Reconditism

## Recondite Society

The religious pantheon of Ludwag forms the basis of religions across the continent, with each member of the divine pantheon having their own following that empowers them and fights in their name. Some individuals are polytheistic, seeking favor from multiple of the Gods at once. Some find themselves practicing the art of Thaumaturgy, directly wielding the power of these beings for themselves. Yet, there are a few certain individuals across Latteras who reject this state of affairs. For one reason or another, these individuals have come to one conclusion: that the Gods must go. Some claim that their apathy to the general state of the world has warranted their removal, while others claim that the cults that have formed to serve them fuel nothing but pointless bloodshed amongst those who would ordinarily be normal people. Each with their own philosophy or reason for coming to this conclusion, these men and women have slowly discovered each other over a cup of ale, a hypothetical question tossed into the air, or through discussions over the true nature of the Gods. In secret, with only the members of the society knowledgeable of who else shares their belief, these so called anti-theists roar against the words of the Selvan Creed or the Sun Cult with intent to one day, somehow, amass an arsenal that allows for the execution of the final act, the destruction of a God.

Bound together only by their final goal, the Society draws members from all sorts of unlikely situations. From an Aridian Jenissere that recoils in disgust at the Lunar Order and their worship of Ankouan to the Lattish Footman who has found himself embittered at a so called Champion of Selvas that has left him to die in a confrontation with a beast, Society members know best to steer their focuses towards their mutual goals before they end up tearing at the throats of their comrades in arms. Patronized by figures in surprisingly high positions, the Society is generally successful at getting its hands on what it needs… alas, if only the Society could figure out how exactly to achieve their aims. As a whole, the biggest obstacle to the Society is not avoiding the hammer of heresy or blasphemy, not their ability to obtain what they need, or the struggle to recruit new members, but rather the process of getting what they need to do done. After all, it is no easy task to simply kill a God. Simply getting a God to appear by itself is an absurd task, much less harnessing the power to put it into the ground for good. Despite challenges however, intellectuals and mancers within the society pursue their side projects with great interest, eager to find the answer that’ll allow their vision of a better world to come to pass.

Generally, members of the society do not harbor ill will towards the religions that follow the Gods, rather seeing them as misguided, raised under the watch of a God that they know does not truly provide for them. Although one day the time may come to fight against them and the thaumaturges that draw directly from the Gods, it is not a task many members of the Society relish. What must be done to achieve their goals will be, but that is no excuse to cackle and become eager to spill blood. Society members are recognized by various methods, be it a sigil that means something only to members, an uttered phrase, or perhaps just an odd mannerism such as a diagonal nod. Keeping secret from the various religions is mandatory and paramount, as the last thing the Society wishes for is a crusade upon their goals, a sick irony that the ignorance they claim to fight against would come to consume them. Those that make the Society a large part of their daily business take such measures to remain secret very seriously, and those who find themselves a more outside member need only not mention their philosophical leanings… or only do it to those who they suspect feel the same way.

The members of the Society know that the task they pursue would be considered insane or impossible by most, if not downright worthy of immediate execution. They do not know exactly what would happen if the Gods were to suddenly disappear, if anything would change at all, but each member of the society is utterly convinced that their work will forge a better world; for them or for their people as a whole. Surely, to drive a blade through Ankouan’s heart will not cancel death, right? The world has persisted forever, the Gods are only mentioned in recent texts. Evidence exists to back their goal, so the Society claims, and when the truth itself is on your side, how can you let ignorance consume you? Whatever the cost, whatever the sacrifice must be to pull off such a monumental task, surely it would be worth it. For it is not a man at stake, it is the whole world.

## Rankings

The Society is a recent phenomenon, and it is not organized as, say, a military would be. Thus, the ‘rankings’ of the Society are mostly spurious, informal categories of how dedicated one is and how much effort one provides into working towards the Society’s goals.

### Member:

No matter how they got there, a member is someone who has amiably discovered the Society and opted to believe in and fight for their goal. Perhaps not in a major capacity, a member varies wildly from someone who would merely like to see the dismissal of the Gods to someone who believes themselves deeply scorned and damaged by the existence of the Gods, one who would give their all to personally destroy a God.

### Patron:

Some members of the Society are important figures in their own society at large. Noblemen, high ranking merchants, perhaps even the captain of a military force, these members can provide an essential service or pull a lever of bureaucracy that allows the operations of the Society to flow smoothly. If a Researcher was to need a certain herb, or a book, or a tool, it would be a Patron that could tug on their connections to try and support the needs of the Society. Without the Patrons, the Society would have a hard time being anything more than a talking circle of disgruntled miscreants.

### Researcher:

While each member of the Society is important, it is the Researchers that hold in their hands the keys to accomplishing the goals of the Society. Mancers knee deep in lore, historians, academics, scholars, the Researchers are those determined to find the answers, rituals, and methods that the Society would use to finally act on their plans. Scouring through tomes and academic works on what the Gods truly are, when and how they visit, the nature of the Fields of Ankouan and the destiny of a mortal soul; the poor Researcher must delve through piles of abstract works and find answers where none are meant to exist for the purpose of liberating their country, their continent, and the world from the tyranny of the Gods.

### Founder:

Harboring no special role within the Society other than perhaps a bit of extra respect for uniting such a contentious group of individuals, the Founder is merely the man who spoke to another over a bowl of stew and determined that the goal of disassembling the Pantheon was a goal worth pursuing. Many eyes, knowing or not, fall upon him as he catches up with the research of the Researchers, organizes the assets of the Patrons, and keeps steady the Members on their quest. Knowing that the path on which his confidants walk is a harsh one fraught with plenty of dangers, he nonetheless believes that the net gain from letting loose a cry of humanity and banishing the Gods to a realm unknown is a goal worthy of the risk.