Present an interesting and plausible secret group, order, sect or organization for use in a generic fantasy setting.
RPGpundit
I can't tell you. It's a secret.
Hmmmmm?? I have two for your today... These are created using my custom made Spycraft Mission Builder app
Target Organization Name: Nirwan-Cahiaari
Goals
Destruction
Enlightened Evolution
Genocide
Conquest
History
Triumphant
Growth
Great Leader
Persecuted
Prophecy
Image: 2
Sites
Airstrip
Cloning Lab
Advanced Garage
Tools 3
You just happen to stumble upon...
Mission Objectives
Collect or recover many obscure artifacts lost for up to a decade. Hijack a well armed government transport. Steal an intensely defended object from someone whose interest in it is moderate.
Complications Avoid noise
Two less gear picks, GM's choice. Plus 100XP
The Sapphire Merchants originally began with a disgruntled Jeweler, Tony Sutton who wanted to break the worldwide diamond monopoly. Early on their history, he secretly coordinated a campaign of destruction including a smear campaign. Serious equipment failures and mine collapses plagued some of the leading diamond mines. Diamond execs were found dead, or died under mysterious circumstances. The early campaign was highly successful, Triumphant even, as all of the leading Diamond producers either downscaled their organizations or closed their doors permanently.
Enter Margaret Nicholson-Orr, the owner of the Nirwan-Cahiaari a leading Sapphire Mining Consortium. Working with closely with geneticists and doctors of biology, she developed a new cloning process that allowed her organization to clone precise copies of any gemstone, providing her with an entirely new market. Under an enlightened evolution, her organization grew.
Her insane grandson Sebbainaux Nicholson-Orr, changed the course of the organization forever. Deeming the rest of humanity unfit to live, he began a campaign of genocide, with the intent of wiping out all of humanity, at least the part of humanity that didn't share in the Nirwan-Cahiaari vision of what the future should be. Under this great leader, the new campaign, codename Red Watch began. Sebbainaux put his scientists to work with the goal of producing the worlds best assassins. Genetically modified humans, with almost superhuman abilities began to appear, and the organization did more than just suppressing competitors, targeting governments, and other organizations with political views that were contrary or that opposed the Nirwan-Cahiaari Agenda.
Nirwan-Cahiaari suffered a serious setback though as International Agents discovered who they were, and what their goals were. Nirwan-Cahiaari's main Sapphire Mining operation was destroyed, and the headquarters located near Fukishima was evacuated after an earthquake and nuclear disaster at a nearby power plant that was supposedly "shut down".
Sebbainaux himself died in South Africa after a terrorist nuclear detonation destroyed most of Praetoria.
The Nirwan-Cahiaariboard of directors, led by Díha Azzat continues on. After recently recovering an ancient inscribed prophesy from an ancient cambodian city, Diha has rallied his people, and is leading a new generation to greatness. While still being hunted and persecuted, Nirwan-Cahiaari has rebuilt it's genetics cloning labs, with twin locations, one deep in the Amazon rainforest, and the other underground, beneath one of the ancient Cambodian cities. The organization also has a secret airstrip and a advanced garage where vehicles and aircraft are modified with supertech and cloned technology.
Target Organization Name: Asukama News
Goals
Counter
Credibility
Conquest
Genocide
Enlightened Evolution
History
Golden Age
Prophecy
Image: 1
Sites
Starships
Media Studio
Airstrip
Hot Lab
Motor Pool
Tools 3
Your sense of adventure leads you to...
Mission Objectives
Convince an uninvolved reticent NPC to join a cause with no obvious risk.
Keep one person from noticing a quiet incident.
Publicly transport an easily carried item or piece of information a short distance with little danger.
Complications Avoid noise
Though I realize there's some overlap, are you looking for a secret society (the Illuminati) or a fraternal organization (the Shriners)?
Quote from: Géza Echs;521734Though I realize there's some overlap, are you looking for a secret society (the Illuminati) or a fraternal organization (the Shriners)?
If done right, there should be a considerable amount of overlap (much easier to have a real-deal secret society if it's encapsulated in an ostensibly innocuous fraternal org to divert attention and recruit members with).
Warhammer (regular and space-style) gets a lotta mileage outta this concept.
I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
I handled it for my FB campaign like so (http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/le-ballet-de-l-acier/wikis/secret-societies).
From reading the Kingdoms of Kalamar setting I got the idea of an order within the churches of several or even all of the Lawful deities, dedicated to making sure the dead gods stay dead. Which, yes, they're supposed to anyway, but maybe it's trickier than is widely known. So these guys would be responsible for crushing upstart cult revivals, without regard to alignment. They'd be doing the public service of putting down the "summon cthulhu and end the world" wannabes, but also suppressing more benign cults, as well as stomping on any rediscovered knowledge of the original creator goddess.
(If you know KoK, the Overlord is an obvious counter-factual, so they'd have to either have failed or been betrayed on that one. Be an interesting question if they could be convinced to help try sealing him away again, or if his priests have already claimed their place within the Order and won't take kindly to the suggestion.)
