Secret Societies
in The ForsakenGuild Briefing on Secret Societies
In the shadowed corners of the world, where power is seized by blade, word, or spell, dark organizations flourish. These guilds and factions represent the extremes of ambition, greed, and destruction, operating in stark opposition to the values of justice and order. Each group embodies a distinct philosophy of evil, from the meticulous scheming of the Faceless to the unbridled chaos of the Chaos Cult. Whether driven by a desire to control, corrupt, or destroy, these organizations pose a grave threat to civilizations, heroes, and innocents alike. This document categorizes these malevolent groups by their ideological and operational approaches, offering insight into their goals, methods, and the devastation they leave in their wake. It serves as both a warning and a resource for understanding the forces lurking in the shadows. Heroes who dare to confront these guilds must prepare not just for battle, but for a war of wits, resolve, and survival.Guild Rankings: Evil Organizations by Philosophy and Execution
1. The Faceless (???)
- Description: To most, the Faceless resemble a cold, mercenary cult—masked, nameless, and terrifyingly efficient. In truth, they are a resistance force operating under deep cover, masking their true purpose behind rigid structure and feared reputation. Their anonymity is not for intimidation, but protection—from both external threats and the system they are trying to dismantle.
- Motivations: They seek to unravel the deep-rooted corruption that governs the world, targeting those who uphold the illusion of order and prosperity. To outsiders, they look like mercenaries for hire—but each contract is chosen to subtly destabilize the system’s control.
- Methods: Assassinations, sabotage, and psychological warfare. Every move is calculated to appear chaotic or self-serving, masking a long-term strategy to free society from invisible chains.
- Signature Act: At a royal masquerade, they "assassinate" a beloved crown prince—secretly a tyrant in disguise. The act sparks public outrage, but also exposes leaked records of the prince’s hidden atrocities, shifting public perception and planting seeds of rebellion.
2. The Bloodied Accord (Neutral Evil)
- Description: This guild thrives on the notion that strength is everything. They operate under a loose coalition of brutal warlords, mercenaries, and slavers who work together out of mutual benefit. Alliances are fleeting and always made with one hand on the hilt of a blade.
- Motivations: They are driven by greed and ambition, but their methods lack the rigid honor of the Faceless. Power, wealth, and fear are their currency.
- Methods: Raids, pillaging, and kidnappings are their bread and butter. They leave devastation in their wake, seeking only to satisfy their own desires without care for long-term consequences.
- Signature Act: After sacking a trade caravan, the Accord offers hostages back to a city—at an astronomical ransom. When the city refuses, they sell the hostages into slavery and raze the town in retaliation.
3. The Chaos Cult (Chaotic Evil)
- Description: Where other guilds might pursue wealth or power, the Chaos Cult revels in destruction and anarchy. Their members are often zealots who believe in tearing down the fabric of civilization itself to allow "true freedom" to flourish.
- Motivations: They worship chaotic deities or concepts that embody entropy and destruction. Their ultimate goal is to dismantle societal order, replacing it with endless conflict and ruin.
- Methods: Mass destruction, public rituals, and unpredictable acts of terrorism. The Cult thrives on panic and fear, with no interest in creating a new world—only destroying the old one.
- Signature Act: A city awakes to find its aqueduct poisoned and streets filled with maddened citizens, driven insane by dark rituals performed by the Cult overnight.
4. The Bleeding Shroud (Lawful Evil)
- Description: The Shroud is a religious order turned malign, venerating a god of suffering. They believe suffering purifies the soul and brings enlightenment, and they impose this philosophy on the world through horrifying means.
- Motivations: They wish to spread their gospel, creating a world in which all are “enlightened” through shared agony. They see themselves as shepherds leading others to spiritual awakening.
- Methods: Inflicting controlled acts of mass suffering through torture, public punishments, and prolonged sieges.
- Signature Act: A city besieged by the Shroud is bombarded with psychological warfare: food is poisoned with hallucinogens, prisoners are paraded and tortured publicly, and rumors of monstrous sacrifices undermine morale.
5. The Infernal Concord (Neutral Evil)
- Description: A cabal of infernal summoners and warlocks who forge pacts with devils, the Concord operates as a shadow network that offers forbidden knowledge and power at a heavy cost. Their hierarchy mimics the rigid structure of the Nine Hells.
- Motivations: They desire to spread infernal influence across the material plane, subtly binding mortals into contracts that ultimately serve the interests of devilish overlords.
- Methods: Subterfuge, temptation, and manipulation. They subtly infiltrate kingdoms, corrupting leaders and driving societies into ruin through greed and betrayal.
- Signature Act: A prosperous merchant city is reduced to ash when every member of its council falls under infernal contracts, each turning against the other in a bloody coup.
6. The Dread Covenant (Chaotic Evil Tendencies)
- Description: Not purely evil, the Covenant seeks to unleash primal forces of nature, believing civilization’s encroachment is destroying the world. They are anarchists with a strong environmental bent, combining druidic magic with guerilla tactics.
- Motivations: They view themselves as nature’s avengers, aiming to restore balance by toppling empires and destroying urban sprawl.
- Methods: Targeted acts of eco-terrorism such as sabotaging trade routes, flooding cities, and unleashing wild beasts.
- Signature Act: A mountain dam is destroyed by the Covenant, flooding an entire valley and drowning a bustling metropolis in a tidal wave of destruction.
Evil Ranking Spectrum
Lawful Evil: The Faceless → The Bleeding ShroudNeutral Evil: The Bloodied Accord → The Infernal Concord
Chaotic Evil: The Chaos Cult → The Dread Covenant