The Grove Guardians

Background

The Grove Guardians of Hermits Orchard (Guardians for short) are the oldest and most established gang of The Five Barbs. Members of the gang and sympathetic denizens of Hermit's Orchard cite an origin some millennia back, co-opting local myths and legends about elves protecting the Whetsaw Bay and surrounding environs from outside attackers and barbarians. From this origin the gang has largely existed in one form or another, their history intertwined with that of Relvark in many ways. This has bred a sense of civic pride within members, and led the gang to frequently dabble in politics and civic affairs throughout its existence. It has also caused a deep-seated and sometimes violent resentment of outsiders and non-elves within the members of the gang. Viewing themselves as the true citizens of Relvark and "heirs" of the Nimloth Dynasties, the Grove Guardians' aggressive jingoism and nativism guide their actions in the city. Their beliefs and long history have also led to the development of a semi-sacred code of ethics espoused and followed by the gang, which helps temper their more violent tendencies. Led by the steady hand of Bertilac the Bowyer, the Grove Guardians have become one of the most powerful influences within the Barbs and Relvark at large. The first official references to the gang date back to the Nimloth Dynasties, roughly seven centuries before the present day, citing charges of tax evasion, coercion, and bribery. From an official perspective, the Grove Guardians' activities have waxed and waned over the centuries, but these lacunae are more likely the results of officials brought on-side than a cessation of activity. Presently, the Grove Guardians are the de facto head of Hermit's Orchard and oversee all illicit activity within the district.

History

The founding legend of the Grove Guardians places the group's foundation in the distant past of Rutfolk, but more likely than not the group was founded about one millennia ago. At the time Relvark was a small trading port tucked away in the middle of ancient trees and was often raided by bandits and criminals. The oldest city records cite the citizenry banding together to protect themselves and the port, claiming the far off forces of the Nimloth Dynasty were unable to do so. An idealized version of this tale has been claimed by the Grove Guardians as a foundational myth, and has informed much of their imagery and ethos since. As Relvark grew so did the Grove Guardians, and over the intervening centuries the gang tended the city and continued their practice of protecting the people. More specifically, the Guardians sought to protect the elves of Relvark and the Elven way of life in the Nimloth Dynasties. This is demonstrated clearly throughout the checkered history of the gang. Rising up in defense of Relvark throughout subsequent waves of invasion and civil strife, the Guardians have stood on both sides of the law as arbiters of their own justice. The Guardians share a paramilitary history with the Hornwood Reclaimers, though ironically it was the at the Guardians insistence that the Hornwoods not be let within the walls of Relvark which created their group in the first place. As the power of the Nimloth Dynasties began to wane the Grove Guardians entered into a period of decline as they sent most of their power into the ranks of the Nimloth armies. During the closing centuries of Nimloth rule the Guardians' members were by and large away from the city fighting off interlopers and invaders on far-off battlefields. So devoted were they to the Nimloth Dynasties that even future leader Bertilac the Bowyer enlisted, leading soldiers in the doomed fight against the Bicwide Elector Counts. With the ultimate defeat of the Nimloth Dynasties and Bicwide conquest, the Guardians members returned to Relvark to find a city they no longer recognized filled with denizens they had so hard fought to keep out. The former groves and sylvan expanses of Relvark were slowly being consumed by ever-increasing waves of emigrants and immigrants, the old elven architecture giving way to streets of modern and foreign design. Against this backdrop the Guardians turned once more to crime. During the three centuries of Bicwide rule the Grove Guardians have utilized every tool in their arsenal to re-establish elven supremacy in Relvark. Using their ancient code of conduct as a compass and a cudgel, the Guardians have undertaken what they view as a campaign of reclamation to make Relvark a home for the elves once more. Initially, the Guardians fought against every edifice of Bicwidian power, including the Relvarkian government they had long protected. Later the Guardians would shift their violence from the metropolitan authorities to the other gangs, fighting tooth and nail for every inch they could "reclaim" from the foreign hordes. This continued until roughly a century ago, when the tack of the Guardians shifted once again. Harnessing connections to fallen nobility, elven merchants, and their preexisting structures of military and economic power, the Grove Guardians have worked their way into every echelon of civic authority in Relvark. When their burgeoning political power fails, they resort to their more traditional modes of muscle and violence to establish dominance. From their seat in Hermit's Orchard the Guardians exert power over a wide swathe of Relvark, and currently are seeking to expand their influence further.

Recent Activity

The Grove Guardians have been investing in the realm of politics and economics more and more over the last fifty years. The longevity of the elves grants the gang a unique perspective against many others in the Barbs, and the long reign of Bertilac "Bert" the Bowyer has only further cemented their power. The Guardians are heavily involved in the politics of the Rookery, and have taken for themselves a de facto suzerainty with the rest of the Barbs. Many within the Greenwood Tower view the Guardians as the voice of the Barbs, and the Guardians do little to shake this view. Their endeavors in the realm of politics have caused Bertilac to steer the gang away from open conflict and disruption of the peace, and the gang has been largely successful with this goal. The major exception to the new peace being the Drake's Donnybrook some 30 years ago, wherein Bert killed the former leader of the Stone Dragons, "The Drake" Anbosiid, and severely diminished the gang's power outside Stonebower. Since that day the Guardians have largely taken to keeping their conflict hidden and their largesse public, notably brokering the peace after the Night of the Vespers Riot. Despite their acts of goodwill and benevolence, the Guardian's ultimate goal is and has always been to reclaim Relvark for the elves. If they have to play politics with the Bicwide interlopers they will, knowing that the "Mayflies" that infest their city will soon be dead.

Relations with Other Gangs

The Grove Guardians are the oldest and most established gang in Relvark and treat their interactions with other groups accordingly. The Guardians truly believe Relvark is their city, and view all others as renters who have out stayed their use and welcome. As a consequence, the Guardians do not view the other gangs as equals or allies, but as interlopers with greater or lesser value to their cause. The Grove Guardians are currently neutral with the Hornwood Reclaimers and The Lamplighters. The Guardians have a weak hatred of the Sightless Seers and a strong hatred of the Stone Dragons. The Hornwood Reclaimers share something of a history with the Grove Guardians, though the two are none the closer for it. The Guardians have used this connection to their advantage in a number of occasions throughout their long history, helping the Hornwoods when convenient and using them as a meat shield when necessary. The Hornwoods never aspired to grander goals than their fields, however, and the chaotic ascent of the Revenant has begun to change the relationship of these two gangs. The Lamplighters, while patently a gang birthed from the Bicwide conquest, are useful tools for the Guardians. The Lamplighters view the Guardians as a symbol of order and stability in Relvark, and have essentially tethered themselves to the Guardians as a consequence. The Guardians do not care much for these newcomers, and instead view them as useful tools in spreading elf authority over the Barbs. The Grove Guardians have animus towards both the Sightless Seers and Stone Dragons for various reasons, but the root of this hatred comes from the diversity and newness these two factions represent. The Sightless Seers welcome any who study the mystic and arcane arts, with no regard to the history of the land they live on nor the elves whose homes and sanctums they use. Worse than this, the Stone Dragons provide a haven and entry point for every newcomer to Relvark in their district of Stonebower, second only to the docks of Bearfen, and continually seek to build and expand their monstrous construction over the elven fields and homes that came before them. The Grove Guardians have long tended the needs of Relvark and its people, and as a consequence have learned how to deal with blights and pests. These two gangs are the newest in a long line of scourges to befall Relvark, and the Guardians are more than eager to tend their grove.

Type

Illicit, Gang

Demonym

Trueborn