels now roam the king’s roads, demanding tribute for their protection of
farmers and villages from other raiders or enemies. Once they clear the lands of
those enemies, they continue to demand tribute – those who fail to provide it
come under attack by The Infidels themselves!
Aims: The Infidels want nothing more complicated than to carve out their
own little empire, with a growing number of towns and villages paying them
protection money. This little racket has become quite lucrative, and The Infidels
now control a vast swath of the borderlands of the kingdom. Even minor nobles
and lords pay them for protection, and few forces on the borders are powerful
enough to face them head on.
Strength: The Infidels number from 2-300 horsemen, all trained in sword,
axe, lance, and bow. They are viciously efficient at raiding, and have a network of
fences and shady dealers willing to buy, sell and trade with them. They form the
de-facto government of the borderlands where they roam, charging taxes,
conscripting young men from the villages, and exerting grim justice and
vengeance upon all who challenge their authority.

30. The Home Guard:

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Overview: The Home Guard is best used in a campaign setting where the
majority of a land’s forces are away at war. They were created as a freeman levy
during the war, and their purpose was to bolster the kingdom’s defenses in case
of invasion while the king and his army were away. They were also created to
help enforce the will of the king’s tax collectors and aid in the conscription of
more levy forces to send to the king’s banner. In this role they acted as law-
keepers and vigilantes, chasing down criminals, guarding roads, and generally
keeping the peace.
Aims: As with all things, the Home Guard eventually turned their aim from
peace keeping to ruling over the lands with an iron fist. With the majority of the
kingdom’s forces away at war, they have more or less taken over, and the officers
of the Home Guard rule as de-facto warlords over their appointed domains. The
Home Guard heavily recruits its members from the most vicious or violent of
applicants, and often frees criminals from dungeons to bolster its membership.
Many Home Guard warlords and officers have ambitions to become lords
themselves, and as long as the king and his armies are away, continue to
consolidate their control over the lands through threats, intimidation, extortion,
criminal enterprises, and outright banditry.
Strength: Numbering anywhere from several hundred to several thousand
(depending on the size of your campaign’s primary kingdom), the Home Guard
are ill-disciplined but more or less stand as the only real military force left in the
lands. Individual officers in command of Home Guard forces are unsurpassed in
their ability to make, enforce, or ignore the laws they were originally created to
keep.

III. Mercantile and trades guilds

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31. The Most Ancient Order of Masons, Stonecutters, and Sculptors:

Overview: This is a powerful order of stonemasons located in one of the
major kingdoms in your campaign world. As builders of castles, city walls,
temples, and great civic buildings, they wield vast power and influence in the
lands, and are extremely wealthy and highly sought for their knowledge.
Aims: They are also masters of one of the most organized criminal empires
in the land as well – one that outstrips even the best-known Thieves’ Guilds in
the kingdom. From laborers to stonecutters, miners, artisans, engineers and
priests, the Order wields vast influence, and has its hands in the pockets of some
very powerful people in the kingdom. Secretly, they finance a number of smaller
Thieves’ Guilds throughout the kingdom, using them to ensure there are no other
competitors for the various large building projects they wish to go after. These
Thieves’ Guilds muscle out any non-member masons and builders in the area,
using threats, sabotage, and outright murder when necessary.
Strength: The Order has perhaps a hundred skilled masons and engineers,
but their true strength lies in the criminal network that supports them. They are
vastly wealthy, and can usually obtain skilled and deadly ‘muscle’ to edge out any
competitors or rivals that they find.

32. The Chirurgeon’s Guild:

Overview: This is a relatively standard guild of surgeons, healers,
apothecaries and corpse-traders found in any large city.
Aims: Secretly, the Chirurgeon’s Guild is led by a necromancer, lich, or
vampire who has bent them to his own insidious purposes. Under the auspices of
their trade, such a group will naturally have access to a great many fresh corpses,
as well as the means to make a good number of other bodies disappear. Neither
the sound of screams nor the constant presence of blood near their abode will
raise even the slightest suspicions, and they would be in a unique place to
discover any pesky adventuring parties who might start poking their noses in

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places where they don’t belong. After all, the temples always overcharge for
healing services, sending all but the wealthiest of clients to the Chirurgeon’s
Guild…
Strength: The Chirurgeon’s Guild will have a number of surgeons, doctors,
and apothecaries who will be quite adept at handling corpses – as well as making
corpses of any patients they choose. They will also have access to poisons and
herbs of all varieties, instruments of murder and torture, and finally a good
number of grim corpse-bearers and grave diggers when they need a little muscle.
If those aren’t enough to get the job done, perhaps a few freshly-animated
undead will help their cause…

