(Re-Open) Fated Pair: Adventure and Courtly Intrigue for Two
Sept 12, 2016 21:25:26 GMT
Seya, Goliathus, and 1 more like this
Post by weirdsound on Sept 12, 2016 21:25:26 GMT
The great calendar foretold that the last of the Bo Dynasty, ruler of the small mountain kingdom of Magikarp Pass, would be killed during a solar eclipse and that this event would foreshadow the return of the demon god Heatran, who slumbers beneath the Magikarp Mountains.
The calendar goes onto prophesize that Heatran can only be defeated by incarnations of the Eon Duo crowned King and Queen of Magikarp Pass.
As a high born human blessed to serve as the host of Latios or Latias, you were of course well educated on this particular prophecy, but were still quite shocked when King Rin Bo of Magikarp Pass, along with his entire family, were cut down by assassins in their own home during last month’s eclipse.
The assassination filled you with dread, and not necessarily because you fear Heatran; To your knowledge you are one half of the only known Eon Duo couple close enough in age to be wed and young enough to inherit a kingdom… And you have little in common with your now likely spouse.
What is This:
A PTU 1.05 campaign for two players. The player characters will be young newly appointed monarchs who shall go on individual and group adventures, rule a small kingdom, and try to co-exist in an arranged marriage brought about by prophecy.
The game will be PbP (obviously), but I miiiiiight occasionally run a very important encounter live if I can find a time and platform that works for both players. I will likely close applications sometime Saturday the 17th, and pick players sometime Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. I am not asking for a full sheet with your application.
Application:
Character Backstory -
Your character is between the ages of 17-25 years old. Your character is of noble birth and host to an Eon Spirit - Latios if Male and Latias if female. How this came about is up to you. You have just had your planned future ripped from you by the orders of the emperor itself, and have been sent to Magikarp Pass to rule the small kingdom alongside a spouse whom you have little in common with. To increase your chances of being picked, you can submit both a male and a female character, or a single character described initially in gender neutral terms who could turn out to be male or female depending on the other character selected.
The world is high fantasy. Members of the Lower Pantheon are considered ‘spirits’, and are fairly common. Some, such as your character, start their lives in human form. Spirits who selfishly and aggressively serve a purpose other than their natural function are often considered ‘demons’ and may wield additional terrible powers.
It is generally considered disrespectful to study or worship the gods of the Upper Pantheon directly, save for Lugia, who is bound to earth and presently serving as the God Emperor of humanity. Much of the world is divided into small human kingdoms loosely aligned with Lugia. Non-human trainer races exist in large cosmopolitan cities and in remote wild places.
Feel free to invent a homeland and bloodline for your character with this information in mind, or to use one or more of the locations I mention in the section on Spiritual Orders below.
Character Goals/Traits -
Just give me a bullet point list of major elements regarding your character’s desires and personality. I will likely pick players whose character traits and goals are somewhat in opposition.
Mechanics -
Since I’m only taking two players, it would be a shame to have a bunch of people wasting time on sheets they won't get to use. Just give me a brief overview of the classes and Pokemon you want at this stage.
...That said, I’ll include the character generation rules anyway, for you crazy bastards who want to make a sheet anyway, and to help everybody else at least start planning ahead.
Start at TL 5. Start with Elemental Connection for either Dragon or Psychic as a free edge, and you may take an additional instance of Elemental Connection or Mystic Senses as normal. You also start with the Usurper class for Latios/Latias for free, and gain Usurper Features free as you qualify for them. Your Pokemon from starts at level 1. If you start with an elemental connection other than Dragon or Psychic, you may type shift your Pokemon form, replacing the type you did not choose with your free elemental connection with the type you chose for your regular elemental connection.
You may use anything from the Core Rulebook or Fantasy Splatbook. Stuff from the science fiction splatbook and playtest packets may be available upon request. By rule, being a Usurper prevents you from taking anything else in The Blessed and the Damned.
Courtly intrigue will be a major theme in this game, so I would advise against dumping all the social skills unless you want to be taken advantage of. I don’t think I will be making a proper map for every single encounter, so features and edges that modify movement speed or attack range might not be the best investment.
On account of your fast moving divine form, the fact that you will not be forced to adventure with your new spouse if you do not want to, your open ended goal of growing stronger for the final battle with Heatran, and as your status as royalty, you will have great freedom in choosing where you want to travel and spend time, so location specific classes such as survivalist and chronicler may be more useful in this campaign than they would be in most others.
You start with any items required or used by an edge or feature you wish to take. If you have crafting features or recipes, you start with a 5000py crafting budget. As the Monarch of a fairly wealthy nation, you will receive a generous ration of standard supplies each time you head out on an adventure, so do not worry about Pokeballs and Medicine on your starting sheet.
You start with three level 25 Pokemon, and these can be any non-legendary Pokemon obtainable at level 25. You are limited to one Psuedo-legend. You start with a 7000py budget for each Pokemon, to purchase held items, TMs, vitamins, and special training for your starters. During character creation You may purchase the Pokemon altering effects of any feature in the book that has a skill rank prerequisite for the cost of (1000 x That features’ prerequisite skill rank)py. You may of course apply any of your own features to a Pokemon for free. Unused funds from the Pokemon Budget are lost.
Your Advisers/Order Affiliations -
As the gods in this world are rarely worshiped directly, most people turn to Spiritual Orders in search of wisdom, fulfillment, and a group identity. Orders generally serve a practical purpose in the world as well as providing spiritual and moral guidance to those who affiliate with them.
It is a tradition within the empire for a new monarch to request aid from any three orders of his or her choosing. An order called upon to aid a monarch in this way will send an adviser and a piece of artifact gear to the new King or Queen. If you have a feature that requires or uses a specific type of gear, at least one of the orders you call upon will send you that type of gear. I will come up with artifacts and advisers for the chosen characters based on their backstory, skills/features, and the orders they request aid from.
As most people only tie themselves spiritually with a single order at most, a Monarch will often pick at least two of the orders he/she requests aid from for political or personal, rather than religious, reasons. For example, a character who accepts his/her prophesied fate as Heatran’s undoing might request advisers from an order that specializes in dealing with demons. A character more interested in being a good King/Queen might call upon the aid of an order for the military, economic, or diplomatic advantages it brings to the table. Somebody who resents the fact that the emperor ripped his/her planned future away, forced them to take a spouse, and rule some tiny kingdom, might align with some of the more sinister orders to publicly express their resentment towards Lugia. Somebody who likes to have their Ego Stoked may request aid from one of the orders that worships the Eon Duo.
