The Castigian Cabal (The Unseen (Hand)? Call Shar the Unseen Hand?)

THIS PAGE HAS MAJOR SPOILERS AND IS THUS OFF LIMIT! FUCK OFF!

 

Description

The Castigian Cabal is 

 

Members

 

The Cabal is built through layers upon layers of secrecy, the closer you are to the center, the closer you are to the truth about the organization.

 

Hierarchy:

  1. Clerics - masterminds and leaders
  2. Assassins, messagers, etc - serve directly under Clerics to help control the Cabal and those they have influence over.
    1. Prob look out “why do people join Cults” to give some example motivations here. Prob something along the lines of people who have lost their place and have been slowly brainwashed into being true believers of the cause.
  3. Those devoted to the Cabal's true end goal. Most from her and further down know very little about the identities of other members, save those they are directly involved with.

 

Members list

We've been shown the hidden truths of our world. The reality of the unfair, corrupt society. Thrustupon us by our so called leaders.

A false reality forced upon us by the very gods we're supposed to worship! It is their fault that our world is so unfair.  

It is they who have stolen from us the potential we had for greatness. For fairness!  

This world is not fair, for our very gods have denied us the means to reach what we are truly capable of achieving!

 

This system is beyond saving. It can only be fixed by first being torn down. It is only we who truly know what it will take to fix all of it.

 

 

The land is always filled with pawns that we can use. Make sure to find new pawns should the Vessaia loose too quickly.

 

Beliefs

 

Shar's hidden truths

Shar's Hidden truths:

Other common sayings:

 

Shar's aliases/titles: The Veiled Mistress, The Mistress/Lady of the Night. The Unseen Hand. Our Guide (through the Darkness). Nightsinger.

Beliefs

The Castigian Cabal comprises individuals who worship, devote themselves, or follow (depending on their level of devotion) an enigmatic goddess known as Shar—whom even they themselves hold next to no knowledge about. To them, Shar represents the revealer of hidden truths and the patron of hidden wisdom, and to be the one who opened their eyes and exposed the flaws and hypocrisies of the world and its existing power structures. It was through her subtle machinations and manipulative words that the Cabal was formed. Their ultimate goal is to topple the existing power structure and replace it with their envisioned future—a future they believe to be fair and just, albeit one where they must hold the most crucial positions of power to maintain this supposed fairness and justice.

The Cabal firmly believes that the current system, encompassing both society and the world's workings, is deeply flawed and unjust. They perceive it as a pervasive corruption that plagues all. Many members of the Cabal harbor a personal sense of injustice, believing themselves to have been unjustly denied something they rightfully deserved. This denial could manifest as the denial of a prominent position, the struggle of a hardworking individual who remains impoverished while their superiors thrive in wealth, or any other situation where they feel the status quo denies them what they perceive to justly deserve. In their eyes, the current structure perpetuates inequality, injustice, exploitation, and widespread suffering, for all except those who created and perpetuate it. Only by first completely dismantling the current status quo can the construction of a new structure be built—one that is brighter, more just, and more fair. Through her masterful machinations, Shar has convinced the Cabal to place blame not only on those they perceive as upholding the current societal order but also on the very deities they worship. According to the Cabal's belief, society is seen as a reflection of the deities' wills and teachings. As such, the root cause of the festering injustice that permeates society is attributed to these deities. Consequently, the Cabal regards other deities, including the Diostri, as architects of the corrupt status quo.

Shar has effectively convinced the Cabal that only unwavering commitment and absolute loyalty to their cause can pave the way to their envisioned future. They view half-measures and compromises as destined to fail, which is why they advocate for the complete dismantling of the current structures, regardless of the cost. They believe that one must be willing to go to any length, employing any means—no matter how gruesome or sinister—to achieve their goals. Progressing toward their objectives necessitates substantial sacrifice and immense cost, even to the point of compromising ones own morality. The necessity of this uncompromising position is why they believe no one else has ever been able to, or will ever be able to, correct the current corrupt structures. The Cabal is firm in the belief that they alone can bear this burden—that they are the only ones with the will required to do what is needed. Traversing the darkest paths, stained with blood, is seen as necessary to achieve their ultimate goal: the dawning of a new era characterized by their envisioned fairness and justice. In their perspective, all the sacrifices, terrible deeds, and inflicted suffering will be justified once their new age comes to fruition—for the suffering they have to inflict will be finite, whereas the current system, if remained unchanged, will continue to perpetuate suffering for all eternity.

Operating from the shadows is a fundamental principle for the Cabal, mirroring their enigmatic patron, Shar. Even they realize that they'd stand little chance should the rest of society unite against them—hence why so much of their efforts are designed to pit their adversaries against one other. They consider secrecy of paramount importance, even among their own ranks, to safeguard their endeavors from adversaries and to make sure the extent of their schemes are never discovered. Consequently, most members possess minimal knowledge of their fellow associates. This anonymity serves to shield the Cabal as a whole in the event of a member's compromise or betrayal. Furthermore, they believe subterfuge and manipulation to be their most effective tools, whether it involves persuading individuals to join their cause or covertly forcing their support or unknowing contribution to their efforts. This does not mean they are beyond utilizing more direct approaches, such as coercion—be that threatening someone's assets, wellbeing, or the wellbeing of their loved ones—to gain the support of people who are otherwise unwilling to cooperate.

