Penitents

Chosen by the Sublime Concord as the most far-sighted of their kind, the initiates of the Order worked together the create the Oracle: a masterpiece of arcane engineering that would guide them toward utopia. Following its direction as advisors, aides and assassins, they fostered their cultures in their ascent to their present grandeur.

When they realised that they had begun working against one another, it was clear that something was wrong. The Oracle had told each of them only what they wanted to believe, and the world was falling into tatters as a result. And when they discovered that the Sublime Concord were abandoning their charges to flee into a world of their own design, some of them refused to accept damnation - they sabotaged their masters' ritual.

The Order disbanded, with accusations of moral bankruptcy, cowardice and hypocrisy flying in every direction. But as the nations prepare to step into the Outworld, they have begun to return. They have no masters to guide them now, nor Oracle in which to place their faith. Reforged as the Penitents, and draped in the colours of mourning, they are here to atone for their hubris in the only way they can - by making things right, this time.

These are Faculties of the Penitent Order.

Archivists

"Let me tell you how it really happened"

What is a perfect future without a perfect past? Penitents who graduate to the Faculty Of Archivists concern themselves with ensuring that all events of note are recorded, all knowledge is gathered, and that the truth is available to all that have need of it.

Truth is a very subjective thing, of course, and sometimes requires adjustment so as to better serve moral purposes. Which is not to say that the Archivists are necessarily being misleading: often the best way of ensuring you have a history to be proud of is to adjust it while it is being made.

The Faculty of Archivists is mostly populated by inductees from the Valtarian Kingdoms, whose affinity for the power of narrative gives them a ready advantage as Archivists. Rhetonomic engineers from the Combine and Joy Effect exposeurs, however, find themselves equally suited to the role.

Custodians

"All great sagas deserve a fitting conclusion. Yours is no exception."

The Faculty of Custodians tends lovingly to the affairs of others. Together or as individuals, they may claim a Region, Realm, or even the entire world to be their domain - and do all that they can to ensure that it flourishes.

Sometimes this requires nurturing the growth of new ideas and possibilities. For this, they have a plethora of wealth and knowledge that they can convey to their charges. Sometimes this requires cutting away elements that may prove malign: their toolbox for this includes a vast arsenal of weaponry, and complete moral conviction. If your affairs bring you into a Custodian's sphere of influence, tread carefully indeed.

The Custodians are primarily recruited from those few individuals in Opportunity who manage to develop any kind of moral perspective - but who retain their driven, calculating natures. The Faculty's caring application of extreme force also tends to appeal to hegemonic engineers from the Combine, and wardens from the Walkers.

Adjutants

"Behind every great person, we stand."

The Jeeves

There are those who are gifted with the prescience, drive and power to change the world. And where they are found, so are the Faculty of Adjutants - standing two steps behind them, one to the right.

Having selected their champions of progress, an Adjutant does all that they can to see their ambitions realised - providing advice, support, and working behind the scenes to ensure that inspiration is duly tempered with wisdom. Adjutants are seldom in the centre of attention, but always in the centre of causation.

The Faculty of Adjutants primarily recruits from the People's Combine, although it is not unusual to see former Valtarian advisors and inductees from Protean Dynamics' Relations wing amongst them. Discretion, cunning, and watchfulness are the bywords of an Adjutant's art.

Hellions

"You labour under the misapprehension that I have a plan."

It is not often that a Penitent is inclined toward boldness, but the Faculty of Hellions has a place for those who are. Critics, satirists, agitators and provocateurs, the Hellions advance the cause of truth by knifing unpredictably into the philosophical and moral failings of those around them.

Some do their work with words, others by setting up abject demonstrations - either way, they are the masters of destructive criticism. What follows in the wake of their scourging is someone else's business: the Faculty of Hellions cares only that dead conceptual growth is cut away.

The largest part of the Faculty of Hellions is drawn from the Walkers, many of which helped bring about the downfall of the Tomb Cities - but all manner of discontents can find a purpose amongst them. The Faculty recruits actively from those few shapers amongst the Industrioclasts of the Combine, and the Monarch-Pawns of Valtaria.

Penitent Order Costume

The Penitent Order is drawn from the other four nations, and its members wear the clothing of their home culture – but influenced by the ascetic style of the now-extinct Sublime Concord, and in the colours of mourning.

• Clothing: As culture of origin, but in a combination of black, grey and white. If a Penitent wishes to make their adherence to a school of thought clear, they may reflect this in their choice of tone: black for the Quill school, white for the Parchment school.
• Accessories: Shrouds, tabi, veils, hoods, wrapped cloth, masks and half-masks, cloaks, closed-face helms, gloves. Where jewellery is worn, it tends to be minimalistic and metallic.
• Iconography: Penitents have no iconography of their own, but may retain those of their culture of origin.
• Weapons: Penitents may use those of their culture of origin, tending towards weapons that are easily concealed. They may also carry exotic and intricate weapons acquired from the Sublime Concord: Pain inducers, forearm blades, chakra disruptors, force staves, gravitic amplifiers, energy lances.

Visual references: Assassin’s Creed, Star Wars jedi, and pretty much any secret ninja masters you can find in fiction.

Things to avoid:

• Colour. The Penitents wear monotone clothes in acknowledgement of their prior sins, and in mourning for the Homeworld they have lead into ruin. Wearing any colours (beyond metallic jewellery) is heavily taboo.

Roleplaying A Penitent

Only You Can Save Humankind

The Sublime Concord selected you, champion amongst champions, for this task. The shapers of other cultures are mired in their narrow worldviews – something that you, of course, are totally not guilty of. You know better. You see further. Whether or not the Outworld becomes a heaven or a hell depends on the success or failure of you and your fellow Penitents. Once you agree what it is, exactly, that you are trying to succeed at.

Hey, Listen

Be calm amidst the storm, and all will become clear to you. What are people’s true motivations? How are the mechanisms of power being established? What are the full consequences of stratagems being discussed? Who or what represents the greatest threat to your objectives? What are their weaknesses? Overanalysis is the best analysis.

Always Say Less Than Is Necessary

The disastrous flaw of the Oracle was that it seemed to tell people everything, but actually told them nothing. Far better, then, to couch your wisdom in metaphor, simile, parable, and unnecessarily vague commentary. People can draw meanings from these that were hidden even from you, and drastic miscommunications are useful learning points. Also it really helps with the whole enigmatic authority thing you have going on.