Gloomfolk Order

Gloomfolk Order
Order
Origins	City of Regalia

The Gloomfolk Order sometimes also called the Gloomrot Order, is a Guild of loosely allied denizens, travelers, and sympathizers to the atmosphere and culture of Gloomrot. Gloomrot is part of the Regalian Empire and the Regal Isle, but has a very distinct local culture because of its backwater nature, and provincial status. The people who live in Gloomrot consider themselves a class apart from the urbanite citizens of Regalia, and have a very particular attitude both to the, and the powers that be in Regalia. The Gloomfolk Order primarily acts in the interests of the people who live in Gloomrot, to protect their unique culture and autonomy from encroachment by Regalia's Nobility, but to also protect Gloomrot itself from incursions from the outside, such as the Lothar Order or the Argentum Order and Vampires, who generally cause violence and conflict as they encroach on the sleepy hollows. The Gloomfolk Guild is very disorganized, that is to say, it is the only Guild without an actual Guildmaster, and is only vaguely organized in a decentralized manner so as to meet at the Gloomcouncil section of the Gloomrot forest if they ever need to meet. Each area of Gloomrot tends to have a group of people associated, explained in the Design section.

Design

There are some design limitations on the Gloomfolk Order's Guild members. The most immediate and important requirement is that such a person either lives in Morgenwend Village, is a semi-permanent inhabitant of the Lion's Repose, is a vagrant in/near the Gloombanks and Isobel's Lake, or generally is just a sympathizer of Gloomrot's unique culture from Regalia. Secondly, members of the Gloomfolk Order may not be Nobles. The Gloomfolk Order is distinctly anti-noble, and while they may recognize that autocracy and nobility are necessary components of the Empire, due to their deeply provincial status, the Gloomfolk Order does not want Nobles meddling in their microcosm from the outside. Lastly, the Occult can be welcome in the Guild, but only if they hide their Affliction and or Affinity as best they can and where reasonable (Vampires and Geists disguise, Undead hide, but Arkenborn and Marken can be more open). It is primarily an overarching theme that the Gloomfolk Order's members pick fights with encroachers from the outside. This may result in three-way fights where a Gloomfolk patrol or militia might run into a Lothar and Argentum fighting on the road, and attack both of them, as they are both interlopers who bring violence and chaos to the peace of the Gloom. Gloomfolk Guild membership can be terminated, if a member of the Order is considered to have loyalties and affiliations with groups outside of Gloomrot that have acted violently, negatively, or otherwise with foul intent towards Gloomrot, the peace in Gloomrot, or its inhabitants.

Recommended Jobs

Recommended Jobs is not strictly a required set of Jobs like it is for the Knight Orders, but just a general recommendation towards the players where best to apply this particular Guild Membership in Roleplay.

• Gloom Patrol: Gloomrot has many winding roads and sudden ambush locations where brigands and Afflicted alike enjoy jumping on the locals or travelers. The most obvious purpose of the Gloomfolk Order is to preserve the peace in Gloomrot, which also means patrolling the roads and kicking anyone out who tries to cause a ruckus. Gloom Patrols answer the call if the Repose is under siege, or if any other part of Gloomrot is spilling over into violence, to end the violence fast or push it away from the tranquil pine woods.
• Gloom Tender: Gloomrot is a wild forest with many plants, herbs, mushrooms, and other wild creatures. Gloom Tenders make sure the plants all grow in harmony, harvest foods and resources from the forest, and make a decent coin by selling. Gloom Tenders can claim small stalls at the Lion's Repose or in Morgenwend to sell their goods to traveling folk, or to enter into the city to sell directly to healing houses and hospitals or alchemical shops to increase Gloomrot's reputation for the better.
• Gloom Preacher: Gloomrot's independence is carefully curated between it being a backwater provincial area, and those who stick their fingers in politics to keep it so. Gloom Preachers are not religious figures, rather they are Gloomfolk Guild Members who specifically infiltrate Vampire Covens, Noble Families, Knight Orders, and State organizations to both try and campaign for Gloomrot's peaceful and autonomous nature, but also to spy on them to provide advance warning in case things become dangerous.
• Gloom Runner: The permanent fixture and member of the Gloomfolk Order Erlend the Roadwatcher occasionally will generate errands and missions for Gloomfolk Guild Members on his notice board and at the bar. Gloom Runners are people who perform these errands or mission roles, either to smuggle something from the city, find information, or steal something from the city folk (for example artifacts). Gloom Runners can also take quests and requests from other Guild Members.

Mechanics

Guild Mechanics facilitate certain interactions that might not normally possible for people outside of Guild membership who do not have the Guild's resources. Guild Mechanics are always Mundane and do not make a Character Occult, and are contingent on being a Guild Member. Some Guilds have special rules which are required for the Mechanic. This means that membership is not contingent on these requirements, but that unlocking the Mechanic is, so that these strict guidelines don't needlessly block membership, but still gate-keep the actual Mechanic behind conforming to a Character design.

Gloomfolk Order Mechanics

• Gloomfolk Order Members gain +2 Main Combat Stat while they are on Gloomrot's roads. This becomes +1 when they are in any other Gloomrot area that is not strictly a road or pathway.
• Gloomfolk Order Members gain +2 Main Defense Stat while they are inside the Repose's walls. This becomes +1 when they are in the Morgenwend area Both also count as Roads for Mechanic above.
• Gloomfolk Order Members gain access to the Disguise Skill Pack, but only while inside Gloomrot, and their Disguise must be mossy/swampy/Gloomrot-like with bark and twine.
• Gloomfolk Order Members may sometimes appeal to Roadwatcher Erlend for Library information on a threat that is terrorizing Gloomrot, and to aid in the vanquishing of it through means.

History

History is still pending writing, other Lore Staff Project.