The shadows grant the Cabal the ability to—according to themselves—perceive the truths of the world. They believe that people's true nature is most evident when they believe themselves to be unobserved. Likewise, the Cabal perceives the injustices of the current order to be most noticeable when it believes it operates without scrutiny. By skillfully manipulating events from the darkness, the Cabal believe themselves to be able to witness individuals' most vile and self-serving tendencies, reinforcing their belief in the inherent corruption of the current order, while also exercising their influence while remaining unseen.

The Cabal prides itself on its pervasive influence throughout Marcandria and boasts an intricate web of involvement in every facet of society. They reassure themselves that they have planned for every eventuality and conceivable outcome. Because of this, even if a few of their endeavors go awry, they consider it inconsequential within the grand scheme of things. As they often say, ‘when dealing with a vast tapestry, the pull of a single thread makes no difference.’ The Cabal seeks to convince its members that so long as they follow Shar's guidance to navigate the treacherous paths they tread, their envisioned new dawning with a fair and just society, where each member receives their rightful due, will inevitably be realized. The Cabal attributes most of their significant projects and endeavors to Shar's guidance, believing that she has revealed the best path toward their goals. The most devoted members possess unwavering confidence in Shar's guidance, as they believe her to be their faultless guide through the depths of darkness, leading them to the dawn of their envisioned future. After all, no being should know the path through the darkness better than the goddess of darkness herself (Though again, the Cabal are not entirely aware of Shar's true nature).

Through their devotion to their enigmatic guide and their resolute adherence to their cause, the Castigian Cabal seeks to dismantle the prevailing power structures, expose the hidden truths of the world, and construct a society they deem fair and just. While driven by a sense of personal injustice and a desire for their rightful place, they firmly believe that only through absolute commitment and unwavering loyalty can their goals be achieved. The Cabal thrives in secrecy and manipulation, employing the shadows as their ally, and embracing the sacrifices and dark paths necessary to pave the way for their envisioned future. With Shar as their guide, they navigate the intricate web of their influence, confident that they are destined to reshape the world in accordance with their beliefs

 

Goals

Through their devotion to their enigmatic guide and their resolute adherence to their cause, the Castigian Cabal seeks to dismantle the prevailing power structures (both in society and in the world's workings), whom they see as corrupt and unfair, and replace it with a society they deem fair and just. A society where those who uphold it does not force limits upon you; does not deny you the ability to advance; and does not inhibit your chance to achieve that which you wish to achieve. A society where all are able to carve out their rightful place. While most members are driven by a sense of personal injustice and a desire for their rightful place, the Cabal tries to instill in them that only through absolute commitment and unwavering loyalty can their goals be achieved. The Cabal thrives in secrecy and manipulation, employing the shadows as their ally, and embracing the sacrifices and dark paths necessary to pave the way for their envisioned future. Guided by Shar, they navigate a complex web of influence, confident in their destined role to reshape the world in alignment with their beliefs.

The Cabal is acutely aware that they stand little chance in reaching their goals should all the other influential factions in Marcandria decide to unite against them. They thus place great emphasis on maintaining secrecy, and go to great lengths to make sure their plans and schemes remain unknown and the organization's existence unnoticed. The acts they commit may cause a lot of reaction within Marcandrian society, but they always make sure that no evidence points back to them, and that there are no indicators that an event is part of a larger scheme. Maintaining secrecy is thus a goal in and of itself for the Cabal, one that they go to great lengths to maintain. The Cabal also strives to keep their adversaries divided and in conflict with one another. This aims tie down and expend their adversaries' resources, both to reduce the risk of discovery, and to prevent them from being able to interfere with the Cabal's schemes—be that accidentally or intentionally.

The Cabal constantly aims to recruit influential individuals from other factions, and often entice them with promises of prominent positions in their envisioned future to help persuade them. Recruits who believe they have been unjustly denied advancement by their superior are often offered their superior's place. Those who are approached but refuse to join the cause are either killed off or forced to cooperate through the use of coercion and threats. Anything the person holds dear, be that possessions, reputation, or loved ones, may be threatened—with the Cabal having both the means and a history of following through on such threats if necessary. They do have to remain careful though, as too much blood in too short a timespan could cause the other major factions to start investigating. The Cabal is in constant need of recruiting new members to expand their reach and influence, and thus always have numerous schemes ongoing that aim to either convince someone to join them as a faithful member, or force someone to serve the Cabal through coercions and threats.

The Cabal seeks to control those who cannot be swayed through covertly instigating infighting or conflicts with other factions. By weakening adversaries or diverting their resources, the Cabal aims to usurp their positions or render them too preoccupied to interfere with their plans. Each of the major faction presents a unique scenario, due to organization and how deep the Cabal is able to infiltrate their existing ranks, thus requiring tailored strategies from the Cabal to achieve their objectives for each of these factions effectively.

