The Midnight Riders
Life On The Road
Life On The Road
They trace their roots in American history with the expansion to the West. The organization consisted of men and, on occasion their wives, who traveled the Wild West protecting the territories from all manner of horrors. The organization even had a brief moment of being an official agency for both the North and the South during the Civil War. Both sides wanted to find an efficient means of ending the war early, and to ensure it ended in their favor. The North and the South routinely held Expeditions on Native American holy sites in search of the secrets and power they would hide.
Life on the frontier was harsh and the Riders At Midnight, as they were referred to at the time, found many ways to tame the harsh landscape. The aid of both sides made it much easier for them to do so but it was a short-lived relationship. As one side gained the upper hand over the other due to some strange artifact they found or a bargain they struck, the riders would notify the opposite side and be paid to handle the situation. In most of these exchanges, they had already handled the situation or we're in the process of doing so and simply wanted to be paid.
They would continue this tradition of war profiteering even in the modern day, which gives them a bit of a complicated relationship with some of the more ethically inclined organizations of the web.
This doesn't necessarily mean they are without a code of ethics. They never actually retrieved the artifacts that were found, instead giving it back to the tribe that owned the land, and even procured artifacts that were already stolen. According to their own history, they did whatever they could to assist the Native Americans as they traveled along the Trail of Tears. From protection to hunting, many more lives would have been lost without their assistance, and they never once asked for payment in return. As the migration from the American people moved steadily West, civilization became a fact of life and there was no more Frontier for them to wander. For nearly 100 years, the group practically dropped from the face of the Earth, living isolated lives outside of civilization, many dying at the hands of the horrors they hunted.
changing times
With the Advent of the internet and other complex means of communication, travelers began to reach out to one another. Some wanted to know how to take care of particular entities they have never come across before, others simply couldn't bear the thought of subjecting themselves to such a harsh life on their own. Small groups started to band together, communicating between cities, counties, across state lines, and finally established an international community in the early 2000s. In the modern day, they are an organization that spans the globe.Soul searching
Most members are always on the move. While some larger groups stay within the same region, those who fight the good fight on their own tend to avoid attachment to any one place.
Midnight Riders are in search of something. The Candlelight took something away, and they can't quite figure out what it was. They are constantly trying to find themselves when on the road, and take their journey seriously. Most of these men and women will never find what they long for.
Sometimes it's a place to settle they end up needing. Sometimes they search for affirmation of who they truly are. Regardless, each has a drive. They each have a northern star that pulls them further out to sea. The Riders are heavily reliant on instinct and intuition. They follow every gut feeling and every hunch. This is how they attain the power of The Street Gospel.
Arms Race
Midnight riders are usually without jobs. Travel makes it hard to earn a living, and many still need to fuel their vehicles and eat. The Riders sell whatever they can to others in The Web.
They sell information, the things that they have learned in their travels. They sell priceless artifacts and high grade weapons they find as well. They keep a firm connection to black markets and the criminal underworld, buying and selling as much as they can. Some resort to crime themselves on occasion.
Famous Riders
Midnight Riders come in many shapes and sizes. While most are isolated to groups of 2-4 members, some arrange themselves in groups of 10 to 20. Below is a list of some of the most famous Midnight Riders.
by Kali Koltz
David and Logan
This married couple is well-known among The Web. They have been Midnight riders for several years and always seem to know where problems will come up before they actually do. They are almost always the first ones in and the last ones out. While they have slain many monsters in that time, what they are really known for their uncanny ability to procure some of the most valuable weapons and artifacts to sell to those they meet.
The two are remarkably wealthy, having sold their wares to even the largest organizations in The Web. Finding yourself in their path is always considered a moment of fortune. Apart from this they also represent the most common form of the Midnight riders take: Everyday people just trying to make their way in the world they found themselves in after being caught in The Web.
The Cattle Drive:
The cattle drive still keeps to the roots of the Midnight riders, traveling by horse throughout the Americas. They are often called upon when someone needs a body part from a monster for some ingredient, as they often butcher any creature they find in hopes of obtaining valuable materials. They sell these materials on the black market as well as to organizations in the web.
