FACTIONS

MERCENARY GUILD

The Atlanta Mercenary Guild is a loosely structured organization of independent contractors, which takes care of magic “hazmat” too minor to attract the attention of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid or the Paranormal Activity Division of the Atlanta Police Department.

The Guild has two divisions: administrative, which is located in a former Sheraton Hotel on the edge of Buckhead, and merc, which consists of all of the mercenaries who actually do the work in the field. The individual mercenaries, called mercs, are employee-owners of the Guild: as long as they are within the Guild, they own a tiny share in it. The admins may or may not be employee-owners, as some of them are employed on a temporary basis.

Each merc is assigned a “zone,” a small geographical area that is his or her territory. Mercs are grouped into “chains,” according to their ability and location. A typical chain has eight to ten links.

The day-to-day Guild business takes place as follows:

The admin division receives a trouble call, which may come by phone, in person, or by some other means.

The admins evaluate the call, making sure that the Guild is authorized to take the job and that no other agency or individual has been simultaneously employed to handle the same problem. Mercs are a violent lot, and the primary function of the admin division is to keep the detached-body-part count to a minimum. If the Guild is clear to proceed, the trouble call is logged in as a “gig.”

The admins determine into which zone the gig falls and alert the mercenary assigned to that zone. If the merc declines the gig, the job is passed on to the next person in their chain. Occasionally, the job is too difficult for a single merc, and the “owner” of the gig may choose to team up with another merc. It is up to the individual mercs to determine how they want to split the bounty.

The merc performs the job and delivers proof to the admins. In cases where the job was done remotely, the person who has made the trouble call or the local police agency usually has to confirm that the problem has been resolved. The merc then collects the bounty, 30 percent of which goes to the Guild to pay for medical and dental insurance for the mercs, admin maintenance and salaries, lawyer fees, and other various expenses. Most mercs also contribute up to 10 percent of their bounty to their pension fund. No one has yet gotten rich enough to live in style on their pension, but it has kept a few retirees off the streets.

Well-Known Mercs:

Solomon Red: the Guild’s reclusive founder who lives in administrative headquarters

Mark: Solomon’s right hand and the Guild’s chief admin, responsible for day-to-day operations

THE PEOPLE

The People defy categorization. Part cult, part corporation, part scientific institution, the People concern themselves with necromancy: study, raising, and care of the undead. Like the Order, the People have a national presence, with bases in most major cities.

The People are obscenely wealthy and seemingly interested solely in increasing their wealth. They control the largest vampire stable on the continent and are not shy about wielding their influence.

VAMPIRES

Vampires are mindless creatures. They have no ego, no consciousness, and no ability to formulate thoughts. Left to their own devices, they would slaughter every living thing until nothing was left; and then they would turn on one another. Because their brains do not atrophy like most of their internal organs, vampires provide an ideal anchor for a person gifted in necromantic magic. Such people are called navigators. The navigators “ride” or “pilot” the mind of the vampires, experiencing the world both through their own eyes and ears, and through the eyes and ears of the vampires. Vampires hunt by sight and hearing. Their sense of smell is underdeveloped and doesn’t translate to the navigator.

Vampire creation is a strictly controlled process, overseen by the government. A person may legally choose to become a vampire after death provided he or she is of sound mind when the contract is made. To replenish and expand their stable, the People offer a sizeable amount of money to the prospective “vamps-to-be,” and they are never short on applicants. The prospect of money usually attracts terminal patients. Once the contract is signed, the applicant may terminate the contract at will at any point. The applicant is closely monitored. In the moment of clinical death, he is injected with Immortuus pathogen. His body is then secured for the duration of the incubation, which usually takes ten to twelve days. Upon undeath, the vampire becomes the property of the People.

JOURNEYMEN AND MASTERS

To become a member of the People, one has to pass rigorous ability tests. If the applicant demonstrates necromantic ability, he is hired as a journeyman. Journeymen are assigned to a Master of the Dead, an experienced necromancer, who is able to raise and navigate the undead. The journeymen do the grunt work of the vampire care and receive instruction in navigation. Most do not possess enough talent to ever reach Master of the Dead status. While impeccably dressed during business hours, in their time off journeymen often adopt Goth attire and show a strong preference for bright blood-red accessories.

Masters of the Dead wield a great deal of power. They have the authority to select their own candidates for the vampires out of the pool of potential applicants. Because the People pursue wealth with single-minded dedication and often own casinos, funeral homes, and security firms, most Masters of the Dead are wealthy. However, the People’s agenda runs deeper than their surface addiction to material comforts. The People are ruled by Roland, a shadowy figure unknown to laymen. Roland is rumored to possess almost godlike powers. The People are his creation, and he uses them to further his own ends. What those ends are, nobody knows.

Currently the Atlanta chapter of the People has seven Masters of the Dead.