Most of the Cabal's schemes aims to either increase the position of one of their members, or decrease that of one of their adversaries. This may refer to both the position and influence they hold, or the resources they have available. It could be as simple as securing their member a higher position in whichever other faction they are also a member off. It could also be bringing an adversary to ruin in order to open up such a position in the first place. All of these schemes aim to increase the Cabal's relative influence and available resources in order to achieve their overall goal of bringing about  their envisioned future.

Individual members also have their own personal goals, which most often entails securing themselves as high a position as possible in the Cabal's envisioned future. A decent chunk of the Cabal's recruits thus initially join due to opportunism, with the Cabal perpetually engaging in schemes to persuade new recruits into becoming truly faithful and committed to the Cabal's cause.

In contrast to the Cabal's aspirations, Shar, their enigmatic guide, harbors distinct goals. Discontent with the other deities ploy to seal off the world from the realms beyond—thus making beings from these places, like the deities themselves, unable to enact direct influence upon the world—she aims to exploit the seal's imperfect and deteriorating nature to inflict a great breach to a place where she is strong—the Shadowfell. She aims to use this breach to become the domineering influence upon the world: to make the world fall to entropy - to crumble and succumb, leaving only disorder, darkness, and loss, where all are ultimately forced under her sway. Shar aims to use the Cabal to help her make this breach. Shar holds no love for her servants in the Cabal, seeing them as little more than tools to be discarded when no longer needed. It is ironic that, just like they covertly manipulate people to serve their interests, so does Shar manipulate the Cabal to serve hers.

 

ChatGPT Rerwrite 2

Driven by unwavering devotion to their enigmatic guide and fueled by a profound belief in their cause, the Castigian Cabal is determined to dismantle the prevailing power structures—both in society and in the world's workings—that they perceive as corrupt and unfair. Their ultimate aim is to replace these structures with a society they deem fair and just—a society where individuals are not limited, denied advancement, or hindered in their pursuit of personal aspirations. The Cabal envisions a world where everyone can carve out their rightful place. While personal grievances and a longing for their own rightful positions motivate many members, the Cabal instills the belief that absolute commitment and unwavering loyalty are crucial for achieving their goals. Thriving in secrecy and manipulation, the Cabal allies itself with the shadows and embraces sacrifices and dark paths necessary to pave the way for their envisioned future. Guided by Shar, they navigate a complex web of influence, confident in their destined role to reshape the world according to their beliefs.

The Cabal is acutely aware of their vulnerability should all influential factions in Marcandria unite against them. Therefore, maintaining secrecy is of paramount importance. They go to great lengths to ensure their plans and schemes remain unknown, and their organization's existence goes unnoticed. While their actions may elicit reactions within Marcandrian society, they meticulously avoid leaving evidence or indications of a larger scheme behind. Maintaining secrecy is a goal in itself for the Cabal, and they spare no effort in its preservation. Additionally, the Cabal endeavors to keep adversaries divided and embroiled in conflicts with one another. This strategy aims to exhaust their opponents' resources, minimize the risk of discovery, and prevent interference with the Cabal's schemes, whether accidental or intentional.

The Cabal actively seeks to recruit influential individuals from other factions, often luring them with promises of prominent positions in their envisioned future. Recruits who feel they have been unjustly denied advancement by their superiors may be offered the chance to assume their positions. Those who reject the Cabal's cause face dire consequences, including coercion and threats. The Cabal does not hesitate to exploit their leverage, employing tactics that endanger the possessions, reputation, and loved ones of non-compliant individuals. The organization has a demonstrated history of following through on such threats, but they must exercise caution to avoid attracting unwanted attention. As the Cabal continuously expands its reach and influence, recruitment schemes persistently aim to either convince individuals to join as faithful members or force them into servitude through coercion and threats.

When faced with individuals who cannot be swayed, the Cabal covertly instigates infighting and conflicts between them and other factions. By weakening adversaries or diverting their resources, the Cabal aims to usurp their positions or render them too preoccupied to interfere with their plans. Each major faction presents unique challenges, necessitating tailored strategies from the Cabal to achieve their objectives effectively.

Most of the Cabal's schemes revolve around either elevating their members' positions or diminishing their adversaries'. These schemes encompass increasing members' influence and available resources, securing higher positions within other factions where they hold membership, or bringing adversaries to ruin to open up coveted positions. These endeavors collectively aim to enhance the Cabal's relative influence and resources, ultimately contributing to the fulfillment of their overarching goal—bringing about their envisioned future.

Individual members also harbor personal aspirations, primarily centered on securing the highest possible positions in the Cabal's envisioned future. Opportunism often motivates initial recruits, prompting the Cabal to perpetually engage in schemes to persuade new members to become fully committed to their cause.

In contrast to the Cabal's aspirations, Shar, their enigmatic guide, harbors distinct goals. Discontented with the other deities' ploy to seal off the world from the realms beyond, thus rendering beings from those places, including the deities themselves, unable to directly influence the world, Shar seeks to exploit the seal's imperfect and deteriorating nature. Her aim is to create a significant breach in a location where she holds great strength—the Shadowfell. Through this breach, Shar intends to exert dominion over the world, causing it to fall into entropy and crumble under her sway. Unbeknownst to the Cabal, Shar views them as mere tools to be discarded when they are no longer of use. It is ironic that, just as the Cabal covertly manipulates individuals to serve their interests, Shar manipulates the Cabal itself to further her own agenda.