I never did get them into play or even stat them up as far as naming them, but I'd still like to do something with the idea. It'd be a reason for LG and LE priests to grit their teeth and accomplish a common goal.
A friend of mine ran a D&D game recently where there was a secret organisation of Druids who believed that the balance of nature was broken by the over-dominance of human cultures - a "radical druid sect", secretly plotting against other druids, and humanity.
I thought it was interesting.
//Panjumanju
Taking from my Warhammer secret society (with Drachenfels filed off):
The Orphans:
Led by vampire blackguard Ernst von Karlstein and his protege, chief merchant of Panoceanic League Hans Telleys (who currently inhabits the body of his brother, Thadeus Telleys, after switching their souls by a cruel ritual, that transformed Thadeus' former body into a terrible monster), the Orphans main goal is bringing back their dead master, Hazar the Terrible, a powerful necromancer slain by forces of good many years ago.
The organisation is divided in two - the Inner and Outer Sanctum. The members of Outer Sanctum believe that The Orphans are just a secret society of dabblers in dark arts and decadence. Many young wizards are tainted by members of Outer Sanctum, who invite them over to Orphans' sermons, where they are shown and taught the lure of necromantic arts. To those members, it seems that Hans Telleys is the master of the organisation, and indeed - the resources of Panoceanic League saved quite many of Outer Sanctum's member from death at stake. Telleys makes sure that such actions are performed as stealthily as possible - or that at least the member is silenced, if there is no way of rescuing him. Bear no mistake - Telleys cares little about the lives of his minions, he merely knows that if they believe that organisation is always out there to save them, they are much less likely to talk.
The Inner Sanctum knows of the true goal of the Orphans, as well as the location of the Blackmoors Fortress, ruined complex where von Karlstein raises an army of minions, waiting for his agents to uncover the Mask of Hazar, artifact needed to resurrect his master and creator. For those initiated to the Inner Sanctum, the members of Outer Sanctum are nothing more but pawns to be sacrificed for the achieving of their goal. And indeed, with powerful mercantile consortium at their disposal, secret lodges in most of the cities, and steady flow of young wizards ever thirsty for dark knowledge, there is little that could stop The Orphans from achieving their goal.
Quote from: Géza Echs;521734Though I realize there's some overlap, are you looking for a secret society (the Illuminati) or a fraternal organization (the Shriners)?
Neither, strictly speaking, though maybe closer to the former. I'm talking about secret groups, cabals, cults or conspiracies operating from the shadows.
RPGPundit
The Fists of Three Coins
In the earliest days of the {empire} monsters plagued the hard roads between the burgeoning capital, protected villages, and far off lands. Brave merchants guarded by stalwart heroes would carve a tidy profit from these hard roads. Hundreds of men lost their lives to creatures foul and vicious.
Soon three brothers rose to the top of the merchant's collective with an enormous contingent of hired swords. House Gordion rose to prominence as the three beloved brothers Joshua, Stentin, and Delmer lead the initiative clearing roads, dispatching insidious beasts and securing regular trade routes. The capital grew prosperous, as did the many Merchant's in the collective. Soon a King was chosen, and a council to advise him, and an army was raised, and the new nation stood strong. The monsters that once roamed the lands unchecked now hid in the darkest fringes of the farthest forests, mountain crags, and forlorn wastelands. No more were the people of {empire} afraid.
Despite the successes, there were still many roads between kingdoms that posed a threat to caravans. The farthest reaches of any kingdoms regular patrols or protectors still harbored many dangers both human and darker. Now a newly appointed noble house of {empire}, House Gordion commissioned a special force of warriors trained in survival and honed from the best swordsman in the land. These protectors would be lead by three commanders, who would each take a coin minted from the birth coins of the first three brothers of house Gordion.
With these coins your trust we keep, your honor shines, our kingdom prospers.
The Fists of Three Coins would build small keeps along roads in the most troubled places, to protect the innocent, and guard the road from any who would bring the caravans harm. Within a year, the Fists of Three Coins improved travel between the kingdoms, and all hailed {empire} and House Gordion for the noble founding of such an effective group. Many seasons passed and trade between the kingdoms flowed through {empire}.
As has happened many times, in many prosperous lands, the wealthy grew fat and complacent. The coffers filled, and those without the riches of the wealthiest houses wanted more. The new Merchant's Guild became a place of intrigue and treachery as Guild masters traded greed and envy. House Gordion, was too strong for one minor house to defeat. The minor houses met in secret over many months planning on the downfall of House Gordion.
On {date} in the early mists of the morning, the plan was put in motion. It started with a heinous crime the House leader Joshua Talman Gordion III was implicated in. As the evidence mounted, the King had no choice but to censure the House. Within two weeks of his arrest, most of the armed forces of House Gordion were disbanded, their holdings seized by the crown, and the various servants and employees scattered across the various houses of the Merchant's Guild.