THE ORDER OF KNIGHTS OF MERCIFUL AID

The Order of Knights of Merciful Aid offers exactly what it promises: merciful aid on the edge of the sword or by the burn of a bullet. Powerful and disciplined, the Order is a nationwide organization, which consists of elite warriors and scholars. Each major city has its own Order chapter.

Members of the Order are called knights. The Order’s mission, rules, and regulations are outlined in the Order’s Codex, a book that many of the knights strive to memorize. When asked, the knights state their mission as simply “Protection of mankind.” The knights are lethal, honorable, and, unfortunately, convinced that they are always right. Like the Mercenary Guild, the Order protects humanity against the dangers of magic, but unlike the Guild, the Order charges according to income, meaning that if an indigent person petitions the Order for help, the knights will assist him pro bono. The Order has a strange, semiofficial status and is considered to be a part of the Law and Order triumvirate, which also includes the Military Supernatural Defense Unit (special forces of the U.S. Army) and the Paranormal Activity Division (police).

KNIGHTS

To become a knight, one usually has to pass the Order Academy’s legendary entrance exams. Upon acceptance, the prospective knight is given the rank of squire. Squires live and study within the Academy’s walls for four years. They are not permitted to leave the grounds for longer than twenty-four hours even on holidays.

The course of study is strenuous and includes weapons and magic training and extensive mental conditioning. The Order isn’t simply interested in producing effective knights. These knights must also be true believers in the Order’s cause.

Only one in eight squires lasts long enough to graduate and be knighted as a knight-defender. Of those, one in twelve will die within the first year, and of the remaining, only one in three will make it to retirement.

The knights are ranked according to their ability and experience:

Knight-Defender: The rank and file of the Order. Knight-defenders usually have two to ten years of experience. If in that time they fail to distinguish themselves in a way that would permit the Order to assign them a new classification, they assume the rank of master-defender.

Knight-Questor: Once called knight-inquisitors, the questors specialize in investigations. They often enter the ranks of the Order after having served in the military or in law enforcement.

Knight-Diviner: Knight-diviners derive their power from faith. Buddhist monks, Taoists, Christians, pagans, and scholars of the Torah have all been known to serve as knight-diviners. Like all magic users, knight-diviners project their own magic field. This field is the reason why strong knight-diviners are particularly effective against vampires. When confronted with the human divine magic, the vampiric pathogen, which fuels vampires’ insatiable thirst, fails to recognize the source of the magic as human. In other words, vampires view knight-diviners as moving pieces of scenery rather than targets. The knight-diviners act as counselors and psychiatrists. The Order recognizes their special status, and the Codex bestows protection onto petitioners who come to see knight-diviners: they do not need to identify themselves, nor do they have to disclose the reason for their visit to any other knight.

Master-at-Arms: Masters-at-arms are knights distinguished by their supreme knowledge and ability with weapons. Masters-at-arms have a specialized designation according to their chosen weapon: “master-at-arms, blade,” “master-at-arms, blunt,” “master-at-arms, firearm,” etc.

Master-at-Craft: Masters-at-craft are knights who possess exceptional magical knowledge and ability. Like masters-at-arms, they are distinguished by their specialization: “master-at-craft, medicine,” “master-at-craft, conjuration,” “master-at-craft, battle,” etc.

Knight-Crusader: Crusaders have a special rank. Unlike most knights, they are not tied to a certain chapter, but are free to travel as they see fit. Crusaders are the Order’s equivalent of a lancet. Got a nasty boil ready to rupture? Throw a crusader at it. He will take care of the problem and move on. Deadly fighters, the crusaders are extremely dangerous and unpredictable. They are the most shadowy of the knights and tend to be loners who value their privacy.

Knight-Protector: Knight-protectors spearhead the individual Order chapters. They are skilled leaders and proven fighters.

THE PACK

The Pack is the largest shapeshifter society in the South, possibly in the nation, rivaled only by the werebuffalo herd in the Southwest and the Ice Fury Pack in Alaska. By the latest official count, the Pack includes twelve hundred shapeshifters and is constantly growing. Organized with military discipline, the members of the Pack value loyalty, obedience, restraint, and duty above all else.

SHAPESHIFTERS

To understand the Pack one has to understand the shapeshifters. In every shapeshifter, a monumental struggle is taking place, a battle between man and beast. When a beast wins, the shapeshifter becomes a loup, a homicidal maniac. Loups feed on human meat. They revel in cruelty and commit atrocities. They are irrational and incapable of leading a life within human society. They die young and don’t leave pretty corpses. If a loup is sighted and apprehended, it is killed. There is no rehabilitation and no going back.

When a human wins, he does so through adhering to the Code, a collection of writings, which the shapeshfiters treasure. The Code outlines principles of shapeshifter behavior and teaches control and discipline through mental exercise. The shapeshifters who follow the Code view themselves as free of the burden of the beast and refer to themselves as Free People of the Code.

