The Evolved Society

The Evolved Society is a widespread group; partly a cult, partly a criminal organisation, comprised of aristocrats and scientists within the Erdannian Empire, especially the cities of Varawyn and Erradan. They seek to perfect the human form through the use of technology, and have less than ethical methods of scientific research.
== Activities ==
The primary goal of the Evolved Society is the advancement of technology to benefit humanity, regardless of the cost. To this end, they subvert and avoid silly things like "laws" and "ethics". Most of the highest members of the Society are nobles and scientists who are able to exert their influence and wealth to make legal authorities look the other way. To this end, they have even implanted several of their members into positions of political power.
To feed their insatiable appetite for scientific progress, the Society has had to spread like a cult, bringing in volunteers who have been indoctrinated to their beliefs about the technological future of humanity. The Society tests augments and alchemical concoctions on these volunteer followers, creating powerful warriors, who they then employ to go out into the city and capture more 'test subjects', by coercion or force.
== History ==
After Kevin Valentine created the first clockwork prosthetic limb in 20.18, engineers in Varawyn began to wonder how far technology could go to improve humanity. Lord Maximillian Asalaine, in a struggle to stay relevant, funded these scientists and created a "society" of like-minded individuals, whose sole purpose was to research greater augmentations, and to see how many injuries and conditions they could solve with technology. This was 6 years after the original creation, by which point the schematics had been made public.
Over time, the society began to grow more cult-like in nature, as its members grew to accept the ideal that clockwork augmentations were for more than just replacement limbs. It became a requirement to be enhanced in some way, and the society's meetings were accompanied with bizarre ceremonies and tradition.
Despite this, many influential and important scientists joined the society, such as Kevin Valentine and Simone Stilfinch. The society did much to improve the efficiency and strength of clockwork limbs, and developed new augmentations, such as the bionic eye. They were generally seen as a force of good, despite their strangeness.
In the year 20.52, an anonymous scientist made contact with the Evolved Society, claiming to have cured mortality. Lord Asalaine was ecstatic, and eagerly asked the man to join them and share his findings. The anonymous scientist never met with the members of the evolved society in person, but slowly traded knowledge. Eventually, he sent the society a concoction, an alchemical mixture that could supposedly add years onto a person's life. He also sent its recipe. The recipe was gruesome, and involved the deaths of several human beings.
The leader of the society, Lord Asalaine, proffered the cup during one of the society meetings, and stated that those who were faithful to the society would drink from it and join them in longevity, despite the concoction's method of creation. The society was split almost in half, and the more moral scientists left immediately. At the sight of such a powerful elixir, there was a chaotic power struggle within the scientists and aristocrats who wished for immortality and power. After the chaos, a core group remained.
The anonymous scientist then visited Varawyn, and revealed himself to be Baron Conroy Pendlehurst, still alive and much augmented. Pendlehurst explained that with this chaos and scandal surrounding the society, they would have to go underground and be more secretive about their movements. He then bolstered the society's numbers with scientists from the Underfog, who still bore some loyalty to the legendary figure, and placed Lord William Storminster in charge of the Varawyn branch of the society. He then set his sights on Erradan.
In 20.76, Mortimer Gallahowe was sent to Erradan, to expand the influence of the Evolved Society there. Over time he built up a large following, among the upper class and lower classes alike. He was instrumental in bringing Circe Rosenclair to power, however, following this she cast him and his society aside, and began to treat them as she would treat any criminal organisation.
== Known Members ==
Baron Conroy Pendlehurst
Lord William Storminster/The Architect
Lord Mortimer Gallahowe
Lady Lunaji Gallahowe
Fletcher Gallahowe
Hunter
Kindle
Doctor Caleb Blackwood
Doctor Thane
Lady Gwenevere Bridgecastle/Praetorian