 

COMBO AREA:

Driven by unwavering devotion to their enigmatic guide and fueled by a profound belief in their cause, the Castigian Cabal is determined to dismantle the prevailing power structures—both in society and in the world's workings—that they perceive as corrupt and unfair. Their ultimate aim is to replace these structures with a society they deem fair and just—a society where those who uphold it does not limit, deny advancements, or hinder an individual's pursuit of personal aspirations. The Cabal envisions a world where everyone can carve out their rightful place. Many members are driven by a sense of personal injustice and a desire for their rightful place, with the Cabal attempting to instill in them that that only through absolute commitment and unwavering loyalty can their goals be achieved. The Cabal thrives in secrecy and manipulation, employing the shadows as their ally, and embracing the sacrifices and dark paths necessary to pave the way for their envisioned future. Guided by Shar, they navigate a complex web of influence, confident in their destined role to reshape the world in alignment with their beliefs.

The Cabal is acutely aware that they stand little chance in reaching their goals should all the other influential factions in Marcandria decide to unite against them. Therefore, maintaining secrecy is seen as of paramount importance. They go to great lengths to ensure their plans and schemes remain unknown, and that the existence of their organization remains unnoticed. While their actions may elicit reactions within Marcandrian society, they meticulously avoid leaving evidence that could point back their members, or evidence that could indicate the action to have been part of a larger scheme. Maintaining secrecy is a goal in itself for the Cabal, and they spare no effort in its preservation. The Cabal also strives to keep their adversaries divided and in conflict with one another. This strategy aims to exhaust their opponents' resources, minimize the risk of discovery, and prevent interference with the Cabal's schemes, whether accidental or intentional.

The Cabal actively seeks to recruit influential individuals from other factions, often luring them with promises of prominent positions in their envisioned future. Recruits who believe they have been unjustly denied advancement by their superior are often offered their superior's position. Those who are approached but refuse to join the cause are either killed off or forced to cooperate through the use of coercion and threats. The Cabal does not hesitate to exploit their leverage, employing tactics that endanger the possessions, reputation, and loved ones of non-compliant individuals. The organization has a demonstrated history of following through on such threats, but they must also exercise caution to avoid attracting unwanted attention. The Cabal is in a constant need of new recruits to expand its reach and influence, and thus will always have numerous ongoing schemes that aim to either convince individuals to join as faithful members or force them into servitude through coercion and threats

&&

The Cabal seeks to control those who cannot be swayed through covertly instigating infighting or conflicts with other factions. By weakening adversaries or diverting their resources, the Cabal aims to usurp their positions or render them too preoccupied to interfere with their plans. Each of the major faction presents a unique scenario, due to organization and how deep the Cabal is able to infiltrate their existing ranks, thus requiring tailored strategies from the Cabal to achieve their objectives for each of these factions effectively.

&&

 

//

When faced with individuals who cannot be swayed, the Cabal covertly instigates infighting and conflicts between them and other factions. By weakening adversaries or diverting their resources, the Cabal aims to usurp their positions or render them too preoccupied to interfere with their plans. Each major faction presents unique challenges, necessitating tailored strategies from the Cabal to achieve their objectives effectively.

//

 

Organization

Core, Inner Circle, Middle Circle, Outer Circle?

Operations and Endeavors

Shar's guidance is trickled down from the highest ranking members. The rank-and-file have no interactions with Shar or her representatives.

 

FRM CHATGPT:

2. Clarify their perception of Shar's involvement: While it's mentioned that Shar is viewed as a revealer of hidden truths and a patron of hidden wisdom, you can further emphasize her role in guiding and influencing the Cabal's actions. For instance, you can mention specific instances where Shar's guidance led to successful endeavors or critical revelations that strengthened the Cabal's resolve.

 

 

Locations

 

Relations with other factions

 

Stance on succession crisis

Cabal were the instigators that caused the succession crisis to happen. Want di Vesci, one of their members, to take the throne, after they've brought everyone else to ruin, so that they can start remaking society as they want it to be.

 

 

NOTES:

DND:

- Grandmother Hag is a servant of Shar

- Concalians pulled into/banished to Shadowfell.

- Night horror/night herald, or something similar is what killed Ari's sister

- Cabal who gave islander the resources he needed to have some of the captains do coup. They gave funds to bribe enough people and weapons to get rid of the rest.

Deal was for the pirates to start exclusively attacking Marcandrian vessels, increasing the dangers of sea-trade and thus making things more expensive, and thus reduce living-standard. I.e. sow dissent towards governing figures as people blame them.

