Scarlet Brotherhood

The Scarlet Brotherhood claims that the bloodline of its followers traces back to an ancient empire, the Suel lmperium, and their goal is to restore the old Suloise noble houses to prominence in the world. As scions of a realm that once enjoyed unmatched arcane power and a vast dominion, its members see themselves as superior to all other folk and the only ones fit to rule.

For decades, this group has been concocting a conspiracy to spread fear, chaos, and uncertainty across the land. When the time is right, the Brotherhood will strike to seize the reins in kingdoms all across the world. Al· ready its assassins have s lain those who might oppose their sinister plans. In almost every court in the land, from the most remote backwater barony to the imperial courts of world powers, the Brotherhood's agents have quietly assumed positions of influence.

In Saltmarsh, the Brotherhood supports councilman Anders Solmor and his family's trade cartel. They hope to use Anders to destabilize the region, weaken the crown, and clear the way for the Scarlet Brotherhood to seize control. The Brotherhood arranges for the Solmor ships to meet with eager merchants in distant ports who pay well above market value for his goods, ensuring his popularity and dependence on Brotherhood contacts.

The Brotherhood plans to surround him with their advisers and functionaries to ensure that Saltmarsh develops under their control. They intend to ignite open war between Keoland and the Sea Princes, leaving both realms battered and weakened while the Brotherhood moves in.

Unlike the other factions in Saltmarsh, there is no good s ide to the Scarlet Brotherhood. As unrepentant megalomaniacs, they are villains through and through.

Public Agenda

The Scarlet Brotherhood is an opportunistic faction. It seeks to cause the maximum amount of disruption with the least amount of risk. The Brotherhood wants to tilt the town council in its favor and install Anders as the most prominent member. Their first goal is to find evidence of Gellan Primewater's involvement with the Sea Princes and implicate his participation in the slave trade. Such evidence is not ha rd to find once Gellan's dealings with the Sea Princes are revealed. The Brotherhood plans to use such accusations to increase tension in town between the traditionalists and the loyalists, ignite a civil war, assassinate leaders on both sides. and then use Anders as a peacemaker. Then the Brotherhood plans to assassinate Anders, frame the Sea Princes. and install Skerrin as his replacement as the town's foremost leader. Finally, Skerrin will agitate for war and continue to help Brotherhood agents infiltrate Keoland's towns in the south. If war does erupt, Brotherhood agents will work to ensure a long, drawn-out stalemate that grinds down both sides. Ideally, assassinations will pave the way for Brotherhood agents to assume high positions in both realms, but if necessary, the Brotherhood will engage armies of mercenaries, humanoid tribes, and fanatics it has gathered to finish the job. They hope that the Sea Princes can then be transformed into a puppet state, allowing the Brotherhood to turn their attention to the rest of Keoland.

Type

Political, Faction / Party