Compact: The Maharlika

*This compact is a work in progress! Expect more details, like game mechanics specific to the Chronicles of Darkness' Storytelling systems, to follow shortly. I also welcome suggestions! -Pammu*

## The Maharlika

The oldest Keepers of the Vigil on Philippine soil, descended from the very first *babaylan* and datus of the country who became aware of the Darkness. The Maharlika is distinguished by fact that not a single one of their number is simply mortal: they claim to have the blood of great serpents running through their veins, allowing them to walk the ever-blurring lines between Darkness and Light.

All Maharlika Hunters bear a bakunawa tattoo somewhere on their body, and they always appear to have been done using traditional methods of body painting according to where they come from. In truth, the tattoo is etched upon the Hunter's body through ancient rituals kept within the compact, and - like the other tattoos that Maharlika Hunters bear on their bodies - power their Endowments.

## History

The content of the song cycles that speak of the Maharlika's origin vary across the archipelago. The plot points we've listed below are the only common threads that we've been able to recover.

* In a time before time, two Bakunawa wished to devour the Sun.
* All the heavens, all the hells and all of Earth became their battlefield as the Bakunawa chased each other, biting and clawing, causing earthquakes and tempests between their bodies as they tangled together.
* Across the centuries, the intensity of their bitter rivalry cooled into mutual respect for each other as rivals, and later fueled the fires of passion. They satiated their hunger for the Sun on each other instead.
* Because there was always going to be more of their kind and other creatures of terrible power who might seek the glory of their Sun, the Lovers descended upon the Earth. They rutted with each other and made themselves known to the Children of Men, such that their offspring could sing their songs, speak with their voice, and strike with their might.

To any observant outsider, the Maharlika will seem less like an organized institution with a mission and more like several spiritual movements that took place in different places across the archipelago. Throughout history, if the stories are to be believed, the Maharlika have been the guardians of the Philippines' supernatural locations and people. They were the mediators between mortals and "gods", and between "gods" themselves who sought the arbitration of an outside party that "understood" them.

## Purpose

Above everything else, the Maharlika are interested in protecting the mysteries of the Philippine islands, and safeguarding the country's spiritual traditions. They believe that the the mortal world and the world of monsters and darkness can and SHOULD co-exist as peacefully as possible, and keeping the peace is as much a matter of negotiation as it is applying *just* the right amount of forceto make the prouder ones fall in line.

## Organization

The Maharlika have no real organizational structure. The compact is more like a network of the Children of the Bakunawa, where proof of your lineage is in your family tree and in your remembrance of the Dragon's Songs. Maharlika are expected to take charge of their own area, and will only step in to help one another if it's clear that the threat they're facing is beyond their ken.

As the Maharlika are preoccupied with watching over the Filipino people inasmuch as they are their traditions and legacies, it should come as no surprise that Maharlika follow their countrymen all over the world. They generally avoid other Hunters on principle, especially since most Keepers are powered by ignorance or by some deluded idea of justice.

Maharlika Hunters address each other as kin (tito/tita, manong/manang, kuya/ate) depending on the local dialect that they grew up speaking. No one, however, uses titles alluding to grandmothers and grandfathers. All Children of the Bakunawa only recognize one set of grandparents: Lola Maganda and Lolo Malakas themselves.

## Current Leadership

The Maharlika do not have leaders inasmuch as they have notable Hunters from all over the Philippines, or from Filipino communities overseas.

**Elias Tagabigay** is the quintessential Good Samaritan of Luzon. Mortals and supernaturals alike speak of a young man (or little girl) who swooped down from God-knows-where and pulled them out of a sticky situation. The common denominator: the twin snakes tattooed upon their arms. Few Maharlika have had the pleasure of meeting any of the Eliases, but those who have were deeply impressed by the power at their disposal.

*NPCs! You're definitely free to make your own, though, and plug them into this section.*

## Building a Maharlika Hunter

**PREREQUISITES TO JOIN THE MAHARLIKA:** must be Filipino or married to a Filipino; must be either mortal or a Mage

The Maharlika, at the core, are all about family, and all Maharlika Hunters are exceptions to the rule. Somewhere down the line, one of your ancestors (or maybe even the family you just married into) was descended from one of the Great Bakunawa - Lola Maganda or Lolo Malakas - or from one of their many (many, many...) children. It's the primary explanation for your powers, or for the fact that you have, throughout your life, always been *different*. Furthermore, the family life of your Hunter along with how he takes to this "legacy" that he supposedly has can be the seat of an interesting backstory. Has he grown up always knowing his destiny, or did it sort of just... happen? Is his ancestor, indeed, an ancestor straight out of some hokey family legend or is it his perpetually absent father? Is he even based in the Philippines at all?

## Endowment: Tinta

*This section is still under construction!*

## Status

*This section is still under construction!*

## Plot Hooks

*This section is still under construction!*