Choose Three from the Following List
The Guild of Tutelage
Purpose - To imbue young imperial highborns with the skills, temperament, and values expected of them
Virtues - Preservation of One’s Image, The Practice of Skills and Manners Used in High Society
Key Spirits Worshiped - Diancie, Meloetta
Structure - The guild lacks any sort of true central leadership, and typically looks towards local rulers for guidance. Members of the guild are hired by highborns to teach their children the manners of local high society, as well as whatever skills happen to be fashionable for nobles to practice at the time, which are usually related to Pokemon use and the high arts. These teachers are often the younger children of less-wealthy nobles, offered to the order as payment for the education of their siblings.
The Wings of Lightning
Purpose - Protect the Emperor, His Family, and Those he Deems Important
Virtues - Worship of Emperor Lugia, Preparedness, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Zapdos
Structure - The Wings of Lightning are a knightly order based out of Swanna Lake, the beautiful and quiet Kingdom where the emperor keeps his family and permanent residence. The emperor takes human spouses of either gender, and whomever he happens to be married to is both Monarch of Swanna Lake and Knight General of the Wings of Lightning. Monarch’s close to the emperor and other VIPs are often granted permission to employ these knights as bodyguards and military instructors.
The Breath of Winter
Purpose - Protect the Lands and Common People of the Empire, Hunt the Undead
Virtues - The Desire and Skills to Bring Rest to the Dead, The Use of One’s Environment in Combat, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Articuno
Structure - The Breath of Winter is a loosely structured knightly order, with castles set up in inhospitable and hard to reach places across the empire. Each castle is independently run by its own Knight Captain, who is often an incarnation of Articuno and child of the emperor. A Knight Captain of this order is tasked with organizing bands of undead hunters, and coordinating defense strategies with local rulers.
The Red Inquisition
Purpose - Punish Enemies of the Empire, Seek and Destroy Demons
Virtues - Justice, Aggression, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Moltres
Structure - The Red Inquisition is a knightly order based in the Unending City, a small but densely populated kingdom that serves as the Empire’s political and military capital. The order answers directly to the Imperial Council of Military Intelligence, a small group of Lugia’s trusted generals and spymasters. In times of general peace such as these, The Red Inquisition keeps a small presence in guard forces across the empire to help investigate and destroy demonic activity.
The Cult of the Green Mothers
Purpose - Raise Pokemon for other Imperial Orders, Guards, and Soldiers, Provide a Constructive Outlet for Sorrow
Virtues - Pratical Knowledge related to Pokemon, Overcoming Sorrow and Misery
Key Spirits Worshiped - Virizion, Celebi, Shaymin
Structure - The monks and nuns of the Green Mothers have no central leadership; They dwell in space provided for them in castles and military bases, and produce the Pokemon used by armies and Knightly Orders. Although this order takes all comers, it is overwhelmingly female in composition as it is tradition in many kingdoms to force a woman who miscarries her first child to divorce her husband and become a nun in the service of the Green Mothers.
The Will of Mankind
Purpose - Preserve Human Culture and History, Prevent non-Human trainers from gaining political or cultural influence within the empire
Virtues - Love of One’s Human Heritage, Distrust of the Non-Human Trainer Races, Self Improvement
Key Spirits Worshiped - Terrakion
Structure - The Will of Mankind is a knightly order and political movement based out of Heritage Hills, the sparse rocky Kingdom from which mankind first rose. King Adam, an incarnation of Terrakion and self proclaimed reincarnation of the first human, holds complete control over this order, and uses it as a tool to spread his populist agenda beyond his own Kingdom.
The Questing Blades
Purpose - To Serve the Interests of the Nobility Through Quest and Combat
Virtues - Respect for Nobility, Love of Adventure, Romantic Ideals
Key Spirits Worshiped - Cobalion, The Eon Duo
Structure - Although few in number, and scattered across the world on adventure, this knightly order has deep ties to the fey kingdom of Ralts Gultch, where the nobility by tradition spurn marriage, and freely produce legitimate offspring with any hero or heroine they deem worthy by birth and merit. The Questing Blades have no official hierarchy, but a Knight is expected to defer to another who has accomplished more mighty deeds or earned the favor of a more impressive lover.
The Cult of the Blue Daughters
Purpose - To Protect, Educate, and Provide for Children - Especially Orphans
Virtues - Innocence, Respect for the Powerless, Desire to Provide for the Helpless
Key Spirits Worshiped - Keldeo, Phione
Structure - A very loosely organized group of Knights, Monks, and Nuns tasked with running and protecting schools and orphanages across the empire. Followers of the Blue Daughters are often tied to the interests of rich benefactors who fund their facilities. Some Knights of the blue daughters interpret their duties as extending to the protection of the helpless scholars of other orders, and as such can be found guarding temples across the empire.
The Imperial Academy of Warfare and Scholarship
Purpose - To Enlighten those Who Would Serve the Emperor in the Statehouse or on the Battlefield
Virtues - Loyalty to the Empire, Proper Use of One’s Office, Scholarship
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Swords of Justice, The Legendary Birds
Structure - The Academy is physically located in the Imperial Capital of the Unending City, but its graduates and representatives offer lessons across the empire. By far the largest of the orders, anybody who rises high enough in the ranks of politics or the military without aligning with another order will typically take to affiliating with The Academy by Default.
The Abyssal Pact
Purpose - To Convince or Force Emperor Lugia to Return to the Heavens
Virtues - Vary Wildly
Key Spirits Worshiped - Suicune, Keldeo, Various Demons
Structure - An often unstable alliance of those who want the Emperor Gone. Some members are human supremacists who resent being ruled directly by a god. Others are members of the Sea Dwelling races who wish for Lugia to return to the Pantheon so they may worship it as they did in the old days. Others still are demon worshipers, who feel that it would be easier to meet their dastardly goals with the Emperor out of the way. The alliance is held together by the Sea-Demon Leviathan, a terrible monster who mocks the form of the Sky God Rayquaza.
The Seductive Force
Purpose - To Gain Pleasure through Self Improvement
Virtues - The Development of Psychic Powers, The Pursuit of Personal Pleasure, The Avoidance of Unpleasant Situations
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo, Jirachi
Structure - One of two reclusive psychic orders, the Seductive Force live in extravagant but isolated communities, leaving only to recruit new members, attend festivals, and raise funds to support their luxurious existence. Many people with the funds to do so seek out Temples of the Seductive Force to spend a few weeks being tested for latent psychic potential, as free love and drug use are not only accepted among this order’s ranks, but considered holy rites.
