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EMISSARIES"Mankind believes his ability to communicate has reached an ultimate state. Satellites orbit the planet, beaming invisible voices and images into the hands of those who control the technology. Let man believe as he must. We are the Emissaries, the very essence of communication itself. Technology can be compromised, files plundered, transmissions intercepted. We alone are perfect vessels for the secrets of our race and even under torture our messages are inviolate. Our presence guarantees that civilization is maintained among the savagery of our kind. Are we truthful, always? Of course! Everyone knows that lies are transparent, thus easily detected---thus flawed. Truth is unassailable and, if used correctly, can bear far more prosperous fruit than a lie."Symbol of Office: A wand of silver DescriptionEmissaries are the information network of the Perpetual Society. Not only do they tirelessly transport messages between individuals or assemblies, they represent others as legal counselors, diplomats and negotiators. This representation grants them considerable power through the messages they deliver. While Emissaries have a reputation for veracity, they are involved in the arts of the Stratagem and thus are masters of using the truth (which they are compelled to tell) to their own advantages. Distinguishing Features All Emissaries have twins. The twins can be identical (same-sex) to one another or paternal (opposite sex). The twin is in telepathic communion with the Emissary and dwells within any one of his Pride’s strongholds. An Emissary only sees his twin when traveling to the stronghold where he or she is posted, an event for celebration. An Emissary’s twin is his or her link to the Pride, a direct line to superiors. The mental bond necessary for this working alliance often creates more intense, intimate feelings to develop between the twins. This greater plane of intimacy can lead to chaos in the normally orderly transfer of information, so the resulting need for the twins to be together physically is generally forbidden by Pride custom. The Anopheles and Roane ignore this prohibition while Pride’s such as the Phoenix and Terat occasionally make exceptions, as long as doing so doesn’t endanger the working relationship of the Emissaries. In most cases, Emissary twins are chaperoned when together to control their ardor for one another. A player’s character who becomes an Emissary will usually be the one who is out in the field, while his or her twin will be randomly set in some stronghold of the Pride. Once per year, under a full moon, the Emissary must attend a ritual with the twin in the stronghold. This ritual, involving physical touch, renews the mental link between the two. It also has the side effect of mystically mingling their features, giving them similar appearances, even if different genders. An Emissary who shows too much outward affection for his or her twin will be forbidden to attend the ritual, which breaks the mental bond. In all cases, this is a traumatic, heart-wrenching event. After a time of mourning, if he or she is found worthy, the Emissary is joined with another individual. Occasionally a player Emissary will be required to spend a certain period of time within a Pride stronghold (the Crèche, if he is lucky) while his twin spends time in the field. This is an excellent opportunity for the character to become embroiled in Pride politics at the higher levels and to be noticed by superiors. A great deal of learning goes on during these periods as True Emissaries instruct beginners. Guilds The HeraldMost Emissaries begin their duties to the Calling as heralds. Heralds deliver messages from Pride strongholds or mantles to it’s members in the mortal world. Messages range from commands for a roaming immortal to return to the stronghold, to warnings of impending revenge or to take a report. In some cases, a herald allies himself with an immortal who he believes is genuinely about to count a magnificent coup. In return for his services (especially to call upon the Jury at the proper time) the Emissary earns a favor or endowment from his ally, up to an including a share of the Visage for his faith. Such an alliance is never betrayed for personal gain without severe repercussions. To get a feel for heralds, consider the Greek god Hermes, one of the most famous heralds from mythology. Whenever the gods wished a message to be delivered between themselves, or to mortals, Hermes was dispatched. Other famous heralds come from Norse mythology in the personae of Hugin and Munin, twin ravens perched on the throne of Odin who circled the world each day and brought back messages to their lord. The IntercessorMembers of this guild are the immortal equivalent to a human lawyer. Intercessors travel about to defend immortals who have been detained by other Prides or who face retribution from Scourges. Intercessors investigate (often calling upon Probes to do much of their footwork) alleged crimes and argue their case in a convened gathering of Scourges and a presiding member of the Jury, who makes the judgment. Unlike their human counterparts, Intercessors are not "paid" for their services, either monetarily or in favors. To court favors in exchange for an aggressive defense of his client is forbidden by the Guild’s laws. Intercessors are motivated by unity of their Pride---they only defend members of their own Pride and do so as competently as possible. An Intercessor can intervene on behalf of any member of his Pride, and if he does so, there can be no punishment of his client until conclusion of a defense. Typical defense must be resolved within 1 moon (28 days). Legal trickery is not permitted, and while extensions to the trial are sometimes granted, mistrials never occur. At times, Intercessors also intervene on behalf of human beings, either members of the Pride’s various quiet cultures, or on behalf of a mortal who may be completely ignorant of the existence of immortals or their desire to harm him. The EnvoyMembers of this guild are ambassadors whose primary missions include making contact with the vast array of other supernatural creatures which exist outside the circle of Perpetual Society for purposes of building cultural, trade or defense relationships. Envoys are also explorers Envoys are the Pride’s primary negotiation arm. If your character has been accused of a crime, an Intercessor will defend him. If the defense fails, an Envoy arrives to negotiate the terms of your punishment and reparations to Scourge of the offended Pride. Envoys are extensively used by the Prides to negotiate with Solitaire immortals where their influence is strong, and that of the Pride itself is weak. Emissary PredilectionsThe emissary calling actively recruits individuals of the following predilections: Arbiter, Builder, Confidant, Custodian, Drifter, Leader, Observer, Surrealist, Yuppie Emissary Serenades Immortals gain 1 rank in one of the following attentions upon being sponsored as an Emissary: Ley, Manifesto, Xenoglossia Emissary Talents Upon being sponsored into the Emissary calling, the immortal gains rank one in three of the following talents: Acting, apologetics, bargaining, double talk, etiquette, heraldry, oration, protocol, trivia, journalism, underworld Emissary Carnals: Total Recall In the performance of their duties, Emissaries remember all details of a meeting, from what is said to what is seen, smelled and touched. This photographic memory is considered his greatest asset. In game terms, an Emissary player can ask the narrator questions about details he might have seen and heard, but (as a player) forgotten. His character never forgets. Block Truth-sense No lie-detection ability of any kind reveals if an Emissary is actually telling the truth, and is thus useless. Immunity to Telepathy Emissaries are immune to any type of ability that senses or reads thoughts and emotions. The Cup Emissaries are able to utilize the Visage of the immortal who dispatched him on their missions. The use of their employer’s Visage lasts only until their mission is complete. Compass An emissary cannot become lost no matter how many twists or turns his trail takes. He can always retrace his steps, and can find his way out of even the most complex maze (this adds+3 to his ability to negotiate the Labyrinth). Editor's Notes: It has since been established on the Internet Mailing List by Mr. Ackels that the "twin" need not be identical or fraternal. Upon becoming an Emissary, you are "bonded" to another individual, each of you taking on a few physical/emotional/mental characteristics and quirks of the other. The same is done if one of a set of Emissary twins dies. This is the reason that Emissaries need not constantly travel back and forth to get needed information. This also means that your "twin" need not be a blood relative. It is presumed (nothing official on this from Mr. Ackels however) that the Emissaries are *not* Cradled, but the bonding is done through ritual other than Serenade. |
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