Organizations Across the Globe
There are many guilds, cults, and factions in the world of Mechanika. The list compiled here is not absolutely complete but does provide a list of the more prominent organizations that span the globe.
The Sons of Tesla
Tesla has brought the power of the Fae lords of the storm to man, and in turn has become one of the so called Lords of Artifice. His House of Electricity stands to show all those who called him mad, or doubted the strength of electricity, its full force. Nestled deep within the halls of Tesla’s Palace of Coils sit the offices of the Sons of Tesla.
The Sons of Tesla swear allegiance not to Tesla, but to his idea that electricity is a gift to mankind allowing them to rival the will of the gods, and bring peace and order to the world. They wear suits of Tesla’s personal design, and work as his heralds. Tesla locked himself deep within the Palace of Coils seeing no one, save for a few advisors; preferring instead to communicate via televised image from one of his many view screens.
The Sons of Tesla strike fear into the hearts of many. Despite Tesla’s teachings of peace and harmony, they often work as soldiers, and are granted special privileges and immunities by the House of Electricity and the Russian Empire. Coupled with their advanced artifice and the brutal leadership of their Patron Rasputin they are a force of questionable good and even more mysterious goals.
The House of Black Blood
The goddess Hyro has created her house of black blood over centuries. The house is loyal to Hyro and continually propagates her litanies that those who possess the strength of blood will one day wash over the world. In almost every major city, just as the great magister halls and Colleges of Artifice are present, there will be an old building bearing no signs or banners that houses the subjects of Hyro.
Her followers are primarily Warlocks and other creatures whose blood makes them stronger than others of its race. There they practice their arts, drinking vials of Black love, a unique elixir supposedly drawn from the very blood of the lady of shadows. Her followers are marked forever by the strange brew, and it is said that by drinking it Hyro connects directly with you, granting you incredible strength and seeing all that you can see.
The house is dubious at best, and is rumored to be home to assassins, thieves, murderers and the downright insane; as well as warlocks, lycanthropes and the agents of the universally reviled Edward Hyde. Yet, under the guise of a religious temple, they stand untouched by the law, waiting in the cities shadows, preparing to one day sweep the world clean of those weak in blood.
The Cult of Cthulhu
Lurking in places most would not enter, and performing rituals most creatures would be driven mad by, dwell the Cultists of the father of madness, Cthulhu. His followers know he does not acknowledge or harbor feelings for them, for the Great Lord of the Un-Living is beyond all mortal reasoning. This doesn’t prevent them from following his dark dreams and they do so with great joy.
His followers are madmen, psychotics, and creatures without a shred of morality, for only they seem to be touched by his creeping tentacles. They act in strange ways and often perform acts even they themselves do not understand, guided by the dreams of their lord.
The only calming knowledge for those outside the cult is that they are disorganized, and often do not even know what their sister circles are conspiring about. Of all the Old Ones, Cthulhu’s followers are the most numerous and his creations are universally feared throughout the lands of men.
The Order of Terra
Among the race of humans there are groups who believe that all the worlds’ histories are lies. They say all races, besides those of man, are invaders. They believe it was humanity, not the Fae, who pushed the Old Ones and the other aliens back, casting them from the earth. They believe all other races are invaders, and need to be driven back to the dark unknown places they crawled out from. They say even the dwarves, who claim to be the first sons of the planet, are invaders from some other world and must be driven out. These are the dark philosophies of the Order of Terra.
The followers of the order are fanatical in their quest, but always show a public face of compassion and state that they work within the law. More than one goblin however, has been found lynched, the order’s marks burned into their flesh, and everyone has seen the pictures in the papers of Dhampyrs staked through the heart by a wooden stake bearing their crest.
The order fights for its rights, even though they campaign to drive back the other races. Stating that all other races are in league with the terrors that seem to hunt and feed in this world. Many wish they knew the true face of this organization, and its shadowy members.
The League of Light
The league has been around for centuries, maybe longer, and many prominent figures have belonged to its roster. They want the same thing that all sane folk want: safety from the Old Ones and the dark arts. They are considered to be a force for the common man and a voice for the people. They will often accompany military and police to investigate the occult, and offer their unique knowledge and skills.
The members of the league all have deep occult knowledge, but they do not admit anyone with access to occult gifts as they believe they corrupt the mind and soul of the user. They do however use artifice items and artifacts to battle against the forces of darkness. This is often seen as hypocritical, but they state that one must use the power of the darkness, in moderation mind you, to bring the darkness into the light.
The members do not perform witch hunts, nor do they hold deep prejudice, stating “Too each their own, but know that if you bring darkness and terror to this world, we will cleanse you in the light.”
The House Of The Undying Dragon
The cold winds and unsettling aura that surrounds the House of the Undying Dragon is among only one of the oddities of this order. This is one of the newest organizations to emerge on the global scene, but it is certainly not the smallest or the most obscure. A mere 100 years ago the house of the undying dragon was founded by the vampire known only as Jynx of Xaos, or as most Dhampyr know him, the Kith Slayer or The Breaker Of Chains. The House of the Undying Dragon has found a way to petition the dragon lord Xi’akmhar, or Shadowheart as he is sometimes called, and they claim to be able to grant you eternal life forever through his service.
The house only allows those with the strength to bend flux entry into its ranks, and turns away all others saying “the power of the dragon is open only to those who can harness it”. Those who are admitted must devote themselves to the will of Xi’akmhar, and in exchange they gain the chance to be granted immortality. The only known allies to this group of Magi are the House of Black Blood, and even they seem to tread lightly around the dragon’s followers. Each follower is selected and inducted by Jynx in secret, and all follow his word as if it were the word of the dragon itself. Just as the dragon’s teachings are immortal, so too does Jynx remain the same, since he killed his creator and rode away on Xi’akmhar himself over 100 years ago, claiming to be the first vampire free of Dracula’s reign.
The group’s halls are secretive, guarded by magics and fanatics. While they are publicly known as just another strange cult many feel that something far more sinister is lurking within.