From: Peter Metcalfe (P.Metcalfe@student.canterbury.ac.nz)
Date: Thu 12 Sep 1996 - 11:24:01 EEST
Michael Schwartz:
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>Most of the tension in my proposed campaign will revolve around the
>political and social intrigues of the two primary Arkati/Gbaji groups
>in Safelster, the Guild of Chaos Monks and the Order of the Blue Star
>(the idea for which came from the adept Lythande of "Thieves' World"
>fame).
I hate to interrupt here but a raison d'etre for the Chaos Monks
has been worked out on the digest at the beginning of the year. IMO
the Guild of Chaos Monks is a fruitcake splinter of the Borist Church.
Its adherants believe (along with other Borists) that everbody has an
aura of chaos which must be shriven (a long and painful process)
before one can enter Solace.
The Chaos Monks however seek to save everybody (save the Borists who
are already saved). Thus they waylaid innocent travellers, shrive them
over a period of days, and then kill them to prevent the victims from
backsliding. Thus the victim is assured of Solace.
Unlike the other Borists who use the extracted aura to create chaos
monsters (to defend them against their persecuters), the Chaos Monks
merely retain the chaos within themselves. Thus they slowly mutate
over time before they are uncovered and killed. They do not fear
this end for to them it is the highest form of Martyrdom (possible to
only those who have gained St Boris as a Patron Saint). Dontcha love
moral win-win situations?
So while the Chaos Monks are a secret society, they are more of a
Jehovah's Thuggees than the Elders of Zion. The mutant rebellions
that have occurred in Safelster resemble more an outbreak of broos
or scorpion men than a carefully planned uprising to filful the
Plan. There is the minor matter that Chaos Monks should share the
Borist Hatred for Arkat (who suppressed them when he set up the
Dark Empire) but since they are real fruit merchants, they may not
care. No, on second thoughts they prefer to save Stygian Heretics.
>IMC, the Guild is very important. It or the Order secretly control
>all the other Arkati groups throughout Malkiondom.
I don't think the idea of a dualistic struggle between two factions
over the control of the Arkati Secret Societies is a good one. The
more the merrier, methinks (a la Illuminanti!). Also some Arkati
Groups are themselves plotting for supreme power.
But remember in spite of what I've said, it's your campaign and your
call.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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