The individuals who emerge from that crucible practice restraint in all things. They exist in a strictly regimented Pack structure. The Pack is segregated into clans according to the species of the beast. Within each clan there is an alpha male and an alpha female and a beta male and a beta female. The alphas rule the clan with absolute authority. They also bear the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of their clan. Should the clan be threatened, the alphas will be the first to fight and the first to die.

The betas assume the position of second in command. Alphas create policies, but betas are often responsible for implementing them. Should one of the alphas die or become unable to perform his or her duty, the beta will step in and assume the alpha status and responsibilities.

More often than not, the alphas are married to each other, but not always. The most notable exceptions are Clan Bouda and Clan Rat. Clan Bouda’s alpha, Aunt B, is a widow and her son serves as the Clan’s alpha male. Clan Rat’s alpha male, Robert Lonesco, is homosexual and his spouse, Thomas, is considered to be a beta male, while Margaret Killian serves as the clan’s alpha female.

The alphas make up the Pack Council, the function of which is to assist the Pack alpha in governing the shapeshifters. The Atlanta Pack alpha is known as the Beast Lord, due to the unusually large size of the Pack and the manner in which the current Beast Lord, Curran Lennart, came to power. While the Council has the ability to influence Curran, they can’t challenge his authority or override him.

The life of the shapeshifter is difficult. If they survive the hormonal surge of puberty without going loup, they become members of the Pack. Young shapeshifters quickly find out that not all humans welcome them, and most come in contact with prejudice sooner or later. While the Pack rules of conduct may seem draconian, this lifestyle works for most because within the Pack they find warmth and understanding and safety. The alphas care about their people and will, and do, lay down their lives to keep them secure.

While each clan has its own base, they come together at Keep, a huge fortress built specifically for the Pack over the course of two decades. No modern machinery was used during the construction, and Keep is magic-proof. Besides Keep, the Pack owns several large tracts of land, including a huge forested region in Virginia they call the Wood. The Pack also keeps several offices within Atlanta. Because the Pack’s influence is increasing, the People view them as rivals, and the animosity between the two factions grows with every day.

CLANS

Clan Wolf: The largest of the clans and the most disciplined. Wolves are warriors. They work well in groups and prefer a team approach to most problems. Wolves also have the largest percentage of pups who turn loup at puberty: almost one in four. The pups who turn loup have to be killed. Wolves are maniacal in their loyalty to Curran.

Clan Rat: The second largest of the clans, the rats are scouts, spies, and deadly assassins. Due to an unusually high metabolism, they eat continuously. The rats are prone to shakes, crippling fits that result from severe depletion of nutrients. Like wolves, they work well in a group or on their own.

Clan Hyena: Counting only two dozen members, hyenas, or boudas as they like to be called, still wield a fair amount of influence. Boudas are extremely violent fighters. They are prone to berserk rages, and other clansmen learn the hard way to steer clear. Boudas are also notoriously adventurous in their sexual explorations. Just like in nature, women dominate this clan, with men taking the secondary role. Boudas don’t play fair. Common Pack wisdom says that if you make an enemy of the boudas, you will never be forgiven. They will smile in your face and break your neck the second you look away.

Clan Cat: Clan Cat consists of large and small felines. By nature, cats are loners. They bind into a clan only out of necessity, so they can have a representative on the Council. Of all the clans, cats are the most lethal and the most independent. They occasionally balk at orders simply because they can. They are also prone to cruelty. Currently Clan Cat has forty members.

Clan Jackal: Clan Jackal is a quiet clan. The jackals are known not for their superior fighting abilities, but for their cunning. They are family-oriented and peaceful. However, occasionally the long-standing rivalry between Clan Jackal and Clan Wolf rears its head. Like hyenas, jackals are susceptible to frenzy.

Clan Heavy: Clan Heavy includes all of the shapeshifters with large beast forms who do not fit into any other clan: bears, boars, moose, badgers, etc.

Clan Nimble: Clan Nimble includes all of the shapeshifters with small beast forms who do not fit into any other clan: mink, stoat, wolverine, fox, etc.

THE NEO CULTS

The Neo Cults worship pagan gods, some ancient and some new. Some are benevolent, like the druids, and some are malevolent, like the Children of Mephisto. The cults have no central authority. They are not actually a faction, but just a convenient way to classify practitioners of religious magic.

Greek, Celtic, and Scandinavian pantheons command the largest number of followers among the neocultists, with Native American and Hindu gods being a close second.

Cults exclude the following major religions and denominations: Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Taoism.

Cults can be loosely classified by their beliefs:

Classical: Greek and Roman pagans, worshipping one or more deity or creature from the classical mythology

Traditionalist: Scandinavian (Viking) pagans, druids, volhv (Russian druids), Japanese pagans, Chinese pagans, etc.

Sect: odd offshoots of major religions, rejecting the doctrine of the majority, such as Satanists and the Order of the Broken Cross

Modern: cults based on an entirely new belief system, such as the presence of extraterrestrial beings