The Righteous Force
Purpose - To Make Oneself into a Better Instrument of the God’s Will
Virtues - The Development of Psychic Powers, The Direct Worship of the Gods, Servitude to the Gods’ Will
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo, The Lake Spirits
Structure - One of two reclusive psychic orders, the Seductive Force live in simple and isolated communities, where they hone their minds and spirits in hopes of being deemed worthy or worshiping the inhabitants of the heavens directly. Their interactions with the outside world are rare, and seemingly random to the uneducated observer, as no two Righteous Force temples are devoted to the same combination of gods.
The Keepers of Prophecy
Purpose - To Know the Future, To Protect the Integrity of Time, To Hunt Time Travelers
Virtues - Knowledge of Architecture, Knowledge of Arcane Texts, Adherence to Destiny
Key Spirits Worshiped - Celebi, The Lake Spirits
Structure - The Keepers of Prophecy live in and study The Great Calendar, a vast complex of ruins in the Coastal Kingdom of Pelipper Cliffs. The walls of the Great Calendar are inscribed with text in various ancient, modern, and future languages, and are said to tell the entire history and future of the world. It takes at least a decade of study before a devoted member of this order is allowed to interpret this text into prophecy. There is said to be a top secret and truly elite sub-order within the keepers that hunts down those who would meddle with the past or future.
The University of the Wounded Walls
Purpose - To Grant Purpose to the Golems, To Contain Regigigas, To Improve City Life
Virtues - Knowledge of Engineering, The Care and Education of Spirits, The Urban Lifestyle
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Golems
Structure - The University of the Wounded Walls sits inside the Great Canyon City in the Kingdom of Battlescar. Scholars at the University are devoted to intercepting the raging Golems Regigigas sends up through the canyon, taming them, and using them to build, repair, and defend the cities of the empire. Any town large enough will have a university graduate, often wielding a Golem, in the service of the local ruler.
The Redemptive Reflection
Purpose - To Redeem Demons, To Redeem Wicked Mortals
Virtues - Knowledge of Spirits and Demons, Empathy for the Wicked
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Golems, Various Redeemed Demons
Structure - This shadowy order is banned in many parts of the empire, as the influential Red Inquisition teaches that a demon may only be cleansed by its own destruction. Members move in small groups, hunting and capturing demons which are brought back to the order’s secret headquarters, thought to be located in the wildlands to the east, for purification. Monarchs in bad standing with the Empire may call upon this order for help with demons if the Red Inquisition refuses to aid them.
The Storm Coven
Purpose - To Serve Demons and Challenge Authority through the Practice of Elemental Witchcraft
Virtues - Opposition to Authority, The Practice of Elemental Witchcraft, Self Improvement
Key Spirits Worshiped - Raikou, Various Demons
Structure - Banned in most kingdoms, the Witches and Warlocks of The Storm Coven are widespread and few in number. They tend to travel in threes, with each trio wedded to a single demon who in turn answers to the pack of Raikou the order worships. Although many members of this order are indeed wicked on some level, most are interested in little more than developing and demonstrating their own power.
Heatran’s Harem
Purpose - To Earn the Affection of Demons through the Practice of Elemental Witchcraft and Self Mutilation
Virtues - The Practice of Elemental Witchcraft, Romantic Involvement with Demons, Desecration of One’s Mortal Body and Spirit
Key Spirits Worshiped - Various Demons
Structure - The most well organized and widely banned of the demonic orders, the Harem is ruled over by a parliament of ancient demons still loyal to the long vanquished Demon God Heatran. The witches and warlocks seduced by this parliament are tasked with rounding up mortal bodies and souls for their masters to use as raw materials, and birthing new demonic spirits. The Witches of the Harem tend to be more subtle and less visible than those of the Storm Coven, but their agenda is considered far more sinister.
Wolves of the Fey Road
Purpose - To Protect and Aid Honorable Criminals through Elemental Witchcraft
Virtues - Acts of Theft and Piracy, Dominating Victims Via Magic and Wit, Respecting towards Worthy Authority Figures
Key Spirits Worshiped - Celebi, Shaymin, Manaphy
Structure - A small non-demonic order of witches and warlocks. Most members of this order lead a band of highwaymen or pirates, and train their most promising minions as successors. The Wolves shun both demon worship and needless or particularly cruel killings, and as such are often tolerated as they keep more dangerous criminals in check. Wolf aligned bandits with often throw their lot in legitimate leaders they feel are tied to a good cause or otherwise worthy of respect. It is rumored that the wolves do have some sort of secret central leadership, as well as an elite group of time traveling thieves and witches.
The Blue Front
Purpose - To Prove Superiority over Those Loyal to the Empire
Virtues - Opposition to the Empire, Competition, Adventure
Key Spirits Worshiped - Suicune, The Eon Duo
Structure - Formed from the remnants of the Orcish Horde vanquished by humanity long ago, the knights, martial artists, pokemon trainers, and Assassins of the Blue Front wander the Empire and surrounding lands seeking out their imperial counterparts and challenging them to anything from friendly competitions to duels to the death. They are known to steal and kidnap from imperial high houses in hopes of inspiring heroes to quest against them, and will work hard to prove to any monarch that will have them that they are superior to imperial advisors.
The Grand Hunt
Purpose - To Provide for Oneself, To Live in Harmony with Nature
Virtues - Self Reliance, Isolation, Skill with Ranged Weaponry
Key Spirits Worshiped - Entei, Shaymin
Structure - Founded by Orcs, this order is as reclusive as it is ancient. Members of this order rarely interact with civilization unless called upon to help hunt great beasts or partake in marksmanship contests. Some members of this order still practice the old ways, and kidnap children who wander into their turf, who they groom as students and/or future mates.
The Temple of the Fang
Purpose - To Master the Art of Pokemon Training, To Study and Preserve Orcish Writings
Virtues - Unity with and Mastery over one's Pokemon, The Preservation of Orcish Writings
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Legendary Beasts
Structure - Founded in the aftermath of the great ancient war against Orckind, the Temple of the Fang was founded by monks and scholars impressed with the greenskin way of wielding Pokemon in battle. 300 Years ago they relocated to the City of Quin’s Leap in the Kingdom of Magikarp Pass after their original temple burnt to the ground, but scholars of this order can be found running and challenging dojos across the empire.
