The Travelers of the Uncanny Ravine
A symptom of what some would call the 'parasite' of magic is isolation. A mage's life is often prescribed loneliness, abandonment and the great intensity of vitriol by others around them, whether derived from fear, ignorance, or religious zeal. To be accepted as a mage - let alone as a friend, or a member of one's family - is a rare thing. The goal of the Travelers isn't really to counteract that on a wide scale, or to provide all mages a home, or anything like that. It's meant to - for a specific and selective group of people - operate as their bedrock with which to survive a world so hostile to them, and their desires.
The Travelers are often called the Brotherhood. It's a place akin to family, with members referred to as siblings, and the Wayfinder viewed like the father or mother of the group. Everyone in the organization knows everyone - and well. They are all, generally, quite close and know the backgrounds and struggles of each other individual around them. To judge, envy and detest is a cultural taboo; some would say the point of the organization is to meet self-enlightenment, rather than obsessing over the virtues and flaws of others.
And that's, ultimately, where this faction acquires its function. By providing a home to the many members, and a community for them to grow and rehabilitate, they are placed into a rigorous structure of progression and are given the urgency of improvement. The Travelers function as a home, a Guild and an Academy, with facilities and resources offered to its members to progress rapidly in their many talents and arcane faculties. They're given direct attention by Voyagers, and the Wayfinder, who instruct them and offer them both insight and validation.
Much of the purpose of the organization is to create a small, elite number of closely allied, loyal friends. To produce truly stellar individuals, far beyond that of the average rank and file of other magical organizations, the Seeker and Coven coming to mind. With initiations often shared, enchanted relics, clothes and equipment and all manner of things, the Travelers are given all that they need to progress - without the harrowing sadism of the Coven, nor the brutally enforced adherence to any particular ideology.
Many of the members of the Travelers are recommended to take positions of prominence in the outside world, and will often perpetuate a cycle of nepotism with those members seeking to work beneath them. Funneling the resources, information and influence of their respective organizations, a small family tied together bears much power - and the Wayfinder directs that power as he pleases, to whatever cause he pleases.
Fundamentally, the Travelers seek to explore the world, the self, and the unknown, but with the company of those dearly embedded with them. Finding peace and fulfillment is foremost to them and their ways - but like with all mages, the desire for supremacy remains.
Rather than basing their worldview on the trifling ideologies of the 'Outside', the Travelers look inward, at least at first. Into their own perceptions, their own hearts, questioning what they know and believe and exploring philosophies too familiar to deconstruct alone. Much of the ideology of the Travelers is based on exploring the greater concepts of the world, and of life, and of the self... and examining their value. Exposing arbitrary stigmas, wondering of the value of each joy and pain as the emotion comes to them, and questioning the validity of their prior dreams.
The Travelers are fundamentally inspired by the inquisitive nature of magic, but rather than focusing on the meta narrative of the world, members of the organization focus first on the one thing they must truly master: their emotions. To this end, within the ideology of the Travelers is interwoven a series of harrowing, beautiful, almost mythological introductions to the self and the member's supposed worldview, but often through the distorted lens of drugs and other substances meant to alter the mind.
The ideology of the Travelers is fundamentally built on the belief of its own mental acuity; that its members are enlightened, that they have sought and met understanding. That the Outside -- everyone else -- is of faltering importance, and that they must preserve their own number before any other thing. They may supplement the lives of others around them, but much of their actions are for their true kin, those within the inner circle of the Brotherhood. As the members do typically still interact with the outside world, they will often acquire positions of prominence, but will generally forward their benefits to the Travelers. For this reason, the Travelers can (theoretically) withhold an incredible amount of information and influence at any one given time, depending on the successful development of their members.
With all this in mind, though the organization is fundamentally cult-like, to be a member of the Travelers is not to be controlled, or leashed, or compelled into obedience by a cabal of looming masters at the end of harsh interrogations. The existence of any one member can often be described as 'euphoric' - they are treated with utmost love, acceptance and forgiveness by their peers. Often, a whole night will be spent lain in a circle among one's closest friends, backs pressed to the floor of the courtyard and staring to the stars, telling stories and vividly imagining the deeper complexities presented within the mural of the sky. The core theme, and core ideology, of the faction is the concept of intangible affinity for one another. A love of all who share in the piety of one's dreams - in the strength of their illusions, fantasies, and even their truths.
The Meaning in the Name
The Travelers of the Uncanny Ravine. This is a brief explanation of what the name stands for, and how it ties into the philosophy of the group.
The Travelers is self explanatory; they wish to travel, explore, expand their horizons. The Uncanny is the magical, the spiritual; the metaphysical. The Ravine is the gulf, the divide between what is known and what is unknown, from the bottom of the seas, to the stars, to Emea. Their name is inspired by the dreams of Rupturer's of old, to make magic once again a thing set to surpass mortal limits, to breech the concept of limitations at all. And to know all things.
Rules of Entry
1. To join the Travelers, one must be recruited directly by the Wayfinder. This is to prevent the subversion of the organization's integrity by any unwanted elements. All members are directly vetted with the highest scrutiny.