 

 

Sure, here are some more examples of minions and servants of Shar that are unique to specific settings or editions of Dungeons & Dragons:

 

 

NOTES FOR NEW VERSION:

 

MISC

 

 

GOALS v2:

 

Excerpt from one of their gospels: (I-BL037) (OLD VERSION)

"Know that your troubles and misfortunes are not simply by chance. Know that your unjust reality is not simply caused by those who have forced it upon you. Yes, they are corrupt - but they are but a product of a far greater crime thrust upon us all. We live in a false age - one unjustly forced upon us by the very deities we all now worship. They have given us a false age. An age where our true potential, where our just rewards - where what we all justly deserved - have been stolen from us. We live in an world where everything we were meant to have - where everything we were meant to become - where everything we were meant to achieve - were stolen from us before we even take our first breath in it.

Empty your heart of falsehoods. Give up on following your hopes, and the promises they give you of success. Quench the light - for it is a falsity. It is a lie. It is in the darkness of night that you'll see the truth. Let the darkest night descend upon our world, so that we may guide it onto a new dawn - to an age that is true. One where the world is as it was supposed to be.

Let secrecy be your shield. It is in the night we must act. It is in the shadows we'll work to bring about our dawn. Many will work against us - for they are blinded by the false and the corrupt. Fear not what must be done. Much will be asked of you. For as the darkest of night comes before the dawn, so too must we traverse Night's darkest paths to reach our dawn. Fear not the darkness. Fear not the night - for Night is our mistress. Let Night's song guide you. Walk Night's path faithfully, and you'll be guided onto our new dawn.  Know that whatever terrible deeds that may be asked of you will be worth it. Know that whatever doubts you'll have will be quenched by the first rays of our dawn. We will reach our dawn - a start of a new age. An age that is right. An age where the world is as it was supposed to be. A age where all that was kept from us - all that was stolen from us - will once again belong to us. To all of us.

As sure as night will fall, so will Night's will be done."

Meanings to different people:

 

 

 

As sure as night will fall, so will night's will be done.

 

 

are asked of you in the night will all be worth it at the first rays from our new dawn.

 

Empty your heart of falsehood. 

Give up on following your hope or promises given of success. 

Quench the light - for it is a falsity. We will create our own dawn, one that is not based on false hope or promises, but one that is true.

As sure as night will fall, so will night's will be done. The dark/night is a time to act

 

Let secrecy be your shield. We will work in the shadows to bring the world onto a new dawn. Many will work against us, for they serve the false and the corrupt. Much will be asked of you, for just as the darkest night comes before dawn, so to must we walk through the darkest night to reach our new dawn. Fear not the night, for night is our mistress. Let her song guide you, as you walk the path she lays out for you faithfully. Know that whatever terrible deeds are asked of you as you traverse the night will all be worth it to reach our new dawn - to reach a new age for our world, an age which is right. An age that is how the world was intended to be.

 

Shadowheart: Blessed Nightsinger, witness our adoration. See how we serve you, only you. We have emptied our hearts of falsehoods. We have vanquished your foes. In darkness, we see your truth. Embrace us, your loyal warriors. Cloak us in your shadow. Guide us to your victory. Shar's will shall be done. As sure as night will fall.— Shadowheart's prayer to Shar[32]

 

https://frc.fandom.com/wiki/Shar?so=search - dogma: Reveal secrets only to fellow members of the faithful. Never follow hope or turn to promises of success. Quench the light of the moon (agents and items of Selune) whenever you find it, and hide from it when you cannot prevail. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead except when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. Consorting with the faithful of good deities is a sin except in business dealings or to corrupt them from their beliefs. Obey ranking clergy unless it would result in your own death.

 

 

TITLES:

By the mid–14th century they had changed to:

taken from:  https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Church_of_Shar

 

 

Notes regarding Beliefs:

NOTE FROM FORUM: 

 

Shar gains power from every lie told; from every betrayal; from every apology left unsaid. etc. (Greater Deity after all)

“She is said to have the power to make folk forget their pain or become inured to a loss, and many people in distress pray to Shar for such a blessing.” - Many who follow Cabal have lost something dear. They dulled the pain, and in many cases being released from said pain has made them loyal - as they don't want to go back to feeling the pain

Nihilism - “life is meaningless” - in this case, life in the current system is meaningless. Continue living in this false reality has no meaning. Better to die trying to fix it than live in it. If they succeed fixing it, then it's all worth it after.

 

Nobody in the organization has any notion of what Shar wants with the world after its been “fixed”, only that she seeks to fix it, and be the dominant force in this fixed world. She's the goddess of lies/deceit, so everyone in Castigian Cabal are also being lied to in aa way - even the leadership.

 

SEE ORGANIZATION AND TITLES FROM HERE: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Church_of_Shar 

 

 

 

OLD

  1. Those who are devoted to The Herald of Martori, and as such true believers and followers of the goddess Martori (which is a fake goddess, used as an alias by Shar). They act on the direct order of the Herald of Martori, assisting in its plans to personally become ruler of Marcandria.
  2. Those who have joined due to the promise of power and position, but are members out of opportunity, not out of belief.
  3. Those who are forced to cooperate with the Cabal through coercion and extortion. These individuals have commonly received aid from the Cabal, and are now forced to comply with the Cabal's every demand as repayment.

 

 

 

Aliases:

 

Note when going through: Clergy and Avatar are influencing the Vessaia to rebel more. Make "mini shrines" to false deities that they give to desperate + influencial members. This makes it so the Vessaia form several small cults. These mini shrines have the Symbol of Martori somewhere on them, so that she may communicate through it, and grant some power, making it more enticing for the members of the Vessaia.