The Caravan of Clear Skies
Purpose - To Facilitate Trade, To Establish New Trade Routes, To Protect the Investments of the Wealthy
Virtues - Wealth, Respect for the Property of Others, Love of Travel
Key Spirits Worshiped - Tornadus, The Legendary Birds
Structure - A group of traders, sailors, politicians, and mercenaries organized in the service of a small group of super wealthy investors. They are banned in some kingdoms as they only value wealth when determining status, not birthright. They have a heavy presence in the governmental bureaucracy of Magikarp Pass, as some of the empire's most important land trade routes cross the Kingdom.
The Crimson Typhoon Party
Purpose - To Ensure Common Access to the Means of Production, To Redistribute Wealth to those who need it most
Virtues - Equality, An Agrarian Lifestyle, Political Activism
Key Spirits Worshiped - Thundurus, Shaymin, The Swords of Justice
Structure - A group largely consisting of angry city dwellers recently thrown from their rural homes to make way for more efficient forms of mechanized food production. The Crimson Typhoon Party is the youngest recognized order, and among the most disorganized. Some branches want to end the empire, others just want to reform it, while others still are happy to lash out at individual businesses and leaders. There are rumors that some within the party are turning to demon worship to meet their goals.
Temple of the Enclosed Heavens
Purpose - To Enslave and Exploit the Weak for Personal Gain, To Study and Experiment Upon Rocks and Minerals
Virtues - Slave Ownership, Pokemon Ownership, The Study of Geology
Key Spirits Worshiped - Landorus
Structure - The Temple of the Enclosed Heavens is a massive place of worship, commerce, and scholarship run by the Drow who live beneath the Magikarp Mountains. People can visit the temple, or one of the regular caravans it sends to the surface, to purchase and study rare minerals, train in the ruthless Drowish school of Pokemon command, and purchase slaves from the ranks of the strange races found deep below ground.
The Claws of Dominance
Purpose - To Establish and Celebrate the Superiority of Draconic Bloodlines
Virtues - Respect for One’s Elders, Respect for One’s Ancestors
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo
Structure - An order founded by Kobolds, a tiny but proud race who live in the attics, crawl spaces, and sewage pits of the empire. Kobolds are more closely related to dragon type Pokemon than to any other Trainer Race, and the vast majority of them believe this fact makes them superior to all non-dragons, up to and including spirits and gods. They are lead by an ancient Kobold incarnation of Latios, who teaches that non-dragons exist only for the amusement of dragons, and may be abused or exploited for any reason.
The Frost Children
Purpose - To Advance the Interests of the Intelligent Undead, To Glorify and Serve the Gods of Death
Virtues - Joyful Acceptance of Death’s Inevitability, Refusal to Accept Death as the End of Existence, Worship of Giratina and Yveltal
Key Spirits Worshiped - Regice, Various Demons
Structure - An order made up of the intelligent undead and their mortal servants. Obviously banned in most kingdoms, The Frost Children nonetheless make powerful allies for any monarch willing to deal with them, as the truly ancient among their rank control vast wealth and fell armies. The undead believe that their condition gives them the right to worship death gods directly, and to grant their servants and allies the privilege to do the same.
The Order of the Cracked Tomb
Purpose - To Win the Approval of the Death Gods by Bringing About Armageddon
Virtues - Mastery of Necromancy, Resentment of Life, Study of the Death Gods
Key Spirits Worshiped - Regirock, Various Demons
Structure - The Cracked Tomb hopes to bring about the end times, and replace Lugia’s human empire with an age of ghosts and corpses ruled over by Giratina or Yveltal. Members of The cracked tomb trains individually, usually in public temples and dojos. Every so often the order lashes out by deploying a single member on a suicide mission to lead an army of zombies and ghost Pokemon with the intent of causing as much damage as possible before being put down. Obviously banned pretty much everywhere.
The Black Knights
Purpose - To Sow Destruction and Sorrow
Virtues - To Find Joy in the Misery of Others, To Harm the Innocent, To Master the Arts of War
Key Spirits Worshiped - Registeel, Various Demons
Structure - An order of secretive mercenary knights who will serve any cause so long as they are paid well and allowed to cause as much collateral damage as possible. The order is surprisingly legal in most Kingdoms, as no monarch wants to rule out the threat of using these soldiers if their neighbors won't do the same. The Black Knights are lead by King Jiang the Terrible, who rules over the desert kingdom of Spade just east of the Magikarp Mountains.
The Oath of the Stars
Purpose - To Overthrow the Gods and Spirits to Ensure Humanity is Treated Fairly by the Conquering Beings from Space
Virtues - Obedience
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - Those who take on the Oath of the Stars follow the teachings of Deoxys, the four-faced prophet from another world. Deoxys teaches that when his kin arrive and rule the world, they will treat the humans who aid him and their descendents as favored pets and servants, as opposed to livestock or pests. Although the order is banned in most places it continues to prosper openly as no established order yet exists to combat Deoxys’ mysterious plans.
The Mewtonic Sect
Purpose - To destroy the divine and distribute their power to mortal Pokemon and Trainers alike.
Virtues - Devotion to Scientific and Occult Studies, Desire to Wield the Power of the Divine
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - The Sect is lead by Mewtwo, a being created from the remains of the creator goddess slain by the sect's founders. Their hunters travel the world destroying various spirits, which are then torn apart by their scholars to improve the lives of mortals across the empire. They can be reasoned with, and will generally only pursue demons and other spirits who have fallen out of favor with local government. The Sect justifies tolerance, and even acceptance, of gods and spirits who hold power by teaching that the benefits that may come from destroying such beings do not outweigh the damage that a political vacuum might cause.
The Anvil of Metal and Flesh
Purpose - To transcend one’s humanity through technology, to Denounce Idealogies of Human Supremacy
Virtues - Devotion to Scientific Studies, Hatred of one’s own physical and mental flaws
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - The Anvil is lead by Prince Geno, a brilliant scientist who lead a small army of metal-men against King Adam twenty years ago, in an unsuccessful attempt to demonstrate humanity's weaknesses by capturing the race’s motherland of Heritage Hills. Although the order is not banned outright, it has mainly operated in the shadows since suffering defeat at Adam’s hands. The elements of the Anvil that do practice in the open perform their experiments on Pokemon and Non-Human trainers to avoid angering the human supreamists, or operate under the protection of a ruler willing and able to stand up to Adam and his Knights of The Will of Mankind.
