The Plague Doctors of Barron
They treat the sick.
And there are a lot of different diseases out there.
"In these trying, sickly times, it is only natural for a group of like-minded individuals to gather together and help each other accomplish great deeds. Whether they are malevolent or not is not the point.
The Era of Gatherings!
In the last several centuries, both secretive and public organizations have came and gone, each with their own agendas. Some have died in silence, never to be heard of neither before nor after, while others death have become common knowledge to the wider public. And then there are those that have stayed alive somewhere in the middle of the spectrum: Those who are known of, but are obscured by secrets and rumors that either intentionally or unintentionally spread about. Some of these do not actually exist, and others are believed to be nothing other than stupid rumors.
The Plague Doctors of Barron.
Insane dark cult?
One group that has managed to stay firmly within this middle ground are the so-called Plague Doctors of Barron. Known to dress exclusively as plague doctors, most are uncertain if they truly are certificated doctors that take care of the sick. The rumors are to be blamed for this uncertainty, as some speak of them being a dangerous and bloodthirsty cult that actually are spreading diseases and murders in the honor of some dark horrific deity.
Antiheroes of the unjust and poor?
Other rumors paint a much more romanticized and heroic image, of the them being a order of doctors that take care of different kinds of social diseases. Some of these include treating the greedy, putting insane killers out of their misery and helping thieves and other small time criminals become something better to the whole of society.
Barron, the founder of the Order.
One will naturally ask; who is this Barron? It is it even a person? Maybe it is a place of some kind? Only members of this strange Order know for certain, though their supposed main headquarter is called The Barron Institute; an old abandoned mansion that was in a near ruined state, before the Plague Doctors moved in.
Most believe that Barron simply was the Order's main founder, or at least a very important and influential member of it. It is uncertain if this Barron is still alive as of the writing of this book. Maybe he is dead. Maybe he is not. It matters little for those who are not affiliated with the Plague Doctors.
Enemies of the Plague Doctors.
Despite what many might think, the Plague Doctors of Barron have been plagued by enemies since near its founding. Why this is so is uncertain, unless one is a member of the affecting Orders and Societies.
The (Plague) Rats
The Plague Rats are considered to be nothing more then brute thugs, killers and thieves. And yet, they have proved themselves to be a genuine problem for the Plague Doctors. So much so, that many of the Doctors simply consider their brute nature to be a carefully created facade to hide their true nature. What that might be, though, no one them are sure.
Interestingly, the Rats where among the first that declared themselves enemies of the Doctors, but the reason for it has never been brought into the light. The main approach they use is infiltration, sabotage and contamination.
The Abbey of Death.
The Abbey of Midnightbane — or The Abbey of Death as it is called by the Plague Doctors — is only a few years older then the Plague Doctors of Barron. And in similar fashion, they are also near the middle ground of the Public Known Spectrum. This semi-secret Society is more of a cult then anything else and its member likes to call themselves Preachers of Death, or simply Death Preachers. They see death as liberation and not something that should be feared.
A uncertain number of members within this cult are experienced Death Whispers and quite a few have made it a hobby of creating and experimenting with the Undead. A few of the soon-to-be Undead are new members of the cult, that the Death Preachers has manged to attract with their honeyed words. In this case, it was the Plague Doctors who declared themselves enemies of the Abbey of Death, as they are considered to simply be too dangerous. They also contaminate everything they touches, and allow diseases of every kind to spread about. To stop it's influence from spreading is a must!
The Four Roles of the Plague Doctors
The Plague Doctors have ordered themselves in four different roles, though it is not uncommon for one Doctor to have at least two roles in different positions. These four roles are the Alchemist, the Purifier, the Antiquarian and the Artisan.
The Alchemist.
"Alchemy is essentially magic holding hands with science.
The Alchemist is considered to be the very backbone of the Plague Doctors. it is widely believed within the Order that its founder, the one known as Doctor Barron, was partially taught in the secrets of Alchemy.
Alchemists are the ones who create enigmatic extracts, mutagens and gases that are either healthy or are able to send someone to an early grave.
They also help Artisans in the creation of special ammunition and bombs, some of which are quite imaginative, and also work on making materials tougher and more resilient to various types of damage.
The Purifier
"A swift end will come to those who are contaminated. Our enemies included. We will purify the world. Be certain of it.
Purifiers are the most numerous of the Plague Doctors and the ones that deal with contamination in a more personal manner. They are all taught the martial art style known as Caresto's Knife, named after one of the first and most skillful Purifiers in the Order.
They are also taught in handling most kinds of weapons, and in the usage of both healthy and deadly extracts and gases. Apart from that, they are also taught in the arts of infiltration and espionage.
The Antiquarian.
"I speak from facts. Not theory!
Antiquarians are the ones one go to when knowledge is required. Sometimes, an Antiquarian is brought to a place of interest, like a crime scene, to try and get a picture of what occurred in that place before certain things happened.
They are careful not to let anything escape their notice and usually write down the things they find out. Other Plague Doctors might feel blind in comparison.
The Artisan
"Things can always be improved upon. Like your manners, for example.
The Artisans are the ones who improve and repairs the equipment used by the Plague Doctors, with emphasis on weapons and gadgets. They work together with Alchemists in regards of bombs and other weapons, as well as armor. What they can't fix, very few can.
Cleanse. Purify. Liberate.
Type
Secret, Brotherhood
Alternative Names
The Disease Cult. The Plague Assassins.
Demonym
Plague doctor. Barron.
Comments
Author's Notes
This article was originally uploaded into the world Miand'Més, April 1, 2019.