Patriarchs
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History
There have been many tales of contracts throughout the ages, deals made between kings, pacts made with demons, covenants between deities and their people. Most people consider the nature of contracts to be shadowy, wordy, often misunderstood with too many loopholes. But the Patriarchs see beyond such things, they have learnt the arts of the contract through centuries of study dealing with the most dangerous beings of them all. Many of the elders among the Patriarch have dealt with Djinn, they have haggled with Demons over the costs of souls, they have seen empires rise and fall on the single stroke of a pen. If anyone coined the phrase that the pen is mightier than the sword, it was probably a Patriarch (it was probably someone else who made it famous, because that’s a secret they would like to have kept). The Patriarchs did not begin with a set society, but with many secretive groups all vying for control over concept of the written agreement. As these groups haggled with one another and bound one another in contracts, they wove an unbreakable knot around themselves and became the Patriarchs we know today. Rarely dealing with one another by choice, they know that it is only through carefully worded script and double-talk that they can truly know power. |
Tactics
While it would seem that the most obvious tactic to these secret elders is to bind as many beings into contracts as possible, most of the other citizens of the city have become wary of them. As a result the Patriarchs have had to call in old debts, releasing a favour here to pick up a new favour somewhere else. Always keeping track of the ebb and flow of favours through meticulous book-keeping and deadly accuracy. Naturally each of the Patriarchs strives to grow in power as their contracts and contacts grow, they seem to have reached a stalemate. As their old contracts are called in they have few new people to deal with and they have begun to look to new worlds and new endeavors. Perhaps the trade routes of the Dionysians might provide some innocent outsiders to fall prey to their debonaire charm and deadly penmanship, Maybe the spirits from beyond, if only they could get the Oneiromancers to introduce them. Of course if things get too bad, they could always call on som certain old contracts which are long overdue. Among some of the patriarchs it is said that if they can’t have the city........no-one will. |
Character Concepts
Businesspeople of all types are attracted to the Patriarchs. From corporate high flyers to judges, through to accountants and salesmen. But the most common group of all and perhaps not surprisingly, are lawyers. Understanding the ways of law at a more fundamental level than any other, the faction’s lawyers cut some of the most dangerous deals in history and write down enough double-talk to get away with it. Despite this a recent trend has brought quite a few diplomats and politician to the faction. Looking for new hunting ground has meant some new changes in policy and looking outward to other groups seemjs to be a favoured notion at the moment. |
Typical Followers
Overwhelmingly, the most common group of followers held by the Patriarchs are those people who are serving out a contract of some sort. They can come from all walks of life and only united by the fact that they regret having made the deal in the first place. Some Patriarchs also employ solicitors and accountants to ensure their books are in order and that the contracts are as “water-tight” as possible. |
Rival Factions
Dionysians - These would-be drug dealers and petty thiefs shoudl stick to the lands outside the city. They’re mostly harmless, ignore them. |