The calendar goes onto prophesize that Heatran can only be defeated by incarnations of the Eon Duo crowned King and Queen of Magikarp Pass.
As a high born human blessed to serve as the host of Latios or Latias, you were of course well educated on this particular prophecy, but were still quite shocked when King Rin Bo of Magikarp Pass, along with his entire family, were cut down by assassins in their own home during last month’s eclipse.
The assassination filled you with dread, and not necessarily because you fear Heatran; To your knowledge you are one half of the only known Eon Duo couple close enough in age to be wed and young enough to inherit a kingdom… And you have little in common with your now likely spouse.
What is This:
A PTU 1.05 campaign for two players. The player characters will be young newly appointed monarchs who shall go on individual and group adventures, rule a small kingdom, and try to co-exist in an arranged marriage brought about by prophecy.
The game will be PbP (obviously), but I miiiiiight occasionally run a very important encounter live if I can find a time and platform that works for both players. I will likely close applications sometime Saturday the 17th, and pick players sometime Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. I am not asking for a full sheet with your application.
Application:
Character Backstory -
Your character is between the ages of 17-25 years old. Your character is of noble birth and host to an Eon Spirit - Latios if Male and Latias if female. How this came about is up to you. You have just had your planned future ripped from you by the orders of the emperor itself, and have been sent to Magikarp Pass to rule the small kingdom alongside a spouse whom you have little in common with. To increase your chances of being picked, you can submit both a male and a female character, or a single character described initially in gender neutral terms who could turn out to be male or female depending on the other character selected.
The world is high fantasy. Members of the Lower Pantheon are considered ‘spirits’, and are fairly common. Some, such as your character, start their lives in human form. Spirits who selfishly and aggressively serve a purpose other than their natural function are often considered ‘demons’ and may wield additional terrible powers.
It is generally considered disrespectful to study or worship the gods of the Upper Pantheon directly, save for Lugia, who is bound to earth and presently serving as the God Emperor of humanity. Much of the world is divided into small human kingdoms loosely aligned with Lugia. Non-human trainer races exist in large cosmopolitan cities and in remote wild places.
Feel free to invent a homeland and bloodline for your character with this information in mind, or to use one or more of the locations I mention in the section on Spiritual Orders below.
Character Goals/Traits -
Just give me a bullet point list of major elements regarding your character’s desires and personality. I will likely pick players whose character traits and goals are somewhat in opposition.
Mechanics -
Since I’m only taking two players, it would be a shame to have a bunch of people wasting time on sheets they won't get to use. Just give me a brief overview of the classes and Pokemon you want at this stage.
...That said, I’ll include the character generation rules anyway, for you crazy bastards who want to make a sheet anyway, and to help everybody else at least start planning ahead.
Start at TL 5. Start with Elemental Connection for either Dragon or Psychic as a free edge, and you may take an additional instance of Elemental Connection or Mystic Senses as normal. You also start with the Usurper class for Latios/Latias for free, and gain Usurper Features free as you qualify for them. Your Pokemon from starts at level 1. If you start with an elemental connection other than Dragon or Psychic, you may type shift your Pokemon form, replacing the type you did not choose with your free elemental connection with the type you chose for your regular elemental connection.
You may use anything from the Core Rulebook or Fantasy Splatbook. Stuff from the science fiction splatbook and playtest packets may be available upon request. By rule, being a Usurper prevents you from taking anything else in The Blessed and the Damned.
Courtly intrigue will be a major theme in this game, so I would advise against dumping all the social skills unless you want to be taken advantage of. I don’t think I will be making a proper map for every single encounter, so features and edges that modify movement speed or attack range might not be the best investment.
On account of your fast moving divine form, the fact that you will not be forced to adventure with your new spouse if you do not want to, your open ended goal of growing stronger for the final battle with Heatran, and as your status as royalty, you will have great freedom in choosing where you want to travel and spend time, so location specific classes such as survivalist and chronicler may be more useful in this campaign than they would be in most others.
You start with any items required or used by an edge or feature you wish to take. If you have crafting features or recipes, you start with a 5000py crafting budget. As the Monarch of a fairly wealthy nation, you will receive a generous ration of standard supplies each time you head out on an adventure, so do not worry about Pokeballs and Medicine on your starting sheet.
You start with three level 25 Pokemon, and these can be any non-legendary Pokemon obtainable at level 25. You are limited to one Psuedo-legend. You start with a 7000py budget for each Pokemon, to purchase held items, TMs, vitamins, and special training for your starters. During character creation You may purchase the Pokemon altering effects of any feature in the book that has a skill rank prerequisite for the cost of (1000 x That features’ prerequisite skill rank)py. You may of course apply any of your own features to a Pokemon for free. Unused funds from the Pokemon Budget are lost.
Your Advisers/Order Affiliations -
As the gods in this world are rarely worshiped directly, most people turn to Spiritual Orders in search of wisdom, fulfillment, and a group identity. Orders generally serve a practical purpose in the world as well as providing spiritual and moral guidance to those who affiliate with them.
It is a tradition within the empire for a new monarch to request aid from any three orders of his or her choosing. An order called upon to aid a monarch in this way will send an adviser and a piece of artifact gear to the new King or Queen. If you have a feature that requires or uses a specific type of gear, at least one of the orders you call upon will send you that type of gear. I will come up with artifacts and advisers for the chosen characters based on their backstory, skills/features, and the orders they request aid from.
As most people only tie themselves spiritually with a single order at most, a Monarch will often pick at least two of the orders he/she requests aid from for political or personal, rather than religious, reasons. For example, a character who accepts his/her prophesied fate as Heatran’s undoing might request advisers from an order that specializes in dealing with demons. A character more interested in being a good King/Queen might call upon the aid of an order for the military, economic, or diplomatic advantages it brings to the table. Somebody who resents the fact that the emperor ripped his/her planned future away, forced them to take a spouse, and rule some tiny kingdom, might align with some of the more sinister orders to publicly express their resentment towards Lugia. Somebody who likes to have their Ego Stoked may request aid from one of the orders that worships the Eon Duo.