 

NEW: Created by the Herald of Martori. 3 levels of membership: Those devoted (essentially the clergy), those who are members due to opportunity, and those extorted into cooperating with the Cabal. The Herald is the reason for many becoming members, mostly through manipulation. Also slowly converts skeptic opportunists into devoted through manipulation.

 

 

 

Description

The Castigian Cabal; coercers, clandestine, and at the same time the underlings of a single being known as The Herald of Martori. The Cabal was founded by The Herald of Martori itself, to serve its endeavors towards breaking the Seal on the Material Plane, and bring forth an age of Darkness,  to the glory of Shar (Martori). Through coercion, extortions, enticing promises, devious manipulation, and even brainwashing, the Herald of Martori and its most devoted followers have grown the Castigian Cabal into a massive clandestine. The Cabal acts as a shadow government that are pulling the strings behind the scene in every facet of Marcandrian society.

 

Officially, the Castigian Cabal seeks to take control over Marcandria, filling all the influential positions of Marcandrian society with its members. Unknown to all but the most devoted of followers, is the Herald of Martori's plans for what to do when in control. The Herald and Martori seek to place itself on the throne, and then imprison and replace all influential individuals with its most devout followers. It will thus have control over Marcandria, and will then start converting the populace into worshipping Martori/Shar. Those other members who no longer serve a purpose are thrown under the bus. Only those useful will be kept around, either cooperating willingly or forced into submission.

 

The internal structure of the Cabal is in and of itself secretive. Most members believe the Cabal is led by the Council, having only heard vague rumors of a so-called Herald that sits on top. While the Council does most of the decision making, they must ultimately conform to the Herald of Martori's wishes, should it disagree with their decision. There is a constant power-play between those completely loyal and devoted to Martori and her Herald, and those who are not, with the devoted acting as "a cabal within the Cabal".

 

Members

The members of the Castigian Cabal can generally be placed into one of 3 groups: 

  1. Those who are devoted to The Herald of Martori, and as such true believers and followers of the goddess Martori (which is a fake goddess, used as an alias by Shar). They act on the direct order of the Herald of Martori, assisting in its plans to personally become ruler of Marcandria.
  2. Those who have joined due to the promise of power and position, but are members out of opportunity, not out of belief.
  3. Those who are forced to cooperate with the Cabal through coercion and extortion. These individuals have commonly received aid from the Cabal, and are now forced to comply with the Cabal's every demand as repayment.

 

Those coerced or extorted into cooperating with the Cabal can come from all facets of Marcandrian society, and are picked by the Cabal out of the influence, resources, or services they can provide the Cabal as repayment. This includes nobles, wealthy merchants, skilled artisans, respected figures, and so on. The Cabal will find such individuals on the brink of collapse. The Cabal will offer them a way out, and continual support. In return, they are forever beholden to the Cabal, and must carry out their every command in perpetuity. Failure to do the Cabal's bidding is punished harsly, with repeat defiers being threathened with their and their loved ones' undoing.

 

Those who join out of the promise of power and position usually do so out of opportunity, not belief. Those are commonly individuals who believe they deserve more (power and influence) that they've been given, and who are willing to go to any means to obtain what they believe themselves to deserve. They are willing members of what they see as a clandestine, who'll topple the status quo and place its members as the new rulers of Marcandria. Individuals such as these are only allowed into the Cabal if the Cabal bellieve they can be of use.

 

The last of the three groups, are those devoted to Martori, and her Herald. These members are often people who have suffered some great loss or betrayal. They are often nihilistic and/or anarchists, and seek vengeance upon the world. It is commonly people who seek to tear down what they see as the lies the world is trunk on; the institutions people trust; the so called gods they cling to. They want to topple and destroy everything they see wrong about the world.

 

 

 

Beliefs

The "deity" Martori is an alias used by Shar, and as such, the doctrines that are passed onto the devoted very much mimic that of Shar's true doctrine. Many of the devoted members are people who have suffered great betrayal or loss. Martori's doctrine dictates that one should seek out vengeance against all who have wronged you. One should savor and enjoy it, and let it fuel ones ambitions. However, vengeance is best met out from the shadows.

 

Core to the belief in Martori is that there is only Martori. She is the one true deity. All other deities are false and corrupt, as are their followers. Institutions that follow them are blind and corrupt. All of them, every false god and every corrupt institution, should be eradicated. Those who refuse this truth are themselves blinded by this corruption and falsity. The corrupt state exists only to limit ones freedoms. It is inherently immoral and should be crushed, and rebuilt in Martori's image. Only the believers of Martori have seen the truth of this corruption, and are as such superior to non-believers. Any believer in Martori should serve only Martori, faithfully and forever. The faithful should tear down the lies the world is drunk on; the institutions they trust, and the so-called gods they worship. They should destroy false idols, topple corrupt organizations, and fight heretics wherever they're found.

