The Hermetic Order of the White Stag

[Random_White_Guy]

THE HERMETIC ORDER OF THE WHITE STAG

[hide=Flavor text, non-required reading] When logic fails, when reason falls short, when the disillusionment of society reaches its peak there is a natural reaction to seek rejection of the status quo. Fringe ideas begin to not only hold possibility but lead to strange, unique, and at times terrifying discoveries.  Entire kingdoms have risen and fallen over the years, entire Empires risen and crumbled, and entire lifetimes of understanding and knowledge have been buried over lies, deceit, confusion, or simply lost to the past.  Ritualism, Symbolism, Spiritualism, and more at times surface in times of despair. An outlet or avenue to try and make sense of things and in some way to truly understand the world.

The City of Rings is no different as Rise and Fall, Secret and Truth, apathy and bitterness, all begins to turn into an amorphous blob which may weigh heavy on the shoulder of the scholar, the priest, the Changeling, or those who generally are considered by society to seek highest enlightenment. When one continues to see problems they cannot solve mount higher and higher, when one continues to hear their suggestions and rational ideas for rebuilding and improving matters fall upon deaf ears it is only logical that one begins to consider... alternatives.

Beyond the walls of the Peerage Ward, beyond the civilized world, there exists a sort of Ethereal realm. Where wonder abounds on the fringe of what is known, where the oddest and smallest details most would consider foolish, eccentric, or folly may bring actual change and bear unexpected fruit. For it is off the beaten path that discovery is made and in this City of Rings where so many mysteries abound it is obviously not an undertaking one may navigate alone.

There is an Order to this world, as often as it is ignored in favor of chaos and power.
There is an Understanding to be found, if one is prepared to delve into the eccentric.
There is a Potential to be harnessed, in all its many forms, if one but curious enough to ask the right questions.

The Creed opens many doors.[/hide]

Semi-Secret societies of Metaphysics, Paranormal suspicion, Cryptid existence, and the oddest eccentricities have forever existed in one form or another through out Human civilization in both the real world and in fantasy. Rise and Fall of ricochet between periods of Enlightenment and Dark Age, Rennaisance and Revolution, means entire society's arts, culture, and more has been lost to the wayside. The way ancient Chinese Farmers may have handled matters of science, arithmetic, and more comparable to the Meso-American tribalistic rituals, the Sub-Saharan African witch doctors may have approached a problem, and more.

The Hermetic Order of the White Stag is an effort to bring a fantasy-veined comparison and possibility as an organization dedicated to Knowledge in all its varied and many forms but so too with a push even further into the esoteric.  The overlapping of ideas, the twisting of possibilities, and more in an attempt to accumulate a greater understanding of the entirety of the realm.

Having pursued a lot of this vibe in game already it has been a very interesting juxtaposition of some of the Peerage hating it, some of them Embracing it, some seeking to exploit it, and others seeking to support it. It's been a very unique endeavor and I'd love to see the possibility of raising more chances for other PCs to get involved.

For veterans consider it comparable to the Transcendant Conclave of past chapters. A Non-Political organization of a wide breadth, yet at the same time equally from time to time in orbit of political entities. An amalgamation of Caster and Non Caster goals allowing a large umbrella of possibility.

For Newcomers consider it a Mage's Guild with a twist further - Emphasizing not merely the "Arcane" but the idea of Law, Order, Natural vs Supernatural, and the varied paths in between and rather than singular focus on Mages allowing for a wide swath of characters, perks, styles, and more to potentially intermingle. Where the overlap of Non-Chaotic Druidism, Sorcery, Wizardry, Monasticism, and more under the auspices of a "Creed".

Requirements:
Non-Chaotic, Lawful preferred but Neutral can fit just as easily.
Class: Non-Paladin is the only restriction, even Non-Chaotic Druids could potentially find place herein.
Race:  Non-Genasi, Non-Supernatural Monstrous. Mongrel, Recondite, etc. could possibly find affiliation given their place in the "Natural" world.