Choose Three from the Following List
The Guild of Tutelage
Purpose - To imbue young imperial highborns with the skills, temperament, and values expected of them
Virtues - Preservation of One’s Image, The Practice of Skills and Manners Used in High Society
Key Spirits Worshiped - Diancie, Meloetta
Structure - The guild lacks any sort of true central leadership, and typically looks towards local rulers for guidance. Members of the guild are hired by highborns to teach their children the manners of local high society, as well as whatever skills happen to be fashionable for nobles to practice at the time, which are usually related to Pokemon use and the high arts. These teachers are often the younger children of less-wealthy nobles, offered to the order as payment for the education of their siblings.
The Wings of Lightning
Purpose - Protect the Emperor, His Family, and Those he Deems Important
Virtues - Worship of Emperor Lugia, Preparedness, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Zapdos
Structure - The Wings of Lightning are a knightly order based out of Swanna Lake, the beautiful and quiet Kingdom where the emperor keeps his family and permanent residence. The emperor takes human spouses of either gender, and whomever he happens to be married to is both Monarch of Swanna Lake and Knight General of the Wings of Lightning. Monarch’s close to the emperor and other VIPs are often granted permission to employ these knights as bodyguards and military instructors.
The Breath of Winter
Purpose - Protect the Lands and Common People of the Empire, Hunt the Undead
Virtues - The Desire and Skills to Bring Rest to the Dead, The Use of One’s Environment in Combat, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Articuno
Structure - The Breath of Winter is a loosely structured knightly order, with castles set up in inhospitable and hard to reach places across the empire. Each castle is independently run by its own Knight Captain, who is often an incarnation of Articuno and child of the emperor. A Knight Captain of this order is tasked with organizing bands of undead hunters, and coordinating defense strategies with local rulers.
The Red Inquisition
Purpose - Punish Enemies of the Empire, Seek and Destroy Demons
Virtues - Justice, Aggression, Loyalty to the Empire
Key Spirits Worshiped - Moltres
Structure - The Red Inquisition is a knightly order based in the Unending City, a small but densely populated kingdom that serves as the Empire’s political and military capital. The order answers directly to the Imperial Council of Military Intelligence, a small group of Lugia’s trusted generals and spymasters. In times of general peace such as these, The Red Inquisition keeps a small presence in guard forces across the empire to help investigate and destroy demonic activity.
The Cult of the Green Mothers
Purpose - Raise Pokemon for other Imperial Orders, Guards, and Soldiers, Provide a Constructive Outlet for Sorrow
Virtues - Pratical Knowledge related to Pokemon, Overcoming Sorrow and Misery
Key Spirits Worshiped - Virizion, Celebi, Shaymin
Structure - The monks and nuns of the Green Mothers have no central leadership; They dwell in space provided for them in castles and military bases, and produce the Pokemon used by armies and Knightly Orders. Although this order takes all comers, it is overwhelmingly female in composition as it is tradition in many kingdoms to force a woman who miscarries her first child to divorce her husband and become a nun in the service of the Green Mothers.
The Will of Mankind
Purpose - Preserve Human Culture and History, Prevent non-Human trainers from gaining political or cultural influence within the empire
Virtues - Love of One’s Human Heritage, Distrust of the Non-Human Trainer Races, Self Improvement
Key Spirits Worshiped - Terrakion
Structure - The Will of Mankind is a knightly order and political movement based out of Heritage Hills, the sparse rocky Kingdom from which mankind first rose. King Adam, an incarnation of Terrakion and self proclaimed reincarnation of the first human, holds complete control over this order, and uses it as a tool to spread his populist agenda beyond his own Kingdom.
The Questing Blades
Purpose - To Serve the Interests of the Nobility Through Quest and Combat
Virtues - Respect for Nobility, Love of Adventure, Romantic Ideals
Key Spirits Worshiped - Cobalion, The Eon Duo
Structure - Although few in number, and scattered across the world on adventure, this knightly order has deep ties to the fey kingdom of Ralts Gultch, where the nobility by tradition spurn marriage, and freely produce legitimate offspring with any hero or heroine they deem worthy by birth and merit. The Questing Blades have no official hierarchy, but a Knight is expected to defer to another who has accomplished more mighty deeds or earned the favor of a more impressive lover.
The Cult of the Blue Daughters
Purpose - To Protect, Educate, and Provide for Children - Especially Orphans
Virtues - Innocence, Respect for the Powerless, Desire to Provide for the Helpless
Key Spirits Worshiped - Keldeo, Phione
Structure - A very loosely organized group of Knights, Monks, and Nuns tasked with running and protecting schools and orphanages across the empire. Followers of the Blue Daughters are often tied to the interests of rich benefactors who fund their facilities. Some Knights of the blue daughters interpret their duties as extending to the protection of the helpless scholars of other orders, and as such can be found guarding temples across the empire.
The Imperial Academy of Warfare and Scholarship
Purpose - To Enlighten those Who Would Serve the Emperor in the Statehouse or on the Battlefield
Virtues - Loyalty to the Empire, Proper Use of One’s Office, Scholarship
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Swords of Justice, The Legendary Birds
Structure - The Academy is physically located in the Imperial Capital of the Unending City, but its graduates and representatives offer lessons across the empire. By far the largest of the orders, anybody who rises high enough in the ranks of politics or the military without aligning with another order will typically take to affiliating with The Academy by Default.
The Abyssal Pact
Purpose - To Convince or Force Emperor Lugia to Return to the Heavens
Virtues - Vary Wildly
Key Spirits Worshiped - Suicune, Keldeo, Various Demons
Structure - An often unstable alliance of those who want the Emperor Gone. Some members are human supremacists who resent being ruled directly by a god. Others are members of the Sea Dwelling races who wish for Lugia to return to the Pantheon so they may worship it as they did in the old days. Others still are demon worshipers, who feel that it would be easier to meet their dastardly goals with the Emperor out of the way. The alliance is held together by the Sea-Demon Leviathan, a terrible monster who mocks the form of the Sky God Rayquaza.
The Seductive Force
Purpose - To Gain Pleasure through Self Improvement
Virtues - The Development of Psychic Powers, The Pursuit of Personal Pleasure, The Avoidance of Unpleasant Situations
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo, Jirachi
Structure - One of two reclusive psychic orders, the Seductive Force live in extravagant but isolated communities, leaving only to recruit new members, attend festivals, and raise funds to support their luxurious existence. Many people with the funds to do so seek out Temples of the Seductive Force to spend a few weeks being tested for latent psychic potential, as free love and drug use are not only accepted among this order’s ranks, but considered holy rites.