 

The doctrine places great importance on secrecy, and puts intrigue and deception as superior to brute force. Instead of parading one's forced in a frontal assault, one should instead pull the strings from the darkness, felling one foe at a time. Intrigue, deception, and subterfuge revel in the darkness. One should keep people afraid and in strife, pull wedged between friends and allies, and driving them towards causing their own doom. Let others charge blindly to fight one another, while you plot and scheme from the shadows. One should step beyond one's fears and loss, and revel in the darkness. Pain, hope, and the promise of better days are all heavy burdens. Burdens that should be shred; for the only future is the one envisioned by Martori.

 

They also believe that the The Herald of Martori, as described by its title, is Martori's primary representative on the Material Plane. It is the one who brings the devoted the will of Martori.

 

 

Those who join out of opportunity rarely believe in all of the doctrines of the devoted. In fact, they rarely even told what most of the doctrine entails. A part of the doctrine that the devoted deem the individual may have his/her reservations against is simply kept from them, so that they may more easily be used as pawns in the Cabal's grand game. Many in this group believe in the notion "by any means necessary". They may be individuals deeply wronged or betrayed, who seeks vengeance at any cost. They may be individuals who believe themselves to have been cheated by their peers; cheated out of what they themselves believe they deserve. They often seek to crush their rivals, and in doing so, climb the ladder of Marcandrian society.

 

Core to all members is the notion of supremacy. The notion that you, and to an extension the Cabal, is superior to all others.

 

Those who are being extorted into cooperating with the Cabal rarely share the belief in their doctrine. They are rather people who simply believed taking on the Cabal's offer would be a better option than facing ruin.

 

All actual members of the Cabal are required to pray to Martori, to have her as their sole deity. However, the level of devotion varies greatly, especially among those who only joined for the promise of power and prestige. The Herald of Martori and the devout tolerate those less-devoted as long as they're ultimately being useful.

 

 

Activities and Tactics

Martori (i.e. Shar) favors secrets, underhanded tactics, subterfuge, intrigue, deception, and quiet revenge. Any means is justified as long as it brings one closer to  Martori's vision. The Cabal will use any tactic necessary, no matter how underhanded, to reach their goal(s). Bribery, intrigue, extortion, deception, assassinations, anything that may bring the Cabal closer to its goals is allowed. The activities and means the Cabal partake in deeply reflect this. The Cabal has a massive amount of resources at its disposal, to the point where very few actions are out of their reach. The Cabal will often use bribery, intrigue, and extortion in order to diminish their enemies, while using the same tactics to elevate their allies. They may use deception, subterfuge, and forgery to drive wedges between friends and allies, breaking up enemy alliances and making them focus their efforts on each other. They may also result to utilizing memory altering magic, to either suppress or alter memories, in order to make people do the Cabal's bidding.

 

The Cabal is also deeply secretive in nature, with each member only being given what knowledge is deemed absolutely necessary for them to perform their function. 

 

The Cabal exists at two distinct levels. As the Cabal as a whole deceives to reach their goals, so does The Herald of Martori and the devoted deceive the rest of the Cabal, secretly using them as pawns just like the Cabal use everyone else as pawns. Both "levels" cares much about the recruitment of influential and/or powerful individuals, that may help the Cabal tighten its grasp on Marcandria. The Cabal as a whole will seek out members that can help them in their "official" goals of taking control of Marcandria, while The Herald of Martori and the devoted will seek individuals to convert into true believers of Martori. The devoted often seek out members already part of the Cabal, but who are not already true believers, slowly converting them into fanatical followers of Martori and her dogma. It is not beyond the devoted to turn to brainwashing and memory manipulation to turn a stubborn individual into a true believer. These methods are of course kept secret from the rest of the Cabal.

 

Recruitment into the Cabal in general is not done fairly. It is common for the Cabal to approach an individual, such as a skilled merchant or artisan, an influential persona, or a noble, who'se on the brink of collapse, and offer them their support in return for eternal servitude. Their promises often include social and economic guarantees. The Cabal promises this because the more influence and power these individuals have, the more the Cabal can use them for. Should the individual refuse to join the Cabal willingly thrugh this lucrative deal is then instead forced into cooperating. Methods here can range from bringing about financial ruin, that can only be remedied by accepting the Cabal's deal, to taking loved ones hostage to use as leverage for cooperation. In fact, while an individual's first meeting with the Cabal will commonly be when they offer salvation from imminent collapse, it is often the Cabal who'se secretly brought about said imminent collapse in an effort to marinate the individual into being more receptive towards their offer. This fact is of course kept secret from the individual, even after they've joined. The Cabal's goal when doing this is most often to instill a wish for vengeance into the individual, directed towards supposedly corrupt peers, institutions, and beliefs.

 

The Cabal also seeks out members not on the brink of collapse, but who have similar mindset to that of the Cabal. These are commonly people who already have some spite of wish for vengeance against the Marcandrian society, such as people who have been deeply wronged or betrayed, or people who believe they have been treated unfairly by a corrupt society. This goes both for recruitment into the devoted, and the rest of the organization.