33. The Guild:

Overview: No other name is necessary for this powerful organization, as it
is a vast conglomerate of nearly every organized trade guild and union
throughout at least two (though preferably more) kingdoms in your campaign
world. Ostensibly nothing more than a giant trading company, The Guild is, in
reality, a giant monopoly that controls trade, exchange rates, finances, and even
Kings and Great Lords through loans and bribery.
Aims: The Guild’s top leadership hold the financial well-being of whole
kingdoms in their hands, and do not hesitate to use this influence to destroy
competition, start wars, or topple monarchies in order to advance their wealth.
The common modus operandi of the Guild is to move into a town, set up various
blacksmith, scriveners, tailor, coopers, general goods traders, posts and
provisionary shops, using its massively deep pockets to undercut every other
similar business in the town. Once they drive out every other business in said
town, they buy their former competitors out; only then raising their prices to the
market average. Thus, for relatively minute losses, they expand their monopoly
into every village, town and city, and force out all would-be competitors in a
matter of months; sometimes weeks.

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Particularly ambitious leaders within The Guild now desire to use these
same tactics to make a puppet of the most powerful King in your campaign
world, forcing him to declare a war that would leave tens of thousands dead – but
the pockets of The Guild full.
Strength: The Guild boasts some of the largest merchant caravans and trade
fleets in the world, and protects them with the largest private army ever
assembled. Although exact figures are a closely guarded secret, there are those
who claim that The Guild has between 5,000 and 10,000 hired soldiers and
guards in their employ during the summer trading seasons, though of course
these are spread out over many thousands of square miles.

34. The Miner’s Brotherhood:

Overview: The Miner’s Brotherhood was founded as a way of protecting
the workers in a dangerous, very profitable mine somewhere in your campaign
world. Dangerous conditions, low pay, and the prospect of replacement by
strikebreakers or even slaves were constant threats to the miners’ safety and
livelihood, and they banded together to do something about it.
Aims: Though they started as a union founded on the principle of workers’
rights, their aims have been twisted over the years. The Brotherhood’s leader now
secretly runs a network of assassins, thugs, and brigands to enforce his motives
and will. Those who cross the Brotherhood are dealt with harshly, and publicly.
Through work stoppages, threats of strikes, and even physical violence, the
Brotherhood has all but taken control of the entire region.
Strength: The Brotherhood consists of several hundred miners, their
families, and a number of paid informants, brigands, and assassins that further
the Brotherhood’s more insidious aims.

35. The Spice Seekers:

Overview: This wealthy order of merchants control the road or sea-lanes

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between a land that produces rare and expensive spices – and a wealthy land that
consumes them at great cost.
Aims: The Spice Seekers are not content with merely controlling the
lucrative spice trade, but all trade that passes through their domain as well. To
this end, they now force all others who would use their trading routes to pay
tribute to them, with the threat of bandit/pirate/raider attacks for those who
don’t. They have even begun to delve into the slave trade, and are poised to make
themselves into a veritable empire built on coin and trade.
Strength: The Spice Keepers themselves number but a few, but as they are
vastly wealthy are able to afford to hire the very best swordsmen money can buy.
They own or operate a number of caravansaries, merchant ships or convoys,
caravan guards, individual traders and even pirates, warlords, or raiders along
the trading route.

IV. Thieves’ guilds

36. The Brookery Boys:

Overview: The Brookery Boys are a low-level gang of thugs, dock-workers,
and thieves that more or less run the wharfs of a large maritime city. They extort
money from the various shipping and warehouse companies on their turf, and
generally provide the majority of the labor on the docks themselves, making them
practically untouchable by the local authorities – everyone knows that without
the Brookery Boys, cargo doesn’t get loaded.
Aims: The Brookery Boys are perfectly content with running the docks,
skimming as much as they can get away with from every ton of cargo they
handle. Their ambition is limited for the time being to keeping their turf free from
competition, as well as one or two good fights with sailors or rival gangs each
week just to keep things interesting. This may change if there were to be a sudden

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death of their leader – high-ranking lieutenants might well turn the docks into a
war-zone in their efforts to consolidate, or rival gangs might take advantage of
the confusion and make their move on the Brookery Boys’ territory.
Strength: The Brookery Boys number about 200 in total, and just about
every one of them is an able and fit dockworker, more than capable of throwing
down with the best brawlers in the city. Their real power comes from the fact that
at their heart, they are a union of dockworkers – licensed and paid by the various
merchant guilds to load and unload the many ships that trade in the port. Every
politician, guild master and merchant in the city knows that their livelihoods
depend on the Brookery Boys, so there is a high level of tolerance of their less
savory deeds and excesses.