The Righteous Force
Purpose - To Make Oneself into a Better Instrument of the God’s Will
Virtues - The Development of Psychic Powers, The Direct Worship of the Gods, Servitude to the Gods’ Will
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo, The Lake Spirits
Structure - One of two reclusive psychic orders, the Seductive Force live in simple and isolated communities, where they hone their minds and spirits in hopes of being deemed worthy or worshiping the inhabitants of the heavens directly. Their interactions with the outside world are rare, and seemingly random to the uneducated observer, as no two Righteous Force temples are devoted to the same combination of gods.
The Keepers of Prophecy
Purpose - To Know the Future, To Protect the Integrity of Time, To Hunt Time Travelers
Virtues - Knowledge of Architecture, Knowledge of Arcane Texts, Adherence to Destiny
Key Spirits Worshiped - Celebi, The Lake Spirits
Structure - The Keepers of Prophecy live in and study The Great Calendar, a vast complex of ruins in the Coastal Kingdom of Pelipper Cliffs. The walls of the Great Calendar are inscribed with text in various ancient, modern, and future languages, and are said to tell the entire history and future of the world. It takes at least a decade of study before a devoted member of this order is allowed to interpret this text into prophecy. There is said to be a top secret and truly elite sub-order within the keepers that hunts down those who would meddle with the past or future.
The University of the Wounded Walls
Purpose - To Grant Purpose to the Golems, To Contain Regigigas, To Improve City Life
Virtues - Knowledge of Engineering, The Care and Education of Spirits, The Urban Lifestyle
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Golems
Structure - The University of the Wounded Walls sits inside the Great Canyon City in the Kingdom of Battlescar. Scholars at the University are devoted to intercepting the raging Golems Regigigas sends up through the canyon, taming them, and using them to build, repair, and defend the cities of the empire. Any town large enough will have a university graduate, often wielding a Golem, in the service of the local ruler.
The Redemptive Reflection
Purpose - To Redeem Demons, To Redeem Wicked Mortals
Virtues - Knowledge of Spirits and Demons, Empathy for the Wicked
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Golems, Various Redeemed Demons
Structure - This shadowy order is banned in many parts of the empire, as the influential Red Inquisition teaches that a demon may only be cleansed by its own destruction. Members move in small groups, hunting and capturing demons which are brought back to the order’s secret headquarters, thought to be located in the wildlands to the east, for purification. Monarchs in bad standing with the Empire may call upon this order for help with demons if the Red Inquisition refuses to aid them.
The Storm Coven
Purpose - To Serve Demons and Challenge Authority through the Practice of Elemental Witchcraft
Virtues - Opposition to Authority, The Practice of Elemental Witchcraft, Self Improvement
Key Spirits Worshiped - Raikou, Various Demons
Structure - Banned in most kingdoms, the Witches and Warlocks of The Storm Coven are widespread and few in number. They tend to travel in threes, with each trio wedded to a single demon who in turn answers to the pack of Raikou the order worships. Although many members of this order are indeed wicked on some level, most are interested in little more than developing and demonstrating their own power.
Heatran’s Harem
Purpose - To Earn the Affection of Demons through the Practice of Elemental Witchcraft and Self Mutilation
Virtues - The Practice of Elemental Witchcraft, Romantic Involvement with Demons, Desecration of One’s Mortal Body and Spirit
Key Spirits Worshiped - Various Demons
Structure - The most well organized and widely banned of the demonic orders, the Harem is ruled over by a parliament of ancient demons still loyal to the long vanquished Demon God Heatran. The witches and warlocks seduced by this parliament are tasked with rounding up mortal bodies and souls for their masters to use as raw materials, and birthing new demonic spirits. The Witches of the Harem tend to be more subtle and less visible than those of the Storm Coven, but their agenda is considered far more sinister.
Wolves of the Fey Road
Purpose - To Protect and Aid Honorable Criminals through Elemental Witchcraft
Virtues - Acts of Theft and Piracy, Dominating Victims Via Magic and Wit, Respecting towards Worthy Authority Figures
Key Spirits Worshiped - Celebi, Shaymin, Manaphy
Structure - A small non-demonic order of witches and warlocks. Most members of this order lead a band of highwaymen or pirates, and train their most promising minions as successors. The Wolves shun both demon worship and needless or particularly cruel killings, and as such are often tolerated as they keep more dangerous criminals in check. Wolf aligned bandits with often throw their lot in legitimate leaders they feel are tied to a good cause or otherwise worthy of respect. It is rumored that the wolves do have some sort of secret central leadership, as well as an elite group of time traveling thieves and witches.
The Blue Front
Purpose - To Prove Superiority over Those Loyal to the Empire
Virtues - Opposition to the Empire, Competition, Adventure
Key Spirits Worshiped - Suicune, The Eon Duo
Structure - Formed from the remnants of the Orcish Horde vanquished by humanity long ago, the knights, martial artists, pokemon trainers, and Assassins of the Blue Front wander the Empire and surrounding lands seeking out their imperial counterparts and challenging them to anything from friendly competitions to duels to the death. They are known to steal and kidnap from imperial high houses in hopes of inspiring heroes to quest against them, and will work hard to prove to any monarch that will have them that they are superior to imperial advisors.
The Grand Hunt
Purpose - To Provide for Oneself, To Live in Harmony with Nature
Virtues - Self Reliance, Isolation, Skill with Ranged Weaponry
Key Spirits Worshiped - Entei, Shaymin
Structure - Founded by Orcs, this order is as reclusive as it is ancient. Members of this order rarely interact with civilization unless called upon to help hunt great beasts or partake in marksmanship contests. Some members of this order still practice the old ways, and kidnap children who wander into their turf, who they groom as students and/or future mates.
The Temple of the Fang
Purpose - To Master the Art of Pokemon Training, To Study and Preserve Orcish Writings
Virtues - Unity with and Mastery over one's Pokemon, The Preservation of Orcish Writings
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Legendary Beasts
Structure - Founded in the aftermath of the great ancient war against Orckind, the Temple of the Fang was founded by monks and scholars impressed with the greenskin way of wielding Pokemon in battle. 300 Years ago they relocated to the City of Quin’s Leap in the Kingdom of Magikarp Pass after their original temple burnt to the ground, but scholars of this order can be found running and challenging dojos across the empire.