 

Failure to comply with the Cabal's orders are punished harsly, both for members and non-members. A minor first infringement may result in a stern reminder, and a threat of undoing should it happen again. Continuous defiance will result in more extreme methods to keep the individual in line, such as kidnapping or threathening to hurt loved ones. Those who do not fall in line are disposed of, as the Cabal does not want to deal with them potentially leaking what they know about the organization.

 

The devoted also act as the eyes and ears for The Herald of Martori, usually by wearing an enchanted porcelain mask which The Herald of Martori can perceive through.

 

 

Specific events/activities the Cabal is involved with

 

 

Goals

Officially/Publicly, the Cabal's goal is to amass enough power/influence so that it may seize control over Marcandria, placing its members in all the prominent positions of power within the nation. For the opportunistic members (non devoted), who seek power and prestige, this is a means for them to reach their personal goal of being granted a more prominent position in Marcandrian society, which they believe they deserve.

 

For all but the most devoted members, this is where the goals of the Cabal ends; its ultimate goal achieves. For The Herald of Martori and its most devoted followers however, this is but the first step. They seek to place The Herald of Martori itself on the Marcandrian throne (posessing the monarch), and have the devoted take up all of the most influential positions. From there, they seek to convert Marcandria into the worship of Martori (Shar). This is to increase her following, and as such grant her and her Herald more power.

 

When  the Herald has amassed enough power through the Marcandrians' worship, it aims to cast a great ritual that will break the Seal around the Material Plane (See Year 0 : The Great Disaster / The Cleansing), allowing otherworlders to once again more easily invade the material plane, and bring forth a new age of darkness and loss (the domains of Shar). The Herald of Martori plans to cast this ritual in the Ruins of Concalia, in the old capitol of the Concalian Empire. This is the place of one the Seal's larger cracks, which bleeds predominately into the Shadowfell; a realm in which Shar has much influence.

 

 

Organization

The Cabal is lead by The Herald of Martori. It is it's absolute, but one that most of the Cabal's membership has only heard vague rumors about. Only the higher-ranking members, such as the Council-members, have definitive information about its existence. However, only the most loyal and devoted members have ever met it personally, and only the most loyal and devoted members.

 

The most powerful members of the Cabal makes up the Council, who act as the leading body within the organization. The only exception to this is The Herald of Martori, who holds absolute authority and can therefore force the Council into doing whatever it wants. However, the Herald tends to only interfere directly when absolutely necessary. The Council includes both devoted and non-devoted members, and as such, the Herald prefers to use the devoted members to manipulate the decision making of the Council. This is all in an effort to keep the Herald's nature secretive, so that the Council appears as the authorative figure, not some indescribable being in the shadow.

 

The hierarchy below the Council is rather flat. When a new member is recruited, that member is given an appropriate task, with perhaps a few partners. These will then work toward some specific goal given to them by the Council, and will have little knowledge of specifics regarding the rest of the organization. They will commonly only be given enough information about the rest of the organization to keep them confident and loyal in the Cabal's power. If that member is an influential individual, such as a noble or wealthy merchant, then how they use their subordinates is up to them. The Cabal have dedicated cliques/groups whose task is to relay orders between the Council and these smaller cliques of members.

 

The devoted serve The Herald of Martori directly, acting as its eyes and ears, as well as being assigned tasks by the Herald itself. While all members are required to worship Martori (i.e. Shar), only those who've shown absolute loyalty and devotion towards Martori and her Herald are to be considered "devoted" and thus brought the deeper plot. While their duties include roles similar to that of other members of the Cabal, they also serve as spies for The Herald of Martori within the Cabal, and manipulate other members into being more favorable to positions the Herald favors. The Herald and the devoted are sort of "a cabal within the Cabal".

 

Orders within the Cabal is absolute, both for members and for those being extorted by the Cabal. If an order is given by the Council, they have to obey that order. The only exception to this is if the order will bring about their own death. The Council, again, must obey The Herald of Martori. There are several non-devout members of the Cabal who would prefer to be rid of The Herald of Martori and the devout altogether.

 

Locations

Members of the Castigian Cabal can be found all throughout Marcandria, in all facets of society.

 

Visual Identifiers of members

Most members of the Cabal have no distinct visual identifiers. Their organization is meant to be a secretive network that should be next to impossible to root out. This is also what makes the organization so dangerous, as one can never know when one's dealing with a member of the Cabal for certain.

 

Devoted members, when working on the order of The Herald of Martori, and wanting to be known as such, wear while porcelain masks, often with the symbol of a black disc with a deep-purple border.

 

 

Relations with other factions:

Besides the Herald and the most devoted of its followers, no-one knows the entire extent of how large the Cabal is; not even the other members. While some of those with more insight into what's happening beneath the surface of Marcandrian society may describe a festering corruption that's pulling the strings, none can say to what extent.

 

The Cabal has gone to great lengths to keep the very existence of their organization secret, to the point where even if a member was to betray them, they would not hold enough information to accurately describe what the Cabal is. In this sense, the Cabal doesn’t really have any official relations to other factions directly. For other factions, this means their view of the Cabal is best described by how they view such a faction in general. While another faction may not know of the Cabal, they can nonetheless have a very intimate relation, with the Cabal having infiltrated its member-base; either by having full-on cabal members in its midst, or by having members on their extortion-list.