On the edges of {empire} on the Green Road, a caravan had come under attack by treacherous {monsters} with the people of minor house Veridial barely escaping with their lives. The Green Road contingent of The Fists of Three Coins dispatched the {monsters} and began helping the Veridial caravan pick up their goods and repair their wagons. Young Fist Markus DeBurgeous noticed one of the crates had a House Gordion marking on it. The Fists inquired as to why house Veridial was carrying House Gordion goods. The caravan master informed them of Master Gordions crime. He had been found guilty as was to be executed in the morning.
The Fists were outraged. The Gordions are not the kind of murderers and rapists! These had to be lies. Something had gone terribly wrong.
The Green Road Fists road all night to the capital spurning their mounts to the brink of death, but they could not make their destination in time. They road into the capital to find the crowd dispersed, only their beloved Lord Gordion hanging from the gallows.
The arrival of the Fists had alarmed the various conspirators in the Merchant's Guild. They moved quickly, plying rumors and fear in the ears of nobles and the King himself. By the end of the week of mourning, the Fists of Three Coins were officially disbanded, with a newly formed King's Guard dispatched to the keeps to secure the long roads.
With no mission or place to live, the members of the Fists of Three Coins quietly investigated the crime of Lord Gordion and the various minor houses that seemed to be at the center of all these machinations. It's hard to dissuade honorable men with conviction, and the Fists proved both, uncovering the plot to bring down House Gordion. The King was not amicable to their accusations. The evidence was sound, but the politics were too sticky for the King to act. He dismissed them with his apologies and a stern warning to forget everything.
Seasons passed, and several minor houses within the Merchant's Guild grew in prominence. The {empire} continued to prosper and the Kings Guard did well keeping the long roads secure. All seemed well. Then it started.
A string of murders, sabotage, kidnappings, and other misfortunes befell the families who brought Gordion down. Each crime was left a simple leather glove, placed specifically in the shape of a fist, with 3 clean coins inside. The first night of the first crime the King found a nicely penned parchment on the bed next to him the next morning. It stated simply; "We will never forget – Fists of 3 Coins".
Organization: Fist of the Three Coins
Activities: Sabotage, murder, kidnapping, unrest, thievery, and general mayhem against the Merchant's Guild of {empire}.
Leaders: Markus DeBurgeous – One of Three, Commander of the Fists of Three Coins; Stanton Cerenus, One of Three, Commander of the Fists of Three Coins; Elizabeth Marie Gordion, daughter of Lord Gordion, One of Three, Commander of the Fists of Three Coins.
Currently the King has placed a high price on the heads of any Fist captured, with especially high bounties on the heads of any One of Three.
The Fists of Three Coins have killed 17 leaders of various Merchant Guild houses, sacked over 25 caravans with all goods lost (all people safely delivered to a road fort), kidnapped wife Sarah McValden of the current Guild Leader Bernius McValden being held on condition of the restoration of House Gordion and full pardon of Lord Gordion, and destroyed three granaries, 7 windmills, 3 bridges, 2 watermills, and the Barn-stead of Guild Second Jessica Serenday including the loss of all 47 prized horses.
Not one Fist has been captured in the 13 months since the group started its new operations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_societies_in_popular_culture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_societies_in_popular_culture)
Quote from: Rincewind1;521773Taking from my Warhammer secret society (with Drachenfels filed off):
The Orphans:
Led by vampire blackguard Ernst von Karlstein and his protege, chief merchant of Panoceanic League Hans Telleys (who currently inhabits the body of his brother, Thadeus Telleys, after switching their souls by a cruel ritual, that transformed Thadeus' former body into a terrible monster), the Orphans main goal is bringing back their dead master, Hazar the Terrible, a powerful necromancer slain by forces of good many years ago.
The organisation is divided in two - the Inner and Outer Sanctum. The members of Outer Sanctum believe that The Orphans are just a secret society of dabblers in dark arts and decadence. Many young wizards are tainted by members of Outer Sanctum, who invite them over to Orphans' sermons, where they are shown and taught the lure of necromantic arts. To those members, it seems that Hans Telleys is the master of the organisation, and indeed - the resources of Panoceanic League saved quite many of Outer Sanctum's member from death at stake. Telleys makes sure that such actions are performed as stealthily as possible - or that at least the member is silenced, if there is no way of rescuing him. Bear no mistake - Telleys cares little about the lives of his minions, he merely knows that if they believe that organisation is always out there to save them, they are much less likely to talk.
The Inner Sanctum knows of the true goal of the Orphans, as well as the location of the Blackmoors Fortress, ruined complex where von Karlstein raises an army of minions, waiting for his agents to uncover the Mask of Hazar, artifact needed to resurrect his master and creator. For those initiated to the Inner Sanctum, the members of Outer Sanctum are nothing more but pawns to be sacrificed for the achieving of their goal. And indeed, with powerful mercantile consortium at their disposal, secret lodges in most of the cities, and steady flow of young wizards ever thirsty for dark knowledge, there is little that could stop The Orphans from achieving their goal.
Now see, this is pretty good!
RPGPundit