The Caravan of Clear Skies
Purpose - To Facilitate Trade, To Establish New Trade Routes, To Protect the Investments of the Wealthy
Virtues - Wealth, Respect for the Property of Others, Love of Travel
Key Spirits Worshiped - Tornadus, The Legendary Birds
Structure - A group of traders, sailors, politicians, and mercenaries organized in the service of a small group of super wealthy investors. They are banned in some kingdoms as they only value wealth when determining status, not birthright. They have a heavy presence in the governmental bureaucracy of Magikarp Pass, as some of the empire's most important land trade routes cross the Kingdom.
The Crimson Typhoon Party
Purpose - To Ensure Common Access to the Means of Production, To Redistribute Wealth to those who need it most
Virtues - Equality, An Agrarian Lifestyle, Political Activism
Key Spirits Worshiped - Thundurus, Shaymin, The Swords of Justice
Structure - A group largely consisting of angry city dwellers recently thrown from their rural homes to make way for more efficient forms of mechanized food production. The Crimson Typhoon Party is the youngest recognized order, and among the most disorganized. Some branches want to end the empire, others just want to reform it, while others still are happy to lash out at individual businesses and leaders. There are rumors that some within the party are turning to demon worship to meet their goals.
Temple of the Enclosed Heavens
Purpose - To Enslave and Exploit the Weak for Personal Gain, To Study and Experiment Upon Rocks and Minerals
Virtues - Slave Ownership, Pokemon Ownership, The Study of Geology
Key Spirits Worshiped - Landorus
Structure - The Temple of the Enclosed Heavens is a massive place of worship, commerce, and scholarship run by the Drow who live beneath the Magikarp Mountains. People can visit the temple, or one of the regular caravans it sends to the surface, to purchase and study rare minerals, train in the ruthless Drowish school of Pokemon command, and purchase slaves from the ranks of the strange races found deep below ground.
The Claws of Dominance
Purpose - To Establish and Celebrate the Superiority of Draconic Bloodlines
Virtues - Respect for One’s Elders, Respect for One’s Ancestors
Key Spirits Worshiped - The Eon Duo
Structure - An order founded by Kobolds, a tiny but proud race who live in the attics, crawl spaces, and sewage pits of the empire. Kobolds are more closely related to dragon type Pokemon than to any other Trainer Race, and the vast majority of them believe this fact makes them superior to all non-dragons, up to and including spirits and gods. They are lead by an ancient Kobold incarnation of Latios, who teaches that non-dragons exist only for the amusement of dragons, and may be abused or exploited for any reason.
The Frost Children
Purpose - To Advance the Interests of the Intelligent Undead, To Glorify and Serve the Gods of Death
Virtues - Joyful Acceptance of Death’s Inevitability, Refusal to Accept Death as the End of Existence, Worship of Giratina and Yveltal
Key Spirits Worshiped - Regice, Various Demons
Structure - An order made up of the intelligent undead and their mortal servants. Obviously banned in most kingdoms, The Frost Children nonetheless make powerful allies for any monarch willing to deal with them, as the truly ancient among their rank control vast wealth and fell armies. The undead believe that their condition gives them the right to worship death gods directly, and to grant their servants and allies the privilege to do the same.
The Order of the Cracked Tomb
Purpose - To Win the Approval of the Death Gods by Bringing About Armageddon
Virtues - Mastery of Necromancy, Resentment of Life, Study of the Death Gods
Key Spirits Worshiped - Regirock, Various Demons
Structure - The Cracked Tomb hopes to bring about the end times, and replace Lugia’s human empire with an age of ghosts and corpses ruled over by Giratina or Yveltal. Members of The cracked tomb trains individually, usually in public temples and dojos. Every so often the order lashes out by deploying a single member on a suicide mission to lead an army of zombies and ghost Pokemon with the intent of causing as much damage as possible before being put down. Obviously banned pretty much everywhere.
The Black Knights
Purpose - To Sow Destruction and Sorrow
Virtues - To Find Joy in the Misery of Others, To Harm the Innocent, To Master the Arts of War
Key Spirits Worshiped - Registeel, Various Demons
Structure - An order of secretive mercenary knights who will serve any cause so long as they are paid well and allowed to cause as much collateral damage as possible. The order is surprisingly legal in most Kingdoms, as no monarch wants to rule out the threat of using these soldiers if their neighbors won't do the same. The Black Knights are lead by King Jiang the Terrible, who rules over the desert kingdom of Spade just east of the Magikarp Mountains.
The Oath of the Stars
Purpose - To Overthrow the Gods and Spirits to Ensure Humanity is Treated Fairly by the Conquering Beings from Space
Virtues - Obedience
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - Those who take on the Oath of the Stars follow the teachings of Deoxys, the four-faced prophet from another world. Deoxys teaches that when his kin arrive and rule the world, they will treat the humans who aid him and their descendents as favored pets and servants, as opposed to livestock or pests. Although the order is banned in most places it continues to prosper openly as no established order yet exists to combat Deoxys’ mysterious plans.
The Mewtonic Sect
Purpose - To destroy the divine and distribute their power to mortal Pokemon and Trainers alike.
Virtues - Devotion to Scientific and Occult Studies, Desire to Wield the Power of the Divine
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - The Sect is lead by Mewtwo, a being created from the remains of the creator goddess slain by the sect's founders. Their hunters travel the world destroying various spirits, which are then torn apart by their scholars to improve the lives of mortals across the empire. They can be reasoned with, and will generally only pursue demons and other spirits who have fallen out of favor with local government. The Sect justifies tolerance, and even acceptance, of gods and spirits who hold power by teaching that the benefits that may come from destroying such beings do not outweigh the damage that a political vacuum might cause.
The Anvil of Metal and Flesh
Purpose - To transcend one’s humanity through technology, to Denounce Idealogies of Human Supremacy
Virtues - Devotion to Scientific Studies, Hatred of one’s own physical and mental flaws
Key Spirits Worshiped - None
Structure - The Anvil is lead by Prince Geno, a brilliant scientist who lead a small army of metal-men against King Adam twenty years ago, in an unsuccessful attempt to demonstrate humanity's weaknesses by capturing the race’s motherland of Heritage Hills. Although the order is not banned outright, it has mainly operated in the shadows since suffering defeat at Adam’s hands. The elements of the Anvil that do practice in the open perform their experiments on Pokemon and Non-Human trainers to avoid angering the human supreamists, or operate under the protection of a ruler willing and able to stand up to Adam and his Knights of The Will of Mankind.