37. The Red Suns Merchant Coster:

Overview: This is a slavers’ outfit, who operate under the guise of various
legitimate – if questionable – business fronts. From brothels to mercenary outfits
to shady dealers operating on the borderlands, the Red Suns are wealthy, well
connected, and vicious group of villains and tyrants. They are very good at
blending in with the local mercantile class, and very few people have any idea
what their true aims are.
Aims: The Red Suns care about profit, and nothing more. To this end, they
are more than happy to follow, break, or make up rules and laws as they go
along, so long as it suits their purposes.
Strength: The Red Suns have a good number of sell-swords, slave catchers,
overseers, and thugs in several large cities or border posts throughout the
kingdom.

38. The Watchmen:

Overview: Ironically created to be a force for law and order in the city, the
Watchmen have since become the city’s vile underbelly, running all manner of

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illegal trades and businesses under the guise of being its protectors.
Aims: The Watchmen, as the city’s official police force, are entirely corrupt,
and run all manner of racketeering and extortion games throughout the city.
Their motive is simple profit, though some of the leaders of The Watchmen
actively enjoys whatever bit of violence and bloodshed happens to occur along
the way.
Strength: The Watchmen comprise the entire constabulary of a medium to
large-sized town or small city in your campaign world. They are corrupt,
powerful, and have entirely intimidated the leaders of the city.

39. The Spades:

Overview: In the heart of one of the larger cities in your campaign world,
there is a gambling establishment known as The King of Spades whose reputation
for vice and excess is unrivalled. The owner of this establishment knows most of
the vices and secrets of the various powerful leaders and esteemed figures of the
city, and secretly runs most of the other dens of vice and criminal enterprise in
the city. All of the thugs, gangsters, and low-life street soldiers who follow him
have the symbol of the Spade tattooed prominently upon their hands, chests, and
necks.
Aims: Led solely by his own ego, the owner and master of the city’s
underworld sees himself as a king among men, literally ruling from a throne he
ordered made for himself. His aims fall nothing short of total control over his
little criminal empire, and his many minions, hired thugs, spies and henchman
ensure that he gets what he wants.
Strength: As the hub of all the illicit action in the city, the King of Spades is
a den of thieves, cut-throats, scheming, treachery, and vice unparalleled in the
city. Muscle is always there to be hired, and bribed constables and city officials
can often deal with those that simple hired thugs cannot.

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40. The Red Hand:

Overview: The Red Hand is a very old and storied Thieves’ Guild located in
one of the larger cities in your campaign world. They have a set hierarchy,
strongly-enforced guild laws and customs, and a membership that includes many
powerful and influential underworld figures in the city. They have long been the
strongest criminal organization in town, though now many of their highest-
ranking members are aging former thieves who are adverse to change and new
ideas.
Aims: The Red Hand is going through a very dangerous transitional period.
With many of its leaders going grey, and a veritable encyclopedia of bylaws and
strict hierarchies, some of the more ambitious lieutenants are chafing, and
making plans of their own to overthrow the old guard. Though the current
leadership control nearly all of the crime in the city, they have long prohibited
slavery in accordance with the Red Hand’s code of honor. The ambitious
lieutenants see the profit in the slave trade however, and are quietly starting to
change things. Perhaps the body of a slave is found on a dock one morning,
bearing the mark of the Red Hand upon his back, throwing the whole city into
rumor and suspicion…
Strength: The Red Hand is very powerful, and possesses not only several
hundred low-level thugs and thieves, but a good number of bribed city officials,
watchmen, and various legitimate business ‘fronts’ throughout the city. If the
ambitious young lieutenants have their way, the Red Hand will also be able to
count on a number of seedy slavers to swell their ranks as well…

41. The Syndicate:

Overview: The Syndicate is the name given to the highest-ranking
members of a dozen smaller Thieves’ Guilds spread over several closely-located
cities (or perhaps one extremely large city in your campaign world). Rather than
fight one another over petty grievances or territorial disputes, the smaller