They are often considered backwards for their lack of technological superiority. They go out of their way to maintain the feel of the Wild West, even to the point of utilizing firearms common to the time. These weapons are more than capable of doing their job, for their age has given them power.
by snatti89
The Whitechapel Saints
The Saints of Whitechapel are a motorcycle club who began simply as a street gang in the Whitechapel District. As they grew in number, they expanded to encompass most of the UK. They travel in groups from place to place, actively ignoring the secrecy that most organizations try to keep.
They are often considered brutes. They would rather string up a monster and ride through the streets with it tailing behind then kill it. Most of these men and women have lost something dear, and have lost their inclination towards mercy in kind. Despite their brutality, many of them are not what you'd expect. Some are just lone riders who consider themselves members. They travel more for truth than justice, seeking answers to their deepest questions.
Skippers
Many individuals who take up the mantle of a Midnight Rider find themselves at all time lows eventually. Due to the fact that they quit their jobs, they are unable to pay bills and rent and usually end up losing their homes in the process. Some don't bounce back from this, and can't even afford to maintain gas in their vehicles. These individuals are the most desperate and usually are the most affected by The Web.
They have lost people they care dearly about and we're unable to find strength like other Midnight riders did. They run about the world unseen and without notice. They are a network of eyes and ears that communicate to other organizations and are primarily responsible for the language used to communicate with other Midnight riders. They hop trains from place to place eating what they can from the scraps out of dumpsters.
They make connections with the homeless of every city they come across.
Most organizations don't fully realize how in the dark they would be if it weren't for these thankless few. Their lack of defense and funding usually makes them the least likely to survive an encounter, and as such running is usually the only thing they can do.
RPG information
street smarts
Every member must have this trait. Street smarts represents every single members innate intuition. By spending experience points in the intervals of 10. They can use their instincts and past experience identify important elements of their environment as well as funding to places they need to be. This doesn't mean that they can immediately figure out who is responsible for a murderer or any other specific information regarding what they do. The street smarts trait simply allows them to be pushed in the right direction.
It's an effective means of moving forward should the party of characters get stamped. The tree can only be used if the character who possesses it has information regarding what they're trying to find otherwise it is simply going to push them in the direction of one of their goals that are unrelated to the story being told or push them to fulfill base desires such as eating and sleeping.
Arms dealer
The first train many Midnight Rider will gain is the Arms Dealer trait. Any character who has the trait can opt out of loot tables that accompanied the standard Adventure and substitute the following loot table. This trait represents their natural ability to find things of value. A Midnight Rider lost in the bank and always determine which safety deposit box contains the most valuable items. The first time is low tide table is used by the character they will gain some Relic or artifact. They may also choose to not gain a relic or artifact in favor of an exceptionally powerful weapon.
Old Reliable
Midnight riders always begin play with a vehicle. As they get more powerful, they will begin to have a special connection with that vehicle. Regardless of what the vehicle is the connection they have to it allows them to tap into unique abilities the vehicle gains. Upon giving the vehicle its own special name, they can use their experience to purchase abilities for that vehicle based on the following table.
When the character games that straight they who began to notice the vehicle exhibits its own unique personality. If The vehicle is man made like a wagon or car, it ideal not possessed nor is it alive in any way but it will often behave as if it is. If the vehicle is a living mode of transportation such as a horse, it will exhibit intelligence far beyond out of most horses capable of communicating in some way shape or form with its owner.
Street signs
Members of this organization have a language that they use to communicate with one another. This is most often found on the side of buildings or in bathroom stalls in the form of graffiti. Most often this uses symbol is most often associated with the homeless, among others that were added over time. The symbols can be used to convey dangerous areas it can also be used to convey areas that have already been cleared of danger. One can also use this language to pose questions to others traveling through,who will place their answer close to the question itself.
This is great. It's an entirely new faction with it's own distinct flavor. I'd like a train-hopping hobo whose luck never seems to run out; when he's hungry, there's always someone nearby with an extra cheeseburger or half a pizza. When iot rains, there's always a cardboard box or an umbrella blowing in the wind. Just an amiable, helpful sort of guy.
OOOO you could cross some factions. The riders and discordians could merge well. The Midnight Riders are definitely something i want to delve into more.