[Random_White_Guy]

RwG's Big Ol' List of Concepts: These are all just loose ideas, any potential concept can always work so feel free to hit me up on Discord, leave a letter,  or seek my PC in game.

- A Peasant PC  looking for more out of his life. Best for someone who has never delved into Alchemy, Tinkering, or Herbalism and would like an honest to god apprenticeship as I'd be glad to help anyone who has never delved into each explore a very interesting side of the server.

- A Lawful Wizard Abjurer seeking to combat the increasingly hazardous influence of Seamstry, Planar Incursion, and more.

- A One Hundred Scrolls Cultist who misses the rigid hierarchy and esoterics of the Arbiters to bring Order once more to the City.

- An Unpredictable Sorcerer desperately looking for a cure to tame his wild blood or to mitigate any potential damage unleashed upon hitting level 8 and activating his chaotic, messy perk.

- A Lawful Neutral Changeling seeking to combat the influence of Winter and restore the true Balance to the outer rings instituting new effort aplenty.

- A Philosophic Monk who seeks to wander, explore, and discover the wonders of the Natural World in deep philosophic conversations and understand the idea of Harmony in this deeply conflicted city.

- A Glitt Retainer Ranger or Sorcerer who wishes to see the Sheppernine Hillocks pushed to the forefront of Plot efforts after the region has been relatively untapped.

- A Velstran Retainer Bard who wishes to support the esoteric viewing it as Philosophic Hedonism to spend hours talking new-age spiritualism, crystals, and more.

- An Orzan Knife who seeks new and different concoctions and poisons and lost secret tools to reaffirm his House's supremacy

- A Moonspear Retainer Cleric who has a crisis of faith who in desperation is open to any, weird as it may be, effort to stymie the coming tide of the Nothing.

- A Ranger down on his luck and despondent resorting to hunt the blood of Rare and Exotic Creatures

- A Barbarian seeking greater and greater challenges of battle against all the horrific and twisted Cryptids of the world ala Beowulf

- A High Society Peerage Scholar, ala Alistair Crowley in RL and Historical Fiction, seeking to delve into the esoteric and weird  and more with the weird hermetic mountain men in a hilarious juxtaposition of City vs Nature.

- A Weaponmaster who seeks to forge a blade of the most unusual, most rare, and strangest amalgamation combining metals of Herbalism, Alchemy, and Tinkering into one super weapon.

- A Witch seeking refuge from persecution of the Peerage with the rise of House Moonspear and their penchant for burning witches alive simply seeking to learn more of her herbalist craft and helping people.

- A Spiritual Medium Wizard who seeks through non-animatory means a possibility of communing with the Spirit Realm in a non-Evil capacity.

- An Apothecary Rogue with no talent for Magic but simply fascinated and enthralled with all the mysteries, magics, and more of this crazy city we all call home.

- A Witch Hunter Fighter dedicated to combating Chaotic elements and protection of the more Order-seeking among the strange magical community.

- A Half Orc who seeks to be Cured of his Half-Orc Affliction to be returned to Full Human to live out his days in peace, trading his size and muscle and ferocity in the short term for hope of long term peace.

- An Elven Mystic Sorcerer who is so very amused at the mud-people Humans aspiring to reach for the supreme elven balance of Magic and Nature.

- Clerics of various non-chaotic faiths could easily find place in attempting to combat and oppose the influence and workings of Pzatharun in the natural world.

- A Dwarven Soldier who after the loss of his sense of identity in the fall of Ticker, and then also the 94th, and the misery endured in the Peerage seeks the auld Dwarven runes to escape his misfortune and find new calling as a Teamaker.

- An optimistic youth eager to leave the steadings behind to explore the weirdest, most esoteric parts of the server (and world) in pursuit of becoming a Master Scout with friends in weird places.

- A budding young Alchemist seeking to uncover the fabled Lead to Gold equation that he may pay off his family's debt to a cruel Peerage House.