The Fist of Edik
about 7 years ago
– Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 06:24:00 PM
Hello everyone,
Below is the Fist of Edik. The idea is from one of our cultist backers. I'm looking forward to the other ideas from our remaining cultist backers. Rothaen has several secret societies and cults that players can fight against or, if they so desire, become a part of. Hope you enjoy this little glimpse into the process.
Thanks
Wes
The Fist of Edik (Fanatic, Dangerous, Chaotic)
Active Locations: Scaldival and Findi
Leader: Grob Ironskull (militant, fanatic, smart)
Cult goals: Reclaim the lands to the west, which were sold and are now Findi.
“Deep in the bowels of the earth, Edik sits on a throne of bone and blood waiting–WAITING for his people to wake up and take back what he had so generously given them. The lands to the west are Scaldival, and they belong to us, not Findi. They cannot just be sold to the highest bidder. Our people fought and bled to free ourselves from the chains of the Athix Empire for what? To sell off our children’s birthright? The queen’s need for gold blinded her to the fact that our land is more important than coin. Lands are worth dying for–money is not. She forgot the sea was our gateway to the rest of the world and that having to pay for the right to use our docks in our coastal cities is the greatest insult of all! My brothers and sisters, it’s time to remove those who are weak at the top and take back what is ours! We will not rest, ‘til Scaldival is whole again! We will make Edik proud of his people! Raise your iron and fight for your fatherland!”-Grob Ironskull, leader of The Fist of Edik
The Fist of Edik has one mission: make Scaldival whole again. After the Athix Civil War, Scaldival was broke and its cities where in ruins. The queen needed a way to pay for reconstruction and sold off a large portion of land to the west for the gold to do so (see Scaldival in Nations & Lands). Grob Ironskull, a veteran of the civil war and outspoken critic of the crown, was outraged. He had fought hard for Scaldival’s independence, and with the flick of a quill pen, a third of the nation was gone, not to mention that it has caused Scaldival to become landlocked, a fact that Grob throws into his heated frothing rants anytime he can.
The cult is made up of mostly barbarian war veteran who see the government as too bloated with regulations and too weak in maintaining the borders established after the war. Because of the sale, many members lost their homes and had to move east or become citizens of Findi. Some families owned their lands for generations and feel the queen had no right to sell them. Grob plays on these emotions and leaves out the fact that, had the queen not sold the land, Scaldival would have fallen, more than likely to Luxinvale in the north or even the Athix Empire in the south.
The Fist of Edik has just over 900 members presently and is divided into two parts. Their public face recruits new members while painting the government’s policies in the worst light possible. They hold rallies where they give out free food and beer while talking about the tragedy of the war and the arrogance of the crown in selling off the people’s land. In public, they refer to themselves as Edik’s Forgotten Warriors to play on the emotions of patriotic Scaldivalians. It is public knowledge that the Fist and the Warriors are one in the same, though Grob likes to claim they are not.
The Fist of Edik hides its membership. Those who run the rallies are known to the public as Edik’s Forgotten Warriors. The Fist is extremely violent. In Findi, they attack merchants and businesses. Grob feels if he can cause enough problems in the name of Scaldival against Findi, they must declare war. That is exactly the kind of thing that would help his cause. The raids take a heavy toll on the Fist. Many members are slain during these attacks, leading to high turnover in the ranks. Grob would like to raise a force large enough to take the capital and then use Scaldival’s armies to take back the lands to the west.
The message of the Fist is gaining popularity, and though chaotic in their tactics, they have struck some harsh blows against the crown. The nobles and elites of Scaldival have beefed up security. The queen has offered gold for any information that leads to the arrest of a Fist member. She has even thought of arresting Grob, but he has not broken any laws she can prove. Right now, it’s a cat-and-mouse game between the crown and the Fist.
The Fist of Edik moves:
• Attack a merchant in Findi
• Burn a Findi Business
• Spread rumors of corruption about the crown
• Give money to the poor, with a message
• Hold a rally to gain support
• Pressure nobles to go against the crown
• Kidnap a noble
• Murder a Findi merchant