2. All members of the Travelers must be mages, or must intend to become initiated in magic.
Ranks
The Wayfinder: The Wayfinder, often called the Father or Mother, is at the core of the organization and provides purpose for the faction. Unlike many factions which have an explicitly stated central purpose from the very beginning, the Travelers' direction is perfectly correlated to the will of the Wayfinder, and thus the whole direction of their organization may shift from leader to leader. Considering the almost cult-like beliefs of the group, the Wayfinder is given a particular level of reverence and is offered the utmost compliance by the other members, including the Voyagers. Though there are few rules within the organization, most of them are implicit or are inferred, and can result in expulsion if not followed. To not obey the will of the Wayfinder is one such implicit law, and is enforced perhaps more firmly than any other.
The Wayfinder has access to the whole of the resources of the group, including whatever intelligence they may have stored in the Compass Hall, a guarded study of written knowledge within the building. They are directly responsible for choosing members, and are the only individual capable of both selecting and removing members of the group, unless they delegate this power to a Voyager specifically. The Wayfinder will often take a few pupils, most of which will become Voyagers in a short amount of time. They are typically a powerful mage and an influential political or business figure, and are - like everyone else - expected to share their influence with the Brotherhood.
The Voyagers: Voyagers are the direct operatives of the Wayfinder, and are essentially the arbiters of law within the group. They police other members and ensure they remain in-line with the group's philosophy, as well as ensuring all things within the faction remain peaceful and productive. More than this, they are given the ability to select up to five pupils - Explorers and Lost equally included - and are given the rights to direct them onto any sort of missions and undertakings they like. They're essentially given the option to lead other members of the group, acting in a way like a small-scale Wayfinder.
The Voyagers are typically a Tribunal, and with a majority may determine actions without the consent of the Wayfinder, though he is free to veto any actions they determine. More importantly, they act as de facto leaders when the Wayfinder is not present or is compromised, which is often a common occurrence in a group of... well, travelers. During these times, they essentially act as the Wayfinders themselves, though they are not meant to go against the Father or Mother's will, and can receive repercussions if it is believed they intentionally did so.
Voyagers can be delegated certain authorities by the Wayfinder, at their discretion. Also, they are all gifted an array of gifts by the Wayfinder: a full masterwork set of equipment, of improved mineral quality (such as Adamantite), a magical relic with properties adjusted to them, and the direct tutelage of the Wayfinder. If and when other sects of the organization are built in other sections of Idalos, the position of the Voyager will grow in prominence, as they will be selected to directly lead individual chapters of the group.
The Explorers: The Explorers are the fully-fledged, median members of the organization, and are given full access to most facilities within Woodstock. They are typically offered a basic masterwork set of gear, of steel or poorer quality, and notebooks with information on the magics they're interested in. Generally, in order to become an Explorer one must simply be a trusted, initiated mage, with the initiation often provided by another member of the group. The Explorer will then be given the opportunity to attend lectures held by Voyagers, and will often be invited to group tasks or expeditions. Explorers are given a high level of autonomy and their ventures are generally supported by the group, including helping them prepare for ventures outward, or allowing Explorers of similar intentions the ability to connect and perform their endeavors jointly.
The Lost: The Lost are not fully-fledged members of the group. They are generally those interested in joining, who have been deemed prospects by the Wayfinder. Generally, they may not yet be mages, but may simply need a home and a community to guide them. The Lost sometimes transition outwards and leave the group before full initiation, and this is considered fine. Long-term Lost may include children, such as orphans, and those simply afraid to undergo initiation, though after a time they are expected to leave if they do not progress in their beliefs. Generally they are viewed as acquaintances or passing faces, rather than as 'siblings' or 'dearly beloved friends'.
PC Members
The Wayfinder
1. Alistair Venora
The Voyagers
1.
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3.
The Explorers
1.
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3.
The Lost
1.
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Woodstock Hall
Woodstock Hall is the Headquarters of the Travelers, located within Quacia, in the Gleam. It was purchased by Alistair, the Wayfinder, in Arc 718, and is located directly next to his home and hospice - Ashbrook - as well as the Red Cloak Hospital. Previously serving as the Headquarters of the Guild of Hospitality, Woodstock has been re-purposed to act as a community center and a live-in academy for those selected to join the Brotherhood.
In total, there are around forty small rooms reserved for members, as well as several other major areas to progress and learn. There are multiple meeting halls of considerable size, meant for study and rigorous discussion, a large central library, a courtyard and garden at the heart of the building, a bathhouse and open communal and lecture area on the lowest floor, and several cornerstone stairwells at the end of each hallway for one to quickly navigate between the floors. There is, additionally, a large laboratory for alchemy and other practices. The tower of the building - ascending above the rest of the structure - is known as the Tower of the Father, and is reserved for the Wayfinder and his pupils.
Generally, most magical practice is performed on the lowest floor. There are basins for Transmutation, rough patches of grass and small wells of water for Defiance, and some of the deceased patients of the Ashbrook Hospice are brought as well for direct training in Necromancy. Given the libertine ways of Quacia in regards to magic, this is all tolerated, and the only onus is on the mages to ensure they do not do damage to the building.
If any member desires, they may be given a room to live in. These rooms are somewhat simple; they have a shelf, a desk with a few chairs, and a double bed.
