Known Cults And Secret Societies

Blue Moths
The Blue Moths are a secretive branch of sorcerers that believe they are meant to help keep a balance in the world. Largely remaining neutral on conflicts.

Someone who is found to be a blue moth can grow to become incredibly powerful. As such the ones that became organized are careful and weary of new members. often blue moths will go through years of training before actually being helped to gain anything magical in power. This is rather easy to restrict as blue moths gain powers from powers being used upon them. Often what they will be taught first is healing magic, or lesser buffs.

The moths that essentially lead their organization are powerful and frequently share magics. Meetings frequently become hazardous to observers as at times it can become a flurry of magic being thrown about in trade.

All moths that are part of the organization are considered blue moths, however within that class there are sub groups that denote specialties of an individual. Yellow moths specialize in thunder and lightning, and will frequently buff. Grey moths prefer to lean toward healing magics. Green moths are normally Tera-magis of sorts dabbling in poisons as well. Red moths can either be known for fire magic or for mind magic. legends tell that once a moth existed who was a master of all.

There is actually a black market of sorts for lesser moths, or ones that have been exiled as magic is worth far more to them than gold.

The Beholden Children
Some say that there is a new abomination walking the planes... The children of a Beholder...

UlavRepus
One of the most repulsive cults of recorded history sacrificing followers by the hundreds to their fiend deity.

Worshipers Of Chaos
Worshipers of chaos believe in bringing about the aspects of chaos to bring the end of the world as we know it

Brotherhood Of Blood
If you wish to put a contract on someones life, the brotherhood of blood is the way to do it. Many people argue that the BOB is nothing but a myth. if they do exist they are masters at remaining secretive. While they are willing to commit to a great variety of killing contracts, supposedly they do have a small number of rules, which if you break it is unlikely you will live long enough to make it out alive. exactly what the rules consist of is not for certain, though rumor has it that they do have some degree of honor in their murders... if you want to word it that way. Children and infants wont be killed unless in the odd circumstance that they are so heinous they truly have earned it. In the event that they have witnessed something they shouldnt however are otherwise innocent they will be forcefully taken into the fold of the group.

Thieves Guild
This group as its name suggests is the most organized band of thieves that spans across the lands in secret. Its not really known how one can try to become a memeber, however it is known that breaking any of their tenants will result in expulsion from the guild and potentially even bounties put on their heads via the brotherhood of blood.

The Planeswalkers
The Planeswalkers are confirmed, but rarely seen group. They are thought to reside in the Astral plane, but this is not confirmed. This clan maps the the elemental planes as they ebb and flow, logging which planes are easier to enter than others, and others which are difficult and cut off entirely. The only written record of the Planeswalkers comes from people with direct contact with them, as they are hummanoid, and can be any race.

Should a Planeswalker enter a plane that is cut off from the remainder, and unable to return, their maps fetch tens of thousands in gold.

Death's Heads
"You got any of that magic lying 'round *frantic Neck scratching* I just need a quick cantrip my dude."

Whispered of in some of the seediest corners of the various thieves guilds are stories of the "Death's Heads".

Strange and unorthodox rogues with a knack for stealing magical items and artifacts. If it's magical, these are the guys you want, but finding them is about as hard as finding the item itself.

The myths tell tall tales of these thieves descending from a sacred order of divine monks with knowledge of the ability to replicate magic at will, however none of these are founded in reality of course. Some cases that are more common tell of the ability to "Steal magic" for a short period of time from other casters.

In any case, it is best to avoid those who associate with the legend of the "Death's Heads" as they are said to be a greedy, selfish, and often unruly bunch with little care for the rule of law. They often target, or rather are rumored to target gifted casters, ancient catacombs, and sacred sites.

The Grand Archivists
A well known and neutral order that operates soley in the interest of knowledge and archiving said history into a Device created by its founder the "Massive Index Systemizer" or M.I.S. This device organizes, encrypts, and docments all knowledge in quintruplicate until it is illegible to the common observer.

It takes many years to understand why or how this is done, and once you do the device fabricates a new way of doing it, so no work is every truly complete or understood.

The founder of the Order "Phineas Hushting" was a famous historian. Credited with accumulating much of what is now known as the recorded histories, and sharing them with the world.

Phineas established the order with the interest of maintaining said knowledge in the event of societal collapse. To further that end, the Archivists have always remained neutral in conflict, and none are allowed to have formal combat training though many are gifted casters. Their magic must always have a utility focus.

Throughout the first era the Archivists obtained enough materials and knowledge to barter with the worlds governments, and thusly constructed several garrisons and fortresses along with a number of Mage towers. They are spread throughout all of Orthos, and vary in the amount of accumulated knowledge they each have locally. All knowledge is always sent back to M.I.S. for ultimate cataloging, and the location of M.I.S has never been revealed.

During the period of hoffnungs rule many of the archivists fortresses and towers in heior were sacked and destroyed.

It would have seemed hoffnung was highly interested in the contents of their knowledge, but the local archivists refused to give their knowledge freely to such a nefarious and unknown intruder.

However, some small communications have been reported as of recently in the region, apparently a number of archivists survived by disguising themselves as commonfolk and "Dissappearing"

Their apprentices have only recently emerged again pronouncing themselves as Archivists, and operate mostly out of populated towns.

Reports of undead, ekimara, and beholden creatures have stirred the archivists to look into their logs to help avoid yet another collapse of heior.

The Marked-Arms
A sub-set of the Grand archivists created and maintained after the abrupt and hideous death of the order's founder Phineas Husting.

The "Marked-Arms" are an elite mercenary force trained by the local governments across the world and submitted for service to the Archivists for protection. Those committed to the ranks are given a special arcanic sigil in the form of a full arm tattoo

This Sigil serves as a badge, and contract with each Marked-arm. If any guard commits violence without provocation the sigil removes itself rather painfully, and they are cast out.

The commitment to neutrality is of the utmost importance to the Archivists, and when first initiating the Marked-Arms were hesitant to align with such brutes. With time though, and the advent of the Sigil they became intertwined. Many retired soldiers, and veterans join the ranks of the Marked-arms and see it as a high honor. In return the Archivists take care of any needs the Arms require, going so far as to offer what is referred to as a 4-0-1-k, in which a retired officer is given a severance of 401,000 gold after investing into this fund throughout his service.

One draw back to using such experienced soldiers is that they resist new tactics, and are quick to haze and bully new members. they are often overheard stating "Hmph, that's different I don't like it"

Cult Of Snow
"Ashes to Ashes, Snow to Ground, for all must fall, to the black frost we are Bound..."

There are whispers of a new group following a demon. A true evil. The one that brings the black frost...

Logs on the subject are filled with premonitions collected from various witch doctors and warlocks, but from further study there is a common observation made by most. "Silence Falls with the Snow"

"We are alone. There is only darkness for us, and only death for our people. These Shadows are just the beginning. He will command a great and terrible army, and they will sail to a billion worlds. They will sail until every light has been extinguished. We may be strong but he will be beyond strength. He is the end, and he will come for us all."

-Grand Archives: The Cult of Snow/Black Frost

Brotherhood Of The Black Dragon
The brotherhood of the black dragon, founded by a group of misfits that called Oakenspatch their home. The group is made of brave knights that patrol the areas around oakenspatch, though ambitions are set higher.