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Thieves’ Guilds decided that – rather than unite formally – they would form a
council between the twelve Guild Masters to resolve such disputes.
Aims: The Syndicate, having seen the value of this informal alliance
between guilds (greater protection from the authorities, less strife, and vastly
increased resources for particularly dangerous or complicated jobs), now seeks to
take on a larger criminal organization nearby – something none of the smaller
guilds could hope to do on their own. They know this will be difficult, but their
ambition currently outstrips their desire for caution. Assassinations, black flag
operations to destroy their rival’s public or legal support, and methodical
encroachments on the larger guild’s territory will all be carried out by the twelve
smaller guilds, acting under the Syndicate’s umbrella.
Strength: Each of the smaller guilds that make up the Syndicate possess
several dozen thieves, burglars, spies, and assassins, as well as a network of
legitimate business ‘fronts’, bribed officials, etc. at their call. Together, they have
the resources to hire much more powerful allies and ‘muscle’ than any single
Thieves’ Guild in their number.

42. Madam Thania’s Orphanage:

Overview: Madam Thania poses as one of several matrons of a large city’s
orphanages, and has a number of noble backers and charitable patrons helping to
support her. She has a good reputation among the philanthropists in the city,
particularly those who don’t really care where their money is going – so long as it
is known to be going to charity.
Aims: In reality, Madam Thania is a cunning leader of a burgeoning
criminal enterprise who uses her orphanage as a front for the laundering of
wealthy and cautious customers’ money. The charitable donations of her various
noble or philanthropist backers amount to little more than two-way transactions,
and after Madam Thania’s cut are returned in such a way as to garner no
suspicion from the various tax collectors of the realm. Additionally, her orphans

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are some of the city’s most prolific pickpockets and spies, giving her information
on any number of potential enemies or competitors.
Strength: Madam Thania possesses no real strength herself, apart from one
or two hired bodyguards. Her real strength lies in the many noble and wealthy
backers who do not want to lose their money-launderer. In times of need, such
men have provided the Madam with a number of skilled soldiers and retinue for
a job or two – no questions asked.

43. The Bruised Thorns:

Overview: This is a group of upper-crust dandies and fops who have
decided to give the lives of thieves and cat burglars a try. Though they started as
kind of an in-joke – a mere distraction from the bored lives of wealthy young
nobles, some of their number actually grew skilled at the trade, and began to take
it more seriously.
As they have free access to some of the wealthiest palaces and villas in the
kingdom, the Bruised Thorns are able to case and plan some truly profitable
heists and jobs with relative ease and patience. The daring thrill of their jobs has,
of course, become something of an obsession with several members, and their
desire to pull off bigger and more audacious jobs has earned them the attention of
some very dangerous foes.
Aims: The leader of the Bruised Thorns is a noble woman named Ethaine,
whose father plans to steal the throne of the kingdom for himself. To this end,
Ethaine sends the Thorns on various jobs that aim to discover various secrets and
weaknesses of the ruling monarchy, stealing documents, forging seals, etc. in a
bid to unravel the monarchy’s hold over the tenuous peace of the kingdom. To
most outsiders, the Thorns are little more than lucky or skilled thieves pulling off
high-end capers, while in reality, they are inching the kingdom closer and closer
to civil war.
Strength: The Bruised Thorns consist of about a dozen young nobles with

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surprising levels of skill at burglary and stealth. Of course, Ethaine herself has
access to her father’s fortunes and followers, and could thus summon a good
number of knights and soldiers to her cause, should the need arise. Whether the
members of the Bruised Thorns know the truth behind Ethaine’s capers or not is
left to the desires of the GM/DM.

44. The Seven Swords:

Overview: This is a vicious little organization of hired assassins that does
business in one of the larger, wealthier cities in your campaign world. Each
member of the Seven Swords is a skilled and capable assassin, schooled in the use
of poisons, knives, crossbows, and garrotes.
Aims: The Seven Swords are the ultimate lackeys for any major villain in
your campaign world, and as such their aims are left to the will and plans of the
GM/DM. At a minimum, their leaders should develop some personal hatred of the
PCs during the early part of the campaign.
Strength: The Seven Swords are actually a group of about 30 assassins of
various skills, from swordsmen to rogues to prostitutes, apothecaries, and
wizards.

