Sanguine

The Sanguine were a pro-vampire faction operating in Izla in the early Second Age. Devoted to their former vampire lord Caliphar II, they opposed Vhakizla's reign and engaged in guerilla warfare against her regime.

Name

The insurgents called themselves the "Sanguine" both because of their bloody tactics but also to signal to the unseen that they too were bloody and ready to be fed upon.

History

Second Age

Founded amid a groundswell of anti-draconic sentiment in 55 2A, the Sanguine began in utter secrecy, with furtive action against the undead occupation. Over the years, they grew and grew in boldness, attacking more and more openly. Despite their increasing temerity, they nonetheless proved notoriously difficult for the mindless undead legions to expunge. Manufacture of slaver – their unique narcotic – began in 61 2A and worked to sway more and more of the undecided human population to their side.
By 67 2A, they were murdered undead nightly in the streets and displaying their corpses as gruesome trophies. In addition, they were selling vast quantities of slaver to the local populace. The unrest this caused inspired worker revolts in the city's Basins, creating food shortages.
It was in 67 2A that Vhakizla hired the Menagerie to crush the nascent rebellion before it worsened.

Organization

At its most sophisticated, the Sanguine were broken into multiple branches, each led by a vampire spawn. One branch of the organization focused primarily on guerilla attacks, ritual murders and insurgent action against the undead armies that frequently occupied Izla. Another branch focused on the manufacture and distribution of slaver, an important recruiting tool the Sanguine used to swell their numbers. Both of these wings were led by the Bride-To-Be, a human woman that Caliphar II was allegedly courting for his next consort.
One of the Sanguine's greatest assets was their anonymity. They gained popular support from Izla's oppressed people, either looking the other way from fear or approval. This permitted them to hide in plain sight, disguised as common laborers and farmers. Thanks to their pale, blood-smeared masks, few knew who the Sanguine truly were. Those who did would not dare say.
It was widely rumored they used Izla's vast network of catacombs to steal about the city at night. So too did they employ graffiti to communicate between the various factions operating in tandem across the districts. They tended to wield blunt instruments, such as clubs, slings and maces, and were sometimes known to carry holy symbols and holy water, imported from elsewhere.

Dogma

The Sanguine were a religious cult as well as an insurgent militia. They believed that Caliphar II was not destroyed during the attack on the Fangs in 35 2A and that he merely went into hiding. They believed that, when the time was right, he would once again appear, rally the faithful people of Izla and lead them to overthrow the dragon's reign. Until that time should come, it was the sworn duty of the Sanguine to weaken Vhakizla's power as much as possible, in anticipation of his glorious return.

Campaigns

The Menagerie

• Vhakizla: The Sanguine was one of three dilemmas Vhakizla hired the company to solve. Upon arriving in Izla, the Commander's Tent investigated a ritual killing, sent patrols to scour the city, broke up a slaver den and clashed with a brucolac seemingly under the Sanguine's sway. (Chapter 5 – 6) Descending into the catacombs, the mercenaries raided a Sanguine safehouse and, while unable to stop a riverboat full of supplies from leaving, nonetheless slew the brucaloc where it convalesced in its cocoon. The Sanguine quickly struck back, however, killing Min, the company's human informant, to make an example of him. (Chapter 7).

Sanguine

Type: Insurgency
Headquartered: Izla
Region: Vhakizla
Allegiance: Caliphar II
Current Leader: Bride-To-Be 
Founded: 55 2A