45. The Brotherhood of Assassins:

Overview: This ancient order of semi-religious assassins live in a very
remote, hostile corner of your campaign world, free to be hired by only the
wealthiest and most powerful of clients – for one job, and one job only. None may
surpass this limit, and those who have attempted to do so through trickery,
underlings, or false names invariably end up on the Brotherhood’s list of targets.
Aims: The Grandfather himself is an aged monk whose mind has long since
all but vanished due to the constant imbibing of hallucinogens over many
decades. His aims are sometimes called divine, sometimes madness. From time to
time, the Grandfather will have a vision – this can take many shapes or forms, but

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the end result is always the same – a number of his devoted assassins will be sent
out to kill the interpreted target of the vision. The aides of the Grandfather are the
ones who do the ‘interpretation’ and their own motives have less to do with
religious zeal and more to do with perceived monetary or political gain.
Strength: The Brotherhood number somewhere in the hundreds, but are
usually spread relatively thinly across one or more kingdoms – having been sent
out to kill their various targets. They are extremely skilled assassins, and have a
reputation for fanatical courage and skill.

V. Other

46. The Travelling Circus of Pete T’Farnum:

Overview: This is a relatively ordinary-seeming group of actors, musicians,
carnival attractions and magicians that travel about the kingdom, stopping near
larger towns and cities to entertain and amuse. There are magic acts, juggling,
feats of strength, midgets, sword swallowers and fire breathers among their
troupe, and they seem quite skilled at drawing huge crowds wherever they go.
Aims: Secretly, the Travelling Circus is also adept at making people
disappear wherever they go. These disappearances are rarely noticed, and those
that vanish are assumed to have simply joined up with the troupe – having been
drawn to the lure of carnival life. Those who try to track their missing loved ones
down indeed find them among the circus performers in the next town – though
they are very different, and barely seem to recognize their former friends or
family. In reality, Pete T’Farnum and his troupe of a dozen performers are
symbionts – parasite-like beings who feast upon the energies of those that host
them. Whenever someone who seems compatible to the symbionts comes to one
of their carnival acts, they quickly arrange for that person’s kidnapping –
sometimes as part of an on-stage disappearing act! Over the next few days, they

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are infected by a symbiont who has drained their previous host’s life force, and
they ‘join’ the circus for a few months, until they too are slowly drained by the
symbiont and a new host is required!
Strength: There are about a dozen active symbionts in the circus at all
times, including Pete T’Farnum, who also has to search for a new host from time
to time. Astute observers will note one or two performers who seem weak or
malnourished from time to time – soon after, someone will be kidnapped and that
performer will simply disappear, with the new host taking their place. Pete
T’Farnum is careful to stagger the hosts of his symbionts so that they all do not
require new hosts at the same time. He is also careful to replace the hosts with
people who show some sort of talent – great strength, magical talent, agility,
beauty, strangeness, etc. – so the circus is able to keep a steady stream of
enjoyable performers.

47. The Tinkers:

Overview: This is a large travelling group of transients and homeless
wanderers – not just men but entire families numbering in the hundreds – who
quietly and deftly perform various criminal acts wherever they go. Their
larcenous habits do not always go unnoticed, and many lands and cities bar their
entry when possible – though their sheer number and skill at making their way
through the lands makes this difficult. What’s more, as a large, organized group,
they are able to provide cheap labor, goods, and services that are often in demand
wherever they go, making some lords and employers overlook their petty thefts
and ill repute.
Aims: Though many in the land think of the Tinkers as nothing more than
travelling itinerants, moving about the lands causing trouble and stealing
people’s possessions, this is not the whole truth. Secretly, the Tinkers believe
themselves the last descendants of an ancient race of people who were driven
from their homes by the current inhabitants of the kingdom. They are fiercely

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xenophobic, hating outsiders as much, if not more so, than they themselves are
hated. Their ultimate goal is the retaking of their ancestral lands from those they
believe stole it from them, and their leaders will stop at nothing to make this
happen.
Strength: They number only a few hundred, but are fiercely loyal to one
another, and possess a great variety of skills and trades amongst their number.
Their life of wandering has also given them knowledge of many secret places and
ways unknown to most men.

Blackstone Entertainment, Inc. is a Veteran-Owned Small Business located in the heart of the
Shenandoah Valley. We express our warmest thanks to you for purchasing this product, and hope you
thoroughly enjoy it.

For a list of new releases and upcoming games from BSE, check out our Twitter page at
https://twitter.